From: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Subject: [INFO] The News From Dayton -- 09/16/96 Date: 1996/09/16 Message-ID: <51ih54$a9u@freenet-news.carleton.ca> Sender: ag725@freenet5.carleton.ca (Rick Scaia) Organization: The National Capital FreeNet Reply-To: ag725@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (Rick Scaia) Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling As always, we kick off the News From Dayton with a recap of Alex Marvez's weekly Dayton Daily News wrestling column: * Top story is the "apparent" turn of Sting. While WCW would have us believe Sting sold out to DiBiase and the NWO, most fans with a modicum of visual acuity or intellect was able to discern that the "Sting" who appeared on Nitro kicking the crap out of Lex Luger was not the real Stinger, Steve Borden. In actually, Alex Marvez confirms 'net rumors/speculation that it was actually WCW prelim wrestler Cobra who donned the Sting attire to make the simulated turn. While it is probable that the ruse will be uncovered at tonight's PPV (with the real Sting coming to the aid of Team WCW), it's tough to say exactly how WCW is planning on playing this off. Two things about the "turn" are worth noting: first, Sting's conversion to the dark side generated about as many angry phone calls to WCW/Turner as Hogan's turn did (about 20-30 calls). Second, Nitro had been really hot ratings-wise, peaking at a 4.2 for the quarter hour leading up to Sting's turn. After Sting's turn, the rest of the show scored only a 3.3. Either fans are sick of non-sensical heel turns in WCW, or there were enough kids/marks/whatever who were totally turned off by their hero turning bad to account for a full ratings point drop off following the angle. * Next story touchs on the Razor Ramon/Diesel situtation. Alex currently subscribes to the school of thought that has Titan bringing back the Razor/Diesel gimmicks, despite the fact that Hall and Nash (who made them popular) will remain with WCW. Leading candidate to play Razor Ramon is FMW's Big Titan (who actually has performed gimmicks that were a rip off of the Razor gimmick, including "Razor Rameriez"), while Glen "Isaac Yankem" Jacobs is pencilled in to reprise Big Daddy Cool. Marvez notes that this would likely flop big time, and that the most entertaining suggestion for bringing back the Diesel/Razor characters actually surfaced on the Internet (Rick's note: it surfaced in a note in Alex's AOL folder on Sunday 9/8, posted by the most progressive wrestling thinker on all the 'net! Har!): Stevie Richards and the Blue Meanie, popular ECW stars known for parodying big stars, would invade the WWF as Diesel and Razor, and start calling themselves "The Insiders." Although it would rule, do not expect this to happen. * WCW has gone public with the "news" that Gene Okerlund's contract with WCW is up and has not been renewed. WCW even circulated an in-house memo with this info last week. Alex suspects (correctly, I believe) that this is probably just a half-hearted attempt to swerve the 'cores into thinking Gene is gone. Look for him to surface with the NWO before too long. * Bam Bam Bigelow is still a candidate to fill the role of the fourth NWO member for tonight's War Games. * The USA Championship Friday special scored poorly in the ratings, scoring only a 1.8 rating (but a reasonable 3.1 share). This likely shoots down Titan's desire to move RAW to a prime time Friday slot, and simultaneously ends Eric Bischoff and WCW's reported preparations to match a move to Friday night. As reported above, WCW Nitro ratings slipped after peaking in mid-show. However, they still averaged a 3.7 over the two hour program, which is quite strong. RAW was not helped much by the promise of more Razor/Diesel news, and scored only a 2.4. * As always, Alex Marvez remains accessible to the fans, both via e-mail (Alex1Marv@aol.com) and through his "Bodyslams" folder located on the AOL GrandStand. Now, on to other news -- * Alex took his shot at updating the Razor/Diesel situation above. For what it's worth, there have been some other developments that continue to keep me from thinking that the matter is conclusively closed, one way or the other. While I lean toward agreeing with Alex and most other reputable sources that Hall and Nash will not be returning to the WWF, it needs to be pointed out that at least one other reputable source (The Bagpipe Report) is stating that Tamara Nash (that is Kevin "Diesel" Nash's wife) said that her husband was in fact negociating with Titan after the discovery of a loop hole in his WCW contract. Also, it has been widely reported that Nash was having BIG TIME trouble getting along with Hogan. On WWF TV this weekend, Jim Ross said that after early trouble, negociations with Razor Ramon were back on track, meaning that it was his belief that both Razor and Diesel would return by the end of the month. As last week, more details were promised on Monday Night RAW. Finally, many people have noticed that on the "official" WCW Halloween Havoc PPV card, neither Hall nor Nash have matches; Nash was originally scheduled to face the Giant, and has been pulled from that match for obvious reasons. Why he has not been rescheduled on the card, and where Hall will appear are questions that hvae not been addressed, and have led to speculation that WCW now knows that neither man will be working for them come October. We shall see. * WWF Television will be undergoing some alterations this coming weekend. Titan will maintain a syndicated program (Challenge) that will probably not be seen in many markets, and will be a "highlights" show. All three USA Network programs will be unique "value-added" programs once the changes are put into effect. First, the Saturday morning show (previously WWF Mania) will become "WWF Live Wire" and will be a live call-in show co-hosted by Todd Pettingill and Sunny. They will have guests, and will interact with viewers by phone, fax, and e-mail. The show will air at 10a.m. The Sunday USA Show (previously Action Zone) will be replaced by the formerly-syndicated WWF Superstars (an in-arena show featuring exclusive matches/interviews each week) and moved up an hour to the 11a.m. timeslot. RAW will remain on Monday nights at 8:57p.m., though rumors abound that Titan is looking into taking RAW live two times a month, rather than once. One idea is that RAW would be live the Monday before and the Monday after a PPV. * James J. Dillon has reportedly left the WWF after nearly 8 years of front office service. When he came over from NWA/WCW in 1988 (where he was probably best known as the business manager of the Four Horsemen), it was a pretty big deal. Dillon's new association with the WWF paved the way for Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson to come to Titan (where they enjoyed a tag team title reign as the Brainbusters), and very nearly set up a jump to the WWF by Ric Flair (who, according to a Wrestling Observer retrospective a couple years ago, was in the midst of a power struggle with Dusty Rhoades at the time, and was at least considering leaving the NWA). Over time, JJ became a major player for Titan, and has been reported to be #3 in the WWF power structure (behind Vince and Linda McMahon) or as Vince's "right-hand man." Now that he has left without giving notice, one does have to wonder if a return to WCW for JJ (with his intimate knowledge of WWF operations and his relationships with their workers) could be as big a story as his initial jump to the WWF. However, it needs to be stated clearly that at this time, there is no indication that JJ plans on joining Turner; all we know is that he has left Titan. * For what it's worth, Bill Watts surfaced on at least one WWF house show last weekend in Oklahoma. With the Undertaker no-showing due to his elbow infection, Watts was brought in to get involved with Paul Bearer/Mankind in a mini-angle. While I am sure this was probably due simply to Watts' name value in his home territory, it is interesting to consider that there are very few men who could step into the role that JJ Dillon just vacated. Despite the differences he had with Vince McMahon last year, Bill Watts is one of those men. Who knows? * The WWF announced (officially... we've had at least two of these shows unofficially listed for weeks now) the locations of the first three PPV events of 1997. The Royal Rumble will originate from San Antonio, TX. The venue will be the Alamo Dome (Bagpipe Report states that the Dome will be configured for football seating... in other words, for 70,000 fans; however, unless Titan has something monsterous planned, I think configuring the same way the Spurs do for basketball -- still 20,000 seats or so -- would be sufficient). The first In Your House of the year will take place in Memphis, TN. And the "Granddaddy of them All" WrestleMania, returns to the site of one-third of the second WM card, the Rosemont Horizon just outside of Chicago, IL, for its 13th incarnation. * Word is spreading that "Psycho" Sid Eudy has signed a 5 year WWF contract. The numbers I hear dollar-wise are varying, but are generally in the $100,000 per year range, which seems kind of low, and might indicate Titan doesn't plan on using Sid much above the IC Title level. If we are to believe all the things we've been hearing in the past 2 or 3 months, then we've Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, British Bulldog, and now Sid locked in to the WWF until the year 2001. -- Rick Scaia | I'm on the Web now! RSPW Posse Minister of OFFENSE | http://www.ncf.carleton.ca/~ag725/ ag725@freenet.carleton.ca | Prepare to be Disappointed!!! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------