From: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Subject: [INFO] The News From Dayton -- 09/02/96 Date: 1996/09/05 Message-ID: <50la47$283@alpha.sky.net> followup-to: rec.sport.pro-wrestling Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling.info,rec.sport.pro-wrestling If the following post looks like a half-assed version of my usually easy-to-read News From Dayton posts, I apologize.... I am already very late posting this week, and with everything I'm in the middle of, I changed my usual procedure around this week. Instead of doing this the "right" way, I just went ahead and created the HTML (WWWeb) version the News first, and did a text dump into this file. I hope it works, but if it doesn't format right, I'm apologizing in advance. If you'd like to read this News in it's proper format, I strongly encourage you to do so at the home of The News on the Web -- http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ag725/HomePage.news.html I guarantee you you'll appreciate it more than you will this dumpy ol' text-only version! ;) The News -- September 2, 1996 Sorry for being late with this week's News... I was just plain busy with the beginning of my career as a grad student (damn! I'm starting to sound just like Herb in my old age!), including moving back into the famed University of Dayton Ghetto. And taking advantage of a three-day weekend in my unique fashion. Since I'm late this week, I once again don't have the Marvez column in front of me, but am rather going to run down its highlights from memory. Any ommissions or mistakes are solely my fault: * Top story is the NWO... it is expected that Nitro will reveal the next man. [As we know, it turned out to be the Giant.] Marvez runs down a list of possibilities, most of which seemed to have one strike against them. For example, British Bulldog was WCW's ideal plan, but he was locked into a 5-year WWF contract on late Thursday. [Note: MiCasa is reporting an interesting byline in this story involving subterfuge by Bulldog that went awry. If true, MiCasa's story could lead to a legitimate claim by Titan against Turner of tampering.] Sean Waltman is being backed by Hall and Nash as an NWOer, but he has had problems getting his release finalized and is perceived as not being a big enough star to be part of the group. So by nature of being just about the only guy *not* rumored to be heading to the NWO, the Giant was selected from the Random Angle Generator owned by Eric Bischoff to fill the slot. We shall see how things go from here. [Another side note: after turning, the Giant delivered, in about 3 parts, approximately one half of what could have been a solid interview. Instead, Hogan and others kept cutting him off, not allowing him to finish. I thought it sort of spoiled what could have been a hot, sensible ending to Nitro.] * Marvez says that Marc Mero will win the WWF IC Title at the upcoming IYH PPV in Philly. Not to cast aspersions on Mr. Marvez's character, but I had heard that the IC tourney final would take place on the live RAW the next night, not at the PPV. Once again, this is a case of "We shall see." * Also, Marvez reports that we may be seeing Hunter Hearst Helmsley turn face to feud with Goldust. With the way the HHH/Hennig angle is playing out, making it all the way to a full-fledged face turn for HH will be a long, rocky road. * As always, Alex is available online at address "Alex1Marv@aol.com". He heads up the "Bodyslams" folder on AOL's Grandstand Wrestling section, but is so busy with his real job (covering the Cincinnati Bengals) that he's not been posting too much there. Still, feel free to pop in and ask question or whatever. Now, onto other information, some taken from and/or corroborated by folks like Newzfirst on AOL, MiCasa's Daily News, and the Bagpipe Report. All are great sources, and make *daily* efforts at updating breaking stories, which usually means they'll tell you about news before I get a chance to. So take advantage of them already! * In very disappointing news, the World Wrestling Federation has put its collective foot down right on top of all the graps fans who enjoyed discussing Titan on the America OnLine Grandstand Wrestling Area. To trace this event to its roots, we have to go back to messages that were making mention of the rumor of weekly WWF PPVs over a week ago. While I doubt this was large enough a singular event, I guess it was the straw that broke the camel's back, because late last week, all WWF folder disappeared from the GS area. This met with a lot of anger from GS denizens who rallied against Titan's decision in several folders. However, it was in Georgie's Chatterbox that WWFBarstow made a public defense of Titan's move; in essense, he stated that what the WWF was doing was not censorship in any way, but rather a perfectly legal protection of the "integrity of [their] product." I do not know or fully understand WWFBarstow (actually, he is Richard Lee Barstow, I believe, but his screenname on AOL is WWFBarstow) or what he said, and I did not respond in any AOL forum for the sole reason that it seemed that logic, civility, and common sense went out the door as soon as WWFBarstow stuck his head in. Here in my own private forum I will speak my piece. I have seen others do everything from promise to boycott Titan TV and PPVs (which seems awfully silly) to mail-bombing WWFBarstow@aol.com (which may or may not have its desired effect). I don't think I condone either, but am at a loss for what I/we should do. Boycotting WWF programming is pretty much tantamount to cutting off your nose despite your face, or whatever that stupid saying is. And I don't think WWFBarstow is the guy who made this decision, so mailing him isn't likely to produce direct results. Mailing him might inspire him to take our plea to the next higher level, but the same effect could probably be had (without pissing off Mr. Barstow) by simply publically rallying against this move in other forums, both on AOL and elsewhere on the internet. In fact, I am EXTREMELY confident that WWFBarstow had little to do with this decision; the WWF's desire to create its own private universe is one that runs deep. Never is the "sport of professional wrestling" referred to. Never is a great wrestler the "best in the world." Instead, Titan goes out of its way to make Shawn Michaels the "most charasmatic performer in WWF history" or declare Bret Hart the "most respected WWF Champion ever." The world does not exist to them; they project am image of being the only pro wrestling group in that world. Which all brings me back to why I found WWFBarstow's comments a bit tough to follow. At the same time that I think this is nothing more than a move to once again limit the "WWF Universe" down to the most-secluded, most heavily- controlled area possible on AOL (that being WWF OnLine), WWFBarstow insisted on mentioning things like protection of their trademarks and prevention of spreading of false information as reasons for this move. Now, I'm fully aware that there are tons of web pages out there that have illegally made available pictures from the WWF OnLine site. But there was none of that on the GS Wrestling area. I'm also aware that even by slapping this little thing I call the News From Dayton together, I'm regularly spreading rumors that may or may not have elements of truth to them. I try to limit what I report to the plausible, but nobody's perfect. Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller make comfortable livings off reporting sometimes-true/sometime-false rumors, and they aren't being put out of business by Titan. The AOL GS Wrestling area is no better and no worse than any other source for wrestling "news" and rumors. So in short, whichever of the two reasons behind this move you tend to put more faith in (the "shrinking WWF Universe theory" or the "protecting the integrity of our product theory"), I don't see much evidence to support either. I have always found Titan's refusal to acknowledge wrestling anywhere else on the planet frustrating, but never -- until now -- thought that it would effect how I exercise my interest in wrestling. Now that it has, I see no good reason behind it except for short-sightedness. And that's not really a good reason. If you want to try the other theory, you have to look past the fact that there are other places making more heinous transgressions of Titan's trademark priveleges and at least two guys *making a living* from passing along sketchy rumors to accept the fact that the WWF has decided to eliminate a sector of fandom where fans discussed WWF stars and speculated their little hearts away. Neither of which is exactly illegal or immoral last I checked. If it turns out this decision was actually nothing more than an attempt to shunt all fans who want to discuss the WWF to the WWF OnLine section of AOL, I think we're gonna wind up with (a) disappointed fans (who will quickly realize that for as useful as WWF OnLine can be, there are way too many stupid people -- and I do *NOT* mean just marks, I mean all around idiots, even if the high mark percentage is likely to turn off most smarks -- to sustain the kind of fandom these people want to sustain) and (b) a disappointed TitanSports (who will quickly find that fans are not so easily manipulated, and are more likely to find ways around Titan's short-sighted, domineering decision than to succumb to it). To sum up this rather lengthy diatribe: this isn't the end of the world for us fans, but sure as hell ain't a good thing, either. * In its first unopposed week, Nitro pulled a combined 4.3 rating, with the second hour doing a 4.8. This is Nitro's best rating ever, but falls short of the 4.7 rating a Spring episode of RAW pulled as far as best rating of the War so far goes. * As the WWF tries to revamp its programming schedule (a revamping which now will probably *not* be including weekly PPVs, by the way), we will be seeing WWF Superstars on Sundays on USA Network. Also, WWF Mania (the Saturday morning show on USA) will be totally re-structured and will become a live, interactive show. Todd Pettingill will have superstars as guests, and will take your calls and faxes. One has to wonder if they'll take e-mail. A final move being considered by Titan as they revamp their TV is making RAW live twice a month, instead of once a month. No word right now on when this new taping schedule would/could be implemented. * Renewed word persists of Rick Rude returning to the WWF this fall, with Missy Hyatt as his manager/valet. * The Bodydonnas are done with the WWF. Tom "Zip" Pritchard may stay on with Titan as a trainer (some are saying he's helping with Mark Henry's training already), while it looks like Chris "Skip" Candido will take time to nurse his neck back to health and then return with a new look. This is probably fall-out from the fact that Candido's neck injury meant he'd be out of the picture, and that therefore Zip would be rendered pretty much useless (as he's not at all over as a singles threat). Since Candido can't exactly be shuffled aside like Pritchard (cuz we all know who would shuffle off with him....), he'll take time off and *will* return in due time. * Royal Rumble 1997 is suppossedly headed to the Alamo Dome in Shawn Michaels' home town of San Antonio, Texas. When configured for football, the place is huge, seating over 60,000; when configured for basketball, it's the home of the NBA Spurs, and still seats over 20,000. Sounds like Titan is planning on a big show. * In news that contradicts what Alex Marvez has reported, I've heard that Farooq Asad was spotted cutting an interview with the IC Title up in Stamford. * The Bagpipe Report last week first published a rumor that Matt "The Origianl Doink" Bourne was back in the WWF, then in an interview with Bourne the next day, found out he hadn't even talked with Titan since his departure in late 1993. But Bourne did hint that he could be back with a major group (and a new gimmick) in due time. * MiCasa reports that the Ultimate Warrior is considering suing TitanSports. It would be a case built on a wrongful firing or somesuch. Again, time will tell on this one. * Here is the full line-up of WWF PPV dates and sites for the rest of 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!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------