From: hekunze@barrow.uwaterloo.ca (Herb Kunze) Subject: Wrestling TidBits - 05/09 Date: 1996/05/10 Message-ID: X-Deja-AN: 154069344 sender: news@undergrad.math.uwaterloo.ca (news spool owner) organization: University of Waterloo newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling Wrestling TidBits --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Shinjiro Otani] TidBits brings you the WCW Cruiserweight champion again --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Picture of the Week I received enough e-mail about last week's collage that I've put together another one for today, dedicated to Sunny (Tamara Sytch). I hope this doesn't lead to countless e-mails looking for nude pictures of Tammy. Once again it's a 1024x768 JPEG saved at 95% quality to help shrink file size a bit. A few comments on JPEG: it's a video standard that allows different implementations of specific algorithms; that is, all JPEG readers/writers can read each other's images, but different viewers writing an image at 95% quality, say, will produce different output (different file size and different video quality). I'm manipulating images in OS/2 using Colorworks v2.0, arguably the best image program on any home computer platform (mainly because programs like Corel Draw! have so much old code in them because companies can afford full rewrites); Colorworks has many revolutionary features that I'm still learning about. In any case, my suggestion is to use your browser's "save as" command and then perform any additional manipulations you might desire to tweak file sizes, etc., since your output will reap the rewards or penalties of the software you use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Bret vs. Jarrett] - Various wrestling references have been mentioned lately in the newsgroup, from Meltzer's 1986 Who's Who to items that are still in work. Since I haven't seen in mentioned here, I think it might be timely to remind everybody that Pro Wrestling Illustrated put out an Almanac this year. It's printed on small, cheap paper, but for $4.95 US ($6.95 Canadian) you get title histories, all PPV results, wrestler specs (no real names), a sampling of pro-wrestling history, spotlights on current WCW and WWF stars, etc. Even though they don't break kayfabe, it's a pretty worthwhile reference, expecially for the price. [Image] The Observer reports that "apparently WCW has been buying the wrong kind of tables [for Public Enemy to use] and on the 04/22 Nitro Scotty Riggs was hurt and needed two dozen stitches because the table breaking deal hurt him." [Shawn Michaels] - The most interesting item from the Observer this past week read as follows: "Lots of things went on when you pack two dozen wrestlers and keep them together for a 17-day tour as you can imagine. Diesel and Ramon were flagrantly breaking every company rule they could in full view of everyone. There was tremendous heat on Michaels and Helmsley in particular. Apparently there were guys who actually wanted to deck Michaels but had to be talked out of it because with Michaels position, it would cost them their job. Sunny left the tour early because she was ribbed to death including someone taking a dump in her food at one point. Apparently Chris Candito, who didn't leave early, was also being teased and harrassed to death by the big boys who acted like school children. There's some sort of romantic triangle, which would be nobody's business except when Sunny had to leave the tour, it becomes business and not personal. Sunny has a lot of heat since she isn't shy about giving her opinion in a business where most won't say anything except behind people's backs. Supposedly Bret Hart was fed up with what happened and it made him feel even more strongly than he did before the tour, even though the concensus still is that he'll be coming back in about five months." - Bobby Eaton will be ousted from the Blue Bloods and Steve Regal & Dave Taylor will apparently become the team. [Tiger Mask vs. Taka] - It's expected that Razor Ramon (Scott Hall) will immediately be programmed with Hulk Hogan and that Diesel will be programmed with Giant upon their arrival. Two more crummy matches, IMO. - I've received a report that on the Quebec version of Superstars, Raymond Rougeau announced that Carl LeDuc (son of Jos LeDuc) would be coming to the WWF soon. He has worked a try-out match with the promotion, but as I reported last week, I have also heard that Jacques Rougeau & Pierre Oullette have said that Carl would join them in WCW. Since Carl worked for Jacques & Tony Mule in Jacques hybrid promotion in Quebec, maybe WCW was Carl's original destination. - RAW beat Nitro on 04/29 with a 3.9 rating (5.6 share) against a 2.1 rating (3.9 share). It's important to note that Nitro was on earlier than usual. The [Monday ratings] show a pretty even battle to date. - The PPV buy rates of the past six months (year or so) show that the WWF has an average buy rate of 0.75 (0.75) and average gross of $1.94-million ($1.74-million), while WCW has an average buy rate of 0.55 (0.57) and average gross of $1.59-million ($1.59-million). The [details] are an interesting read. - WCW has Slamboree on 05/19/96. Line-up has: * Battle Bowl, featuring a "blind draw" 16-man tag tournament with the winning teams then entering a Battle Royal for a the Battle Bowl ring and a shot at the WCW Title. Announced matches are: o Hawk & Booker T vs. Animal & Lex Luger o Kevin Sullivan & Chris Benoit vs. Public Enemy o Stevie Ray & Bubba Rogers vs. Scott Norton & Ice Train o Alex Wright & Disco Inferno vs. Dick Slater & Bobby Eaton o Dave Finlay & Steve Regal vs. V.K. Wallstreet & Jim Duggan o Booty Man & Rick Steiner vs. Craig Pittman & Scott Steiner o Ric Flair & Randy Savage vs. Eddy Guerrero & Arn Anderson o Bobby Walker & Barbarian vs. Meng & Hugh Morrus * No Hulk Hogan * Sting vs. Giant * Konnan vs. Jushin Liger for the US Title * Shinjiro Otani vs. Chris Benoit or Eddie Guerrero (presumably to decide the Cruiserweight title, which Otani already won in New Japan) Bobby Walker will be replaced by Diamond Dallas Page, when the "return from retirement" story line finishes up. - The WWF has In Your House on 05/26/96. [WWPF Press Conference] WWPF Press Conference - The World Wrestling Peace Festival takes place in Los Angeles on 06/01/96. New Japan, WCW, AAA, EMLL, and others are going to put on a joint card featuring: * Antonio Inoki & Dan Severn vs. Yoshiaki Fujiwara & Oleg Taktarov * Great Sasuke vs. Alex Wright * Giant vs. Sting * Lex Luger vs. Masa Saito * Akira Hoktuo & Lola Gonzales vs. Bull Nakano & Neftali * Dos Caras & Hector Garza vs. Gran Markus Jr. & Dr. Wagner Jr. * Octagon & El Ultimo Dragon vs. Heavy Metal & Psicosis * Atlantis & El Hijo del Santo vs. Silver King & Negro Casas * Konnan & Perro Aguayo vs. Cibernetico & Pierroth Jr. * Chris Benoit vs. Jushin Liger - WCW has Great American Bash on 06/16/96. [Hakushi] - The WWF has King of The Ring on 06/23/96. - The WWF has In Your House on 07/21/96. - WCW has Quake At The Lake on 07/07/96. - WCW has a PPV on 08/11/96. - WCW has Clash of Champions XXXIII on 08/14/96. - The WWF has SummerSlam on 08/18/96. - WCW has Fall Brawl 09/15/96. - The WWF has In Your House on 09/22/96. - WCW has Halloween Havoc 10/27/96 from Caeser's Palace. It will be an outdoor show. - The WWF has In Your House on 10/20/96. - The WWF has Survivor Series on 11/17/96. - WCW has World War III 11/24/96. - The WWF has In Your House on 12/15/96. - WCW has Starrcade on 12/29/96. - WWW: My home page is at http://barrow.uwaterloo.ca/~hekunze. The wrestling portion includes this post, tape lists, awards history, Japanese wrestling stuff, and other things. The tape list has recently been updated and will hopefully get another update this weekend. A lot of stuff accumulated at the end of this past term. - Videos: I have posted something about the availability of videos. If you missed it, I'll send it to you in e-mail upon request.