From: hekunze@watmath.waterloo.edu (Herb Kunze)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: Wrestling TidBits   -   10/31
Message-ID: <1991Oct31.141711.26513@watmath.waterloo.edu>
Date: 31 Oct 91 14:17:11 GMT
Organization: University of Waterloo
Lines: 97


 - Major shake-up in WCW, with Van Hammer winning the WCW Title from
   Lex Luger, and Dusty Rhodes coming out of retirement to join his
   son, Dustin, in beating the Enforcers for the WCW Tag Titles.
   Okay, okay, actually it's Halloween and these are just scary
   thoughts to go with the spirit of the day.

 - Preliminary reports are that Rick Rude will be feuding with Sting
   for WCW's US Title.

 - As has been mentioned on the net already, Rick Steamboat, unhappy
   with his non-existent push in the WWF although he had been promised
   one, gave notice that he would be leaving the company on December
   16th.  Vince promptly asked Rick to job for the Undertaker and IRS
   at the next batch of tapings.  Rick refused and was fired, or you
   can take his refusal as meaning he quit.  There's already talk of
   Rick coming back to WCW.

 - WCW has a Clash of Champions live on WTBS on November 19th from
   Savannah, GA.  The preliminary line-up has:
    - Lex Luger vs. Rick Steiner for the WCW Title
    - The Enforcers vs. Ron Simmons & Barry Windham for the WCW Tag Titles
    - P.N.News vs. Diamond Studd
    - Thomas Rich vs. Big Josh
    - Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd
    - Richard Morton vs. Arachnaman (Brad Armstong's new gimmick)
    - Van Hammer vs. Cactus Jack
    - Steve Austin vs. Bobby Eaton
    - Dustin Rhodes vs. Oz
   There may also be something involving Sting and Rick Rude.  They should
   put Rude over as a heel by having him take the US strap from Sting with
   a screw job, but we'll all be waiting a long time for Sting to lose
   that belt live on nationwide TV.

 - Michael Hayes and Jimmy Garvin will be working singles matches for most
   of the near future.  Hayes will be moving into a feud with Steve Austin.

 - At a WCW TV taping, Rick Steiner came out and challenged Lex Luger, who
   accepted.  Steiner pinned Lex and Steinerlined his entourage for added
   effect.  This should air to help promote the title match at the CoC.
     Also, Bobby Eaton hinted at a heel turn.

 - Brad Armstong's Arachnaman gimmick will debut on TV this weekend.
   He wears a yellow and blue Spider-Man outfit.

 - Sid Justice may be out of action right up until WrestleMania.

 - At the WWF tapings in late October in Fort Wayne, IN., Jake Roberts
   and Randy Savage worked an angle after Jake won his squash.  Savage
   was lured down to the ring by Jake's remarks on the house mic, but
   decided not to risk action from WWF prez Jack Tunney and left the
   ring instead ;-).  Jake jumped him, tied him in the ropes, and waved
   his snake in Randy's face.  The snake did bite Savage on the shoulder.
   Roddy Piper came in for the save, and Savage did a stretcher job,
   even falling off the stretcher.  Elizabeth also made an appearance
   during the stretchering.
     Also, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were both on the Funeral Parlor
   segment, with Flair coming out to interrupt Hogan, yelling "Whatcha
   gonna do when Ric Flair runs wild on you?"  Hogan eyed Flair, and
   the Undertaker snuck out of a coffin behind Hogan and urned him.
   Roddy Piper and Randy Savage made the save, with the Undertaker
   not selling their chair shots.  I guess this angle will set up a
   connection between the Undertaker and Ric Flair.  So, we don't have
   to be too surprised if Ric shows his face during the main event of
   Survivor Series.

 - Also at the tapings, Sgt. Slaughter's face turn was further rejected
   by the fans in attendance, when they mercilessly booed Slaughter and
   Jim Duggan while they did the Pledge of Allegiance.  I guess Hogan
   will accept Slaughter's apology soon to convince the fans to like him.
     Demolition Smash, Barry Darsow, debuted as Repo Man, his new gimmick.
   No word on whether he got over and if Vince is going to keep the gimmick.
     And, as I mentioned last week, Vince was talking to Shawn Michaels
   about going solo.  At the tapings, Shawn started hinting at a heel turn
   in the Rockers' tag match.  Before he turns though, Michaels has asked
   to work a match against Ric Flair for Coliseum Home Video.  Bret Hart
   has also asked for a match with Ric.

 - Sting's new contract with WCW is for three years and will net him close
   to $2-million over that period.

 - Viewers Choice Canada is talking to WCW about airing the "Battle Bowl"
   PPV on December 29th.

 - Starrcade at the Tokyo Dome set a record for first day gate when
   tickets went on sale, pulling in some $1.4-million.  The line-up
   features Tatsumi Fujinami vs. Riki Choshu for the IWGP Title,
   and The Steiners vs. Keiji Muto & Sting for the IWGP Tag Titles.
   Imagine how strong the organizations are in Japan to be able to
   draw crowds even though one of their major titles can't be
   defended (IWGP tag hasn't been since Scott has been injured).

 - The WWF has a card SWS in Japan in the Egg Dome at the end of this
   year headlined by Hulk Hogan vs. Genichiro Tenryu, and Ric Flair vs.
   Yoshiaki Yatsu (who Hogan beat in Kobe in April in a strange Hogan
   match that I've talked about before).
                                                            Herb...