[ Note: I had a lot more news than what is below, but seem to have not saved what I had typed in earlier this week. Doh! Need to start keeping backups. --Hack-Man ] = = = = = = = = = = [ WCW ] = = = = = = = = = = From WCW report on RSPW: Before the most recent tapings at Disney/MGM studios, the announcer said that in July and August *all* WCW TV will be done from the Disney. This includes Monday Nitro and WCWSN, two shows that have been really good over the last few months partially *because* they did not take place in a studio. It was announced that the shows would be live (which will make Nitro interesting, as the park closes at 7:00pm) and held at various locations around the park. This will apparently only be for the duration of the Olympics, so they should be back to spontaneous audience reactions by mid-August. From WCW report on RSPW: DEAN MALENKO defeated SHINJIRO OHTANI for the WCW Cruiserweight Belt at the Disney tapings. I guess this means they have probably cut out the middle-man in the original report of the title going from SHINJIRO OHTANI to BRAD ARMSTRONG to DEAN MALENKO (as reported last week). MEAN MIKE ENOS (formerly one half of the Destruction Crew) is now teaming with DIRTY DICK SLATER as DOWN AND DIRTY. THE GIANT was in a match to be aired the last week of June 1996. He still had the WCW World Heavyweight Title, so don't expect him to be dropping it in the next couple of months. THE TOTAL PACKAGE LEX LUGER was in a match to be aired the last week of June 1996. He didn't have the tag belt or the TV title, so look for him to drop both titles pretty soon. Other Disney taping info from RSPWer Rob Newland (who was there): - FLYBOY ROCCO ROCK chanted "HOGAN HOGAN" along with the crowd. - EDDY GUERRERO may have sustained an injury after a match with CHRIS BENOIT. - For everyone who has been wondering if THE PUBLIC ENEMY have a "no win" clause in their contracts, they won three matches of the four that have been reported on from the tapings. From hotline: To make up for all the top name WCW wrestlers being in Japan a couple weeks back, Japanese wrestlers were in Florida for the WCW Worldwide tapings at Universal(?). From the Observer via hotline: Shark has been working house shows for WCW (but doesn't have a contract). The reason THE BELFAST BRUISER won't be at the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV isn't due to injury (as the WCW storyline is playing). He simply had accepted a match in OTTO WANZ' promotion in Austria before WCW had a chance to book him in the US. From RSPW: HULK HOGAN recently refereed a boxing match for charity between SHAQ and SUGAR RAY LEONARD. From hotline: Most people have been impressed by Olympian Chip Minton's WCW debut. The rumors are back that JEFF JARRETT will be coming into WCW. An RSPW source said he would stay in USWA until his WWF contract is over (see my WWW page for this and other contract expiration dates) at which time he would come in as a Captain Planet-like character. http://www.umn.edu/nlhome/g249/heuer004/WRES/wres.html From CNN: Not sure if this'll affect his WCW match(es) with STEVE "MONGO" MCMICHAEL, but KEVIN GREENE has signed a two year deal with the Carolina Panthers for $1,000,000/year. From RSPW: THE QUEBECERS may be joined by CARL LEDUC when they enter WCW (see report from April Hack Notes). From the Torch: Renegade is back and will have a new gimmick. From the Torch: ADAM BOMB's WWF contract is up but has not signed on with WCW (or WWF). From the Torch: SIR OLIVER HUMPERDINK may be back in WCW soon. From RSPW: DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE should be back in time to replace ROBBIE "HARDWORK" WALKER at the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV. He wrestled at the recent Disney Tapings. Last week I mentioned that there would be fifteen matches at the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV. This did not include the battle royal. Some sources have been reporting that three of the tag matches will take place on the Main Event (live?) before the PPV, which will allow all matches to be longer. JUSHIN THUNDER LIGER is expected to take the US title from KONNAN at the 19 May 1996 Slamboree PPV. = = = = = = = = = = [ WWF ] = = = = = = = = = = From Someone Who Wishes To Go Unnamed: Mr Perfect CURT HENNIG will not be getting into the ring in the near future, but will be getting more involved in the SHAWN MICHAELS angle nevertheless (which probably means managing Michaels' opponents). From hotline: Expect to see SID VICIOUS back in the WWF before the summer is over. From Someone Who Wishes To Go Unnamed: We may see BRET HART back wrestling after DIESEL is gone from the WWF. There has been high tension between the two in the locker room in the past. The Observer apparently said Bret may be out for five months. From AOL: The WWF is planning to get more of what they see as "hardcore" in the next two IYH PPVs. Alex Marvez of the Dayton Daily News hints that the reason for the WWF's more mature image, after years of priding itself as "family entertainment", is to take the lead of ECW. This must be why the only team they are apparently interested in of ECW's is The Dudley Clan. Well, it *is* the most cartoonish, so it would probably fit best in the WWF. From WWW: THE 1-2-3 KID is on the disabled list. He should be back in the ring for his scheduled 14 June 1996 match in Denver CO. From ESPN: Olympic weightlifter MARC HENRY (the guy that pressed JERRY THE KING LAWLER over his head at the episode of Monday Night Raw a month or two back) will be coming into the WWF as a wrestler later this year. The WWF is sponsoring him for the olympics. From the Torch: HARVEY WIPPLEMAN will be back in the WWF as a heel referee as the WWF tries to take another page out of ECW's playbook. = = = = = = = = = = [ ECW ] = = = = = = = = = = From Hack-Man: ECW is still not being shown on Prime-owned Midwest Sports Channel. As I reported last week, THE BRUISE BROTHERS' suspension will be lifted after this weekend and they may wrestle again. They were suspended for three weeks for throwing a chair at a fan who was taunting them. Jeff Amdur reports that Steve Richards is back in the ring wrestling. = = = = = = = = = = [ MISC ] = = = = = = = = = = REY MISTERIO JR plans to get married this Saturday. PSICOSIS is slated to be his best man. JUVENTUD GUERRERA will also be in attendance. From RSPW and hotline: LOOSE CANNON BRIAN PILLMAN got his jaw un-wired earlier this week. The Minnesota RSPW Mutants will make their next appearance: PROMOTION: Northern Premier Wrestling DAY: Thursday 9 May 1996 TIME: 7:30PM, which means 8:00 (I'll be there around 6:45) WHERE: Lakeside Ballroom in Waconia, MN DIRECTIONS: west of 494 on Hwy 5; the ballroom is right on the hwy WHO: Nightstalker vs Scotty Z The Hater vs Billy Blaze Lenny Lane vs Dan Jesser (title match) JB Trask vs Horace the Psychopath (this one will be all over the building, and according to Horace "blood will be spilled") plus a six-man tag match main event Kenny Jay and Kamikaze Kid will also be there according to Mick Karch. Send me email if you plan to attend and we'll watch for you (and try to save you a seat if you can't get there early). Last time we had about 15 in the Minnesota RSPW Mutants group. = = = = = = = = = = [ RATINGS ] = = = = = = = = = = 27-29 April 1996 (from hotlines, RSPW, WWW, and Entertainment Weekly): Raw = 3.9 Action Zone = ??? WWF Mania = ??? Nitro = 2.1 Nitro Repeat = 0.9(?) WCWSN = ??? WCW Pro = ??? WCWME = ??? This is the first week where more people watched Raw than Nitro (combining the Nitro ratings). Most news sources attribute this more to Nitro not being in its regular time slot than it being taped a week in advance. January cable ratings: Nitro: #5 Raw: #16 April cable ratings: Nitro: #12 Raw: #13 WCWSN: #20 Part six of the great interview with Konnan appears in this week's Pro Wrestling Torch. Here is a quick quote: "To me [the ECW locker room is] the best locker room I've ever been in. Really cool, really laid back. You can smell the pot in the air." 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.