From: hekunze@watmsg.uwaterloo.ca (Herb Kunze)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: Wrestling TidBits   -   05/17
Message-ID: <1990May17.180049.15445@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Date: 17 May 90 18:00:49 GMT
Sender: daemon@watmath.waterloo.edu (Owner of Many System Processes)
Distribution: rec
Organization: University of Waterloo
Lines: 127
Posted: Thu May 17 19:00:49 1990


 - Bad News Brown is going to finish out his feud with Jake Roberts
   before his suspension for hitting a fan (reported last week) takes
   effect.  You know that Vince just has to complete all his questionable
   programs.

 - Last week, Buddy Roberts took on Leon Spinks (yeah, that Leon Spinks)
   in a three-round bout in Columbia, Ky.  Cousin Luke & Dick The Bruiser
   also appeared on the card.  Next week, Roberts takes on Harley Race in
   a Chicago bar.

 - It's kind of interesting that while the Ultimate Warrior is dropping
   weight, Rick Rude is adding bulk.  Looks like Vince wants to give
   the impression that Rude can actually beat the Warrior.  The WWF
   "bigger is better" fan might buy it.  This isn't too surprising
   since the Warrior-Rude program will have to carry the summer for
   the WWF.

 - Hulk Hogan began his sabbatical from the ring this week.  I don't know
   about his movie plans, but he is going to film a Gillette commercial.

 - Jake Roberts has been out of action for a week with a neck injury.
   Dusty Rhodes is still sidelined with a foot injury.

 - Speaking of big Dusty, latest rumours (oh, pleeeeeease say it ain't so)
   have Dusty bailing out of the WWF and heading back to the NWA as a
   booker.  This better be someone's idea of a sick joke.  The NWA has
   announced that they are getting a new booker - 1 person, not a
   committee - though.  The mixed blessing in Dusty taking the job is
   that the booker will NOT be wrestling.

 - Tugboat Thomas just didn't sail too well with the fans in the WWF.
   I guess even the WWF fans don't want to cheer two hooting idiots.
   The WWF has officially changed his name to Bronto - I don't know
   what the gimmick involves yet - and is going to set up a program
   between him and Dino Bravo.

 - Larry Cameron looked a little sloppy in his NWA try-out match, reports
   say.  But the fans (apparently wise to Cameron's potential) cheered him
   like mad.  So, unlike fellow former Stampede wrestler Steve DiSalvo,
   Larry is wanted by the NWA.  I don't know if I like Larry as a face
   though - he has Horseman written all over him.  Oh yeah, Larry signed
   a one year deal yesterday.

 - Latest boardroom scuttlebutt has a major corporation (nameless, right
   now) trying to buy the NWA from Ted Turner.

 - The Road Warriors are really unhappy with the offer tabled to them by the
   NWA, an offer that Scott Steiner has apparently accepted.  Word has them
   leaving to go to Japan for a bit and then....

 - Abdullah the Butcher has waddled off to Japan, screwing up whatever angle
   was set to turn him in the NWA.

 - Predictions for Capital Combat:
   - In a match of the year candidate, lotsa blood will be shed leading to
     Lex Luger's winning of the NWA World title from Ric Flair.  I don't
     paint Ric out of the picture though.  He'll make one of his patented
     comebacks and regain the strap at Starrcade, or something.
   - Scary rumours have Doom beating the Steiners for the belts.  I know
     that Teddy Long needs some sort of credibility, but I can't see this
     happening.  Steiners should win.
   - Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk will retain their US straps against the Midnight
     Express.
   - Road Warriors & Norman will beat Cactus Jack, Kevin Sullivan, & Bam Bam.
     Bam Bam is set to feud with Luger once Luger takes the strap - a match
     between these two will apparently headline the NWA's return to Toronto
     card.
   - Paul Ellering will knock out Teddy Long and snip a few strands of hair.
   - Freebirds will beat the R'N'R Express.
   - SST will pound Eddie Gilbert & Tommy Rich.
   - Mark Callas will heart punch Johnny Ace.
   - I think this will be an incredible event, mainly because the new booker
     will be scouting his talent pool and the wrestlers will all be performing
     to try and guarantee their good use.  The near-guaranteed title change
     will also help to keep emotions high throughout the card.

 - Saw Paul Diamond jobbing for Jimmy Snuka on last week's WWF show.  The WWF
   never fails to amaze me.  Also surprising was the image change for the
   Barbarian and the Warlord.  I guess we can expect a push for these guys
   and potential Warrior defeaters.

 - Caught a tape of a match between Al Perez and Gary Young from Copps
   Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario.  Al had his knee heavily bandaged, which
   might account for his low status.  Al ended up winning with a beatiful
   belly-to-back neck-bridge suplex.

 - Caught what I believe was a tape of the AWA ESPN show from May 14
   yesterday.  Scott Norton & Nord are calling themselves the Lumberjacks,
   a gimmick which I haven't seen in quite some time (only Jos LeDuc springs
   to mind for recent memories).  The gimmick doesn't help them.

 - Bulldog Bob Brown is pulling a Dusty Rhodes in the CNWA.  Bob's the booker,
   Bob has little talent, Bob is in every main event.  Sound familiar, Dust?
   The CNWA is abysmal.  Stampede, without television, is drawing a few
   hundred people to its shows.  Word has it that Stampede is thisclose to
   signing a contract for US tv.

 - Well, the NWA has decided to use Paul E. Dangerously as a manager after
   all.  It looks like they'll revive the angle where Teddy Long wants to
   Mean Mark's contract.  Paul E buys it.

 - Some comments on WWW last week.  It was interesting to see Gary Albright
   in a squash match in the opener against the R'N'R Express.  Gary, if memory
   serves, did quite well as a college wrestler in Alberta.  He worked for
   Stampede for a while, billed as Vulcan Singh, the brother of Makhan Singh
   (now Norman the Lunatic).  He didn't do the job, sp you never know if
   he'll get used for more.  The Southern Boys might well be feuding with
   the Midnight Express for the summer, since the program with Zenk & Pillman
   is stale.

 - I've already received some notes saying yes to the idea of a list of
   active NWA/WWF wrestlers and their real names.  I'm sure a few more
   yes responses will trickle in, so why don't those people interested
   send me their lists of names/(real names if you know) and I'll work
   on it a bit too.  I'll post something the middle of next week and
   we'll add to and correct it until we have the definitive list.

                                                        Herb...

As always, comments, criticisms, and questions are encouraged and appreciated.
***********************************************************************
* Herb Kunze                    *   "Whether you like it or not,      *
* Applied Math Department       *    learn to live with it, 'cause    *
* University of Waterloo        *    I'm the best thing going today!" *
* hekunze@watmsg.waterloo.edu   *     - Ric 'Nature Boy' Flair        *
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