= = = = = = = = = = [ WCW ] = = = = = = = = = = From hotline: NFLer KEVIN GREENE has signed a large money deal with WCW, who plans to team him up with STEVE "MONGO" MCMICHAEL when he makes his in-ring debut (most likely at the Quake at the Lake). If it isn't obvious from RIC FLAIR's matches (where he flirts with Mongo's wife on the way to the ring) The Nature Boy will bill in the other corner. If he is healthy by then (and if the money is right) BRIAN PILLMAN will be teaming with Flair. From WWW: More rumors about TERRY TAYLOR coming in as a Horseman (since PILLMAN is injured and currently without a federation). Taylor has been fighting LORD STEVEN REGAL on the WCW house show circuit. From WWW: The rumors about LANNY POFFO coming in as GORGEOUS GEORGE III have started up again. This was the big rumor late last year. From hotline: JUSHIN "THUNDER" LIGER will be in the States in May and is scheduled to battle DEAN MALENKO on one of the upcoming Monday Nitros. From hotline: If (as reported last week) BRAD ARMSTRONG gets the WCW Cruiserweight title at the upcoming 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV, he will be dropping it to DEAN MALENKO on an upcoming PPV or Nitro. From RSPW: The BRAD ARMSTRONG/SHINJIRO OHTANI match for the Cruiserweight title may be on an episode of Nitro, not the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV. From hotline: TONY SCHIAVONE has signed on for another two years with WCW. This and other contract info can be found on my WWW page: http://www.umn.edu/nlhome/g249/heuer004/WRES/wres.html From RSPW: Apparently, the movie that HULK HOGAN will be playing a "Santa" character in will keep him out of the ring until August, when he is expected to win the WCW Heavyweight title back. From RSPW: BRIAN PILLMAN has had his jaw wired shut, so don't expect any interviews in the near future. From RSPW: Most of WCW's top stars are touring Japan (which is why the 30 April 1996 Nitro was taped the week before), but (according to the Torch) WCW was still drawing $22,000 and $38,000 for house shows in the States. From RSPW: More sources have been reporting the rumor that Nitro will be switching from slightly over one hour to a full two-hour show on a regular basis. The earliest we will see this happening is early June 1996. The rumors about Men on a Mission joining WCW are back. The Torch reports that they could start with Turner's organization within the next month. From WCW TV: Here are the 11 of the 15 matches that we've been told about for the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV: US TITLE: Konan -vs- Jushin "Thunder" Liger WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE: Sting -vs- The Giant CRUISERWEIGHT TITLE: Brad Armstrong -vs- Shinjiro Ohtani Road Warrior Hawk/Lex Luger -vs- Road Warrior Animal/Booker T Stevie Ray/Big Bubba -vs- Fire & Ice Chris Benoit/Taskmaster -vs- The Public Enemy (Rock/Grunge) Craig Pittman/Rick Steiner -vs- The Booty Man/Scott Steiner Ric Flair/Randy Savage -vs- Eddie Guerrero/Arn Anderson Belfast Bruiser/Lord Steven Regal -vs- VK Wallstreet/Jim Duggan Meng/Hugh Morrus -vs- The Barbarian/"HardWork" Bobby Walker Alex Wright/Disco Inferno -vs- Dick Slater/Earl Robert Eaton The 8 winning teams will face off in four more tag matches with the eight winners squaring off in BattleBowl for the ring and a shot at the title at the Great American Bash. = = = = = = = = = = [ WWF ] = = = = = = = = = = From Hack-Man: There were no real surprises in the outcomes of the matches at the 28 April 1996 In Your House PPV: GOLDUST kept the IC belt without having to wrestle all that much (even for an ULTIMATE WARRIOR match) when UW won the match via countout (MANTAUR as Goldust's bodyguard). DIESEL and RAZOR both lost as they (apparently) are headed to WCW in June. WILDMAN MARC MERO beat 123 KID with HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY interfering in the free-for-all. THE BODYDONNAS retained the tag belts. Most people on RSPW were disappointed in the card until the main event. MAD DOG VACHON (who was sitting ringside next to SuperSock) had his false leg removed by DIESEL in a tasteless Vince booking angle. The PPV appeared to have more commercials than the average episode of Monday Night Raw. From RSPW: After the PPV, HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY defeated MARC MERO with the pedigree and THE UNDERTAKER defeated MANKIND with a tombstone. The Torch reports that the building was sold out (9560 people). According to the Torch, Sunny left the Germany tour early (possibly due to the fact that "someone put a terd in her meal". = = = = = = = = = = [ ECW ] = = = = = = = = = = From Hack-Man: ECW is still not being shown on Prime-owned Midwest Sports Channel. From the Torch: The Bruise Brothers have been suspended for three weeks for throwing a chair at a fan who was taunting them (see RSPW results that were posted a week or so back by someone who was near the hecklers). They will be back 12 or 13 May 1996. = = = = = = = = = = [ MISC ] = = = = = = = = = = From RSPW (via Eddie Goldman): The evening after the 26 April 1996 Extreme Fighting PPV, Canadian police started arresting non-Canadian participants (12 people so far, including 5 of the fighters, the guest ring announcer Scott Berlinger, and referee John Donahue) at the Hotel Du Parc in Montreal. The charges were "participating [in], and aiding and abetting an unsanctioned prizefight". All Canadian participants were given summons. Their original choice for guest ring announcer (Gary "BabaBooey" Dell Abate) was stopped Thursday on his way into the country. Frank James writes: "The Province officially said they would not interfere with the event, but at the last possible second, they forced Bell Canada to cut the cable feed off the venue (in an underhanded attempt to block the PPV transmission). The event promoters secretly moved in a mobile satellite unit which saved the event." If you want more information on the EFC arrests (and more on the UFC/Detroit ongoings) check out this week's Torch co-cover story. = = = = = = = = = = [ RATINGS ] = = = = = = = = = = 20-22 April 1996 (from hotlines, RSPW, and WWW): Raw = 3.3 Action Zone = ??? WWF Mania = ??? Nitro = 2.7 Nitro Repeat = 0.9 WCWSN = 2.4 WCW Pro = 1.3 WCWME = 2.2 For Torch subscription info, write to Wade Keller As always, the info in this post comes from various sources, wrestlers, hotlines, online forums, newsletters, and web pages. All names are trademarks of someone else. :-) This article is copyright 1996 Otto E Heuer. All rights reserved.