[ I'm back from the long weekend with a late edition of Hack Notes. There are about 6000 unread articles in RSPW and close to a thousand email messages in my mailbox, so I'm probably missing a lot of important news this week. ] = = = = = = = = = = [ WCW ] = = = = = = = = = = Of course the big news is that HULK HOGAN was revealed as the third "Invader" (along with SCOTT HALL and KEVIN NASH). I haven't seen any of the footage, but I suspect that this could give him the boost that he has needed. The boos have been outnumbering the cheers for him lately, as the fans that *have* been cheering for him seem to just not care anymore. Since he is still a good interviewer, I think he'll get way over as a heel. Sounds like wrestling's best two PPVs in years have come back to back in WCW with Bash and Bash. Nitro did a great job of pushing the replay of the PPV. Hulk's turn seems to have brought out the best in the interviews in everyone, especially ARN ANDERSON and STING on Nitro. RIC FLAIR nabbed the US title at the Bash. REY MISTERIO JR won the Cruiserweight title on the live Nitro on 8 July 1996. If DISCO INFERNO doesn't get the TV title from Flair, he may be given the cruiserweight title from Misterio. This would be a Bad Thing, pushing a gimmick over the workers in what is seen as the "workrate division". The 8 July 1996 Nitro had the 12th (Malenko vs Misterio) and 13th (Psicosis vs Guerrero) matches of 1996 which were between **** and ***** (12 of theses matches have been on Nitro). SISTER SHERRI returned to WCW and she is back to being an item with COL PARKER, who is managing HARLEM HEAT. GLACIER of BLOOD RUNS COLD did not debut. The latest name being thrown around as to who will play Glacier: SUGAR RAY LLOYD, a legit martial arts expert who is a friend of ERIC BISCHOFF and has worked for WCW feeder org Peach State Wrestling. (torch): Keller is guessing that HULK will turn face again later when HALL and NASH jump him. (marvez): BARRY WINDHAM may be trying to join New Japan Pro Wrestling. [I thought NJPW would only bring in Americans who worked for WCW -hack] (net): Best guess is that JEFF JARRETT will work his first WCW match at the outdoor 27 October 1996 Halloween Havoc PPV. (net): Word is still that DISCO INFERNO will be given either the TV title or the Cruiserweight title to keep him from jumping to the WWF. (net): HARLEM HEAT may have been given the tag titles to keep them from jumping to the WWF. (net): HIGH VOLTAGE got into a fight backstage with KILLER TIM BROOKS (who whupped both of them by himself) on 28 June 1996. On the card, DEAN MALENKO beat LORD STEVEN REGAL. After the match, Regal got on the house mic and said Malenko was the better man and complimented the cruiserweight division. Nice to know there are still a few good company men around. How many established heavyweights would allow themselves to job to a cruiserweight and then job over the mic as well. Take notes Belfast Bruiser, Great Muta, and Booty Man. (net): KEVIN GREENE will be in for an interview at next week's Nitro and will probably wrestle at Wargames on the 15 September 1996 Fall Brawl PPV. (net): After KONAN defeated KEVIN SULLIVAN at the 28 June 1996 Paramount Theater, the fans started a "Konan sucks" chant, which pissed Konan off. This only encouraged the fans, who then started up "ECW" and "Sabu" chants. Konan flipped out, told the people at ringside that "this is WCW; you people can just go fuck off". The chants continued. Konan then grabbed the house mic and said "This is WCW, you pieces of shit; ECW right now is in a bingo hall down the fuckin' street", called ECW a "third rate" promotion, flipped off the crowd, and left the arena. Sullivan tried to do some damage control by getting on the mic and saying "the way Konan feels does not represent the way WCW management feels about our competition; I have a soft spot for them because I once worked there". He then announced that the night before he signed CHRIS JERICHO to work for WCW. (net): CHRIS JERICHO officially signed with WCW on 26 June 1996. He will start on Nitro in August after he finishes up his storyline in ECW. Some people are saying SANDMAN wants to join WCW, but I don't think WCW would want him. (net): The second movie (besides "Santa with Muscles") that HULK HOGAN is now filming is "Warlord". Will the sequel be "Barbarian"? (net): The Steiner Brothers kept to their WCW TV schedule despite their father passing away recently. (net): Here's where WCW will be later this summer: 7/24 Cincinnati, OH 7/25 Charleston, WV 7/26 Muncie, IN 7/27 Dayton, OH 7/31 Corpus Christi, TX 8/01 Beaumount, TX 8/02 Midland, TX 8/03 Lubbock, TX 8/05 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/06 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/10 Sturgis, SD (Hog Wild PPV) 8/12 Casper, Wy 8/14 Colorado Springs 8/15 Denver (Clash of the Champions) 8/16 Norfolk, VA 8/17 Baltimore 8/19 Roanoke 8/26 Palmetto, FL 8/21 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/22 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/23 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/24 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/25 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/27 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/28 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) 8/29 Disney - Orlando, FL (TV Tapings) Wrestlers rumored to be heading into WCW: KEVIN NASH, MABEL of MEN ON A MISSION (8 or 15 July), SIR OLIVER HUMPERDINK, BIGALOW, THE QUEBECERS (as THE FRENCH CONNECTION (July)), TED DIBIASE (as an announcer in late August, for at least three years), BRITISH BULLDOG DAVEY BOY SMITH (end of September), JEFF JARRETT (some time in late October/early November), CHRIS KANYON, PAT TANAKA, CHIP MINTON (olympian), CHRIS JERICHO, LANNY POFFO (as GORGEOUS GEORGE III), CHAVITO GUERRERO, RAVEN, MIKEY WHIPWRECK, THE CYBERPUNKS Wrestlers rumored to be gone from WCW: BELFAST BRUISER (also rumored to be back in a couple months, late fall, or early 1997 (though he denies it)), RENEGADE, BUNKHOUSE BUCK, SHARK (now back working but without a contract), THE ROAD WARRIORS (going to Japan for 4 weeks and probably won't return to WCW), DISCO INFERNO, HARLEM HEAT INJURIES: ROAD WARRIOR HAWK (ankle), JOHNNY GRUNGE (broken arm & thumb) = = = = = = = = = = [ WWF ] = = = = = = = = = = (net): JIM NEIDHART is wrestling under a mask as "WHO". (net): WILD BILL IRWIN is wrestling as a hockey player gimmick as THE GOON. (net): TRACY SMOTHERS is wrestling as a redneck named TOBY JOE ROYAL. TONY "DIRTY WHITE BOY" ANTHONY made his debut in the WWF as PL Hopper (plumber gimmick) as reported in Hack Notes over the last few weeks. He may feud with DUKE THE DUMPSTER DROESE. (rspw): THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR has been no-showing all his scheduled matches except for TV tapings. He first passed it off as a shoulder injury, but the WWF has been announcing everything from "transportation problems" to "Warrior refused to come to Detroit". In fact, word from the Vince says that he met with Warrior on Thursday and that Warrior no longer works for the WWF. Bob Ryder interviewed Warrior, who claims he still works for the WWF but no-showed because his father died. Vince had MONSOON do a taped bit for the beginning of the taped Raw on 8 July saying that the Warrior was suspended indefinitely until he put up an insurance bond to insure that he wouldn't no-show again. PSYCHO SID will take WARRIOR's place with SHAWN MICHAELS and AHMED JOHNSON against CAMP CORNETTE. (hotline): The WWF asked BRET HART to come in to replace WARRIOR after the no-shows. Bret declined, so they went to SID. (torch): At some toy fair trade show, WARRIOR was mad at the WWF for selling Warrior merchandize that he hadn't cleared. He owns the Warrior name and licenses it out to the WWF. He was mad because he wasn't getting royalties like he was supposed to. The Ultimate Warrior's is four months into his 18 month contract with the WWF. See my "links" page (URL is in my .sig) for other contract durations. (rspw): PSYCHO SID VICIOUS is back wrestling at house shows for the WWF. He is a face and may be taking Warrior's place at the 21 July 1996 In Your House PPV. (net): HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY has signed on for another year. His jobs should become less and less as his push resumes. (net): SUNNY will manage JOHNNY GUNN (SALVADORE SINCERELY). (net): SUNNY will manage RON SIMMONS and will be his love interest. (torch): SUNNY threw a fit backstage before the angle where she got slopped. (net): CLOUDY may be gone real soon now. (torch): BRET HART doesn't like the CLOUDY or lesbian angles. (torch): STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN missed all his scheduled matches except the TV tapings due to the injury from the PPV. He saw specialists for the rip in his upper lip that goes almost to his nose. He got something like 20 or 30 stitches and may need plastic surgery. GOLDUST will need knee surgery if he is to get back to 100% (he has been wearing a knee brace). ROCK AND ROLL BUCK ZUMHOFF and DAN JESSER lost squash matches as the WWF rolled through AWA/NPW territory. (marvez): Vince may be asking TAMMY SYTCH and CHRIS CANDITO to postpone their wedding. (torch): CURT HENNIG will probably not wrestle any time in the next year because he is still collecting insurance. [I thought Lloyd's of London stopped paying him which was the reason for him returning to the ring; if he's still collecting, that would explain why he was outside the ring as guest ref, but wouldn't explain the match he wrestled in last month in Turtle Lake Wisconsin --Hack] I reported last week that PAUL BEARER may manage MANKIND against THE UNDERTAKER. There is now a rumor that JAKE THE SNAKE ROBERTS may manage THE UNDERTAKER. If THE BRUISE BROTHERS or THE HEAD HUNTERS jump to the WWF they may be managed by Paul Bearer. Due to a mental pause last week, I said that THE 1-2-3 KID wouldn't be back on TV until at least 22-24 September. What I meant to say was 21-23 July. By the way, he has less than 60 days to think about giving his 90-day notice. :-) Sports Entertainers rumored to be heading into the WWF: TRACY SMOTHERS, DUANE JOHNSON (son of ROCKY JOHNSON), THE PUNISHER, WILD BILL IRWIN, TOM "JOHNNY GUNN" BRANDI, ALEX PORTEAU, BRIAN CHRISTOPHER (son of Jerry Lawler, even though both just turned heel in the USWA), DOUG FURNAS, DAN KROFFAT, BRET THE HITMAN HART, JIM THE ANVIL NEIDHART (with a new gimmick), MR PERFECT CURT HENNIG (wrestling by mid-November), BUDDY LANDEL (October), SID VICIOUS (the WWF no longer denies it), MARC HENRY (olympian), RON SIMMONS, DISCO INFERNO, THE KILLER BEES, GREG "THE HAMMER" VALENTINE, RAVISHING RICK RUDE, BARRY WINDHAM (if his knee is up to it) as "SilverDust", JOHNNY SWINGER (THE KING OF SWING), FREDDY JOE FLOYD (from the deep South), THE GOON (a hockey gimmick), MO, THE QUEBECERS, THE IRON SHEIK Sports Entertainers rumored to be heading out of the WWF: THE BODYDONNAS, MANKIND, YOKOZUNA, FATU, BOB BACKLUND (may retire), BOB HOLLY, SUNNY (I really doubt this, but it has been reported by numerous sources). INJURIES: 1-2-3 KID (concussion), THE MAN THEY CALL VADER (leg), THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (arm/shoulder), GOLDUST (20 stitches from hitting the ringpost wrong & a bad knee), BODYDONNA SKIP (elbow, out until early- or mid-July), OWEN HART (wrist), THE UNDERTAKER, WILDMAN MARC MERO (tongue), STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN (ripped lip), BOB HOLLY (foot) = = = = = = = = = = [ ECW ] = = = = = = = = = = (Hack-Man): ECW is still not being shown on Prime-owned Midwest Sports Channel. They have been given the option of airing it but feel it wouldn't pull in as many viewers as what they are airing instead (usually repeats of baseball). If anyone feels like letting them know that there are ECW fans going through withdrawal, they can be reached at (612) 330-2785. Talk to Corey Stolty. (net): On the 12 July 1996 card, the top match looks to be a good one: ECW Commissioner Tod Gordon vs Bill Alfonso in a reverse lumberjack match to keep Taz out of the ring Standing outside ring will be Sandman with his Singapore Cane, PitBull2 with his chain, and Axl Rotten with his Barbed Wire Bat. (net): UFC fighter Paul Varelins will not be working with ECW anymore. INJURIES: Just about everyone. Worth mentioning: STEVE RICHARDS is recovering nicely, SANDMAN (knee), 2 COLD SCORPIO (staph infection in a leg after having a knee drained), SABU (neck) = = = = = = = = = = [ MISC ] = = = = = = = = = = (net): More info on the nationwide return of the AWF (run by SGT SLAUGHTER and TITO SANTANA). They can be reached at 1-888-293-2582 (this is toll free) or: AWF P.O. Box 146 Berwyn, IL 60402 These should probably be added to the FAQL along with the WWF, WCW, AWA, etc. In Minneapolis, the AWF will be on WB KLGT-TV 23 and WorldWide will be on UPN KMSP-TV 9. No new news on VERN GAGNE's AWA. TRIAL: Judge Peter C. Dorsey, who is in the middle of a criminal trial, took two hours out from his schedule Monday 24 June 1996 to review the WWF's complaint. He did not issue a ruling, putting off a hearing until the middle of July at the earliest. "Frankly, I don't know anything about wrestling," he said. The company is asking the court to bar Turner's show from making any indication that the competitors are in any way affiliated and from using any Titan trademarks. Titan also wants to be awarded three times the profits earned by the alleged infringement, as well as punitive damages. INJURIES: KOUJI KANEMOTO (broken leg, out 2 more months) = = = = = = = = = = [ RATINGS ] = = = = = = = = = = 22-24 June 1996 (from hotlines, RSPW, WWW, and Entertainment Weekly): Raw = 2.7 Action Zone = WWF Mania = Nitro = 3.2 (first hour=3.2; second hour=3.3) Nitro Repeat = 1.6 (first hour=; second hour=) WCWSN = 2.2 WCW Pro = 1.3 WCWME = 2.0 Great American Bash PPV = .41 The 15-minute breakdown looked like this: Time Nitro Raw ==== ===== === 8:00 3.0 - 8:15 3.0 - 8:30 3.3 - 8:45 3.3 - 9:00 3.2 2.6 9:15 3.2 2.7 9:30 3.1 2.8 9:45 3.7 2.8 1 July Monday ratings: Raw = 2.6 Nitro = 3.3 (first hour=3.0; second hour=3.6) Nitro Repeat = 1.7 (first hour=1.x; second hour=1.8) For Torch subscription info, write to Wade Keller at kelle050@gold.tc.umn.edu You may also send a question for Alex Marvez to answer at alex_marvez@dni.com For info on upcoming NWA cards, email them at NWAProWrestling@prodigy.com Some decent free hotlines: (212)859-3500 NY info hotline (313)252-2200 x0928 ML Curly info hotline (410)385-9530 Chad Austin hotline (718)921-1400 x1021 (215)602-2856 Philly hotline (mostly ECW) (612)362-3608 Minnesota World TV Wrestling hotline (612)649-4924 Minnesota Mick Karch hotline If you have any financial questions, Nick Bockwinkel can be reached at (612) 541-8666 He's been working for the last 6 years Investments & Insurance at Living Financial Group in Minneapolis. Please only call if you have serious financial investment questions to discuss with him. I just watched a tape of Nick reminiscing about Ray "The Crippler" Stevens--telling some great stories. No I won't sell or trade it. Hack Notes™ is now available via mailing list (as well as me posting it to RSPW, RSPWI, and putting it on my web page). Back issues are also available on my web page. To be added to the mailing list, send me email. I take no responsibility if I forget to send it out to the mailing list when I post it, as I tend to forget things from time to time. 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.