Ancient Dirt Sheets

Sept. 25, 1995 Wrestling Observer Newsletter: Tons of details on Lex Luger jump to WCW, ratings for early Monday Night War battles, Fall Brawl, tons more

Monday, 25 September 1995 12:42

Wrestling Observer Newsletter
PO Box 1228, Campbell, CA 95009-1228 September 25, 1995

FALL BRAWL

Thumbs up 29 (25.0%)

Thumbs down 40 (34.5%)

In the middle 47 (40.5%)

BEST MATCH POLL

Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd 64

Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson 49

WORST MATCH POLL

Craig Pittman vs. Cobra 41

Harlem Heat vs. Slater & Buck 21

War Games 18

UFC VII FINAL POLL RESULTS

Thumbs up 151 (86.8%)

Thumbs down 22 (12.6%)

In the middle 1 (00.6%)

BEST MATCH POLL

Marco Ruas vs. Paul Varelans 92

Ken Shamrock vs. Oleg Taktarov 33

WORST MATCH POLL

Paul Varelans vs. Gerry Harris 34

Francesco Maturi vs. Onassis Paraunguo 18*

Remco Pardoel vs. Ryan Parker 12

Remco Pardoel vs. Marco Ruas 8

*Based on calls and fax responses from those who attended the show live. This match didn't air on the PPV broadcast.

Based on phone calls, letters and fax messages to the Observer as of Tuesday, 9/19. Statistical margin of error: +-100%

The second round of the Monday wars ended up basically as a draw in the ratings but probably a victory in other ways for WCW, which put on the stronger show.

The taped Monday Night Raw on 9/18 drew a 2.5 rating and 3.4 share with the double headliner of Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid and Yokozuna & Owen Hart vs. Men on a Mission. Monday Nitro drew a 2.4 rating and 3.4 share on the live show from Johnson City, TN and a 1.0 rating with a 2.6 share on the replay show. While Ric Flair vs. Brian Pillman was the headline match, since it wasn't announced until late in the PPV show and PPV is watched by a comparatively tiny audience (especially this one), the "pushed" main event this drew from was Blue Bloods vs. American Males. That match had no ratings power and in fact didn't even take place. WCW dueling evenly when WWF has stronger marquee matches advertised and did a better job of promoting the show the previous week has to be considered almost a victory for WCW, particularly since the 2.5 to 2.4 victory is a small enough margin that one can use the excuse that the live Nitro isn't on in prime time on the West Coast and Raw is as a reason. Comparing shares takes that aspect out of the equation so in that way, the first run was a dead heat and WCW, with its replay show, had 26% more viewers on Monday Night. Of course WWF, which starts on Thursdays in prime time, will probably end up with its two showings on different nights with more combined viewers since its second showing is on a different night in a better time slot. Talk about statistics you can manipulate to say whatever you want them to.

The first live head-to-head will be 9/25 when WWF does a live Raw from Grand Rapids, MI headlined by Diesel vs. Davey Boy Smith. WCW will be live from Florence, SC with Randy Savage vs. Kevin Sullivan and Disco Inferno vs. Alex Wright, a Kurosawa squash plus possibly Lex Luger vs. Meng (they had a graphic set up for it but Eric Bischoff never acknowledged it as a match). The aspect of it being the first live head-to-head is overrated within the business because Raw's ratings on taped shows are actually slightly higher than on live shows.

The third Nitro was a noticeable improvement on the second. Eric Bischoff was toned down with no remarks directly at WWF or Raw although he did several times call Nitro the most watched wrestling show anywhere (which wouldn't be the case because anywhere covers more ground than one country). Steve McMichael said less dumb things although they still don't clue him in on the storylines since he tried to push that at the PPV that he and his friends could all see that Lex Luger cheap-shotted Randy Savage when in the storyline it's Savage who is doing the turn and overreacted to an unintentional miscue. Cutting from four matches to three was an improvement, but again the main event, this time with workers the calibre of Flair and Pillman, was only 5:25 which was way too short for it to have the impact it should have and thus the match ended flat.

Nitro opened strong with a surprise "title change" as the American Males, scheduled to face Blue Bloods, wound up against Harlem Heat. The idea was Heat beat up Blue Bloods on the way to the ring (they showed Bobby Eaton getting pounded on by both, I'm assuming Steve Regal had already left for Japan) and said they would put up their belts and demanded the match, which made little sense since there was no grudge established between the two teams. The match was a hot 4:39 (**) ending when Marcus Bagwell reversed a suplex and landed on Booker T while Rob Parker and Sherri were making out, and given the belts and announced as new champions. They hinted that Nick Bockwinkel would have an announcement on the Saturday TV on whether or not the belts had changed hands. Heat played total heel, as opposed to the face role of the night before. Males played face and were cheered, as opposed to being booed out of the building the night before. There's already talk of turning Males heel. Since so much television has been pre-taped with Heat as champs, I'm assuming that either it'll be reversed on television, or they'll add a tag title rematch on Nitro in the next two weeks and switch it back. Ric Flair then did a strong interview, much better than the previous week when he was on his way to doing so when Lex Luger came out way too quickly and ruined the segment. Paul Orndorff with his new awful entrance music, pinned Johnny B. Badd in 6:35 by reversing a sunset flip into a cradle of his own (*1/4) in a match with a lot of missed moves. Then came a segment from California where Randy Savage was bench pressing with what looked to be gimmick weights and Kevin Sullivan pushed the weights down on his chest until Ric Flair as a babyface made the save. Savage then did an excellent heelish interview saying he didn't want Flair's help and was booed when he ran down Flair, who had done a clear face interview earlier. Savage said Hogan was a bad judge of character and that Luger had cheap-shotted him. Luger came out and the two argued for a while with Savage slapping Luger in the face. Finally Flair beat Pillman (playing a total cocky heel and doing a good job of it) with the figure four of a match which opened really hot but was unsatisfying because the finish came out of nowhere (**). It was weird to see Pillman submit immediately to a move that a few weeks ago on TV couldn't beat Barry Houston, but the WCW psychology appears to be that finishing moves don't work when heels use them on faces but do work the other way around. Flair did a strong interview challenging Arn Anderson for next week but the match won't be taking place since Flair was scheduled for eye surgery the next day.

The show drew 3,200 fans (2,031 paying $17,000) to Freedom Hall, the No. 2 arena in the SMW territory. While nowhere near full, it looked good enough for television. I don't have full details on this but apparently there were major amounts of sign confiscation that went on before the show started. What did get on the air was a "We Want it Raw" sign held by Heather Norton, the girlfriend of SMW owner and WWF manager Jim Cornette; and a "J.C. (for Jim Cornette of course) loves Eric Jerkoff." Norton had a major argument with Doug Dillenger when she refused to give Dillenger her sign. Apparently at the other Nitro tapings Dillenger and fans have had big arguments as well when fans refused to give Dillenger anti-Hogan signs.

By contrast, Raw dragged. Razor Ramon vs. 1-2-3 Kid with the Dean Douglas interfering was better than any match on Nitro, but the remainder of the show was lackluster and some of it was fast-forward material. WCW seemed to have a lot more excitement in its show, particularly better interviews. WWF barely pushed its live show the next week, preferring to concentrate its hype (intelligently) on the PPV show on 9/24, since that's where the bread is buttered.

Despite rumors to the contrary, there is no serious discussion of WWF going live more often because Nitro scored a better rating the first head-to-head week. Besides the fact production costs would be ridiculous as compared with the potential return, Monday Night Raw the way the money comes in can't be the main vehicle for WWF. Even if they drew a 4.0 every week, which now is impossible, the amount of money they make from the show selling ads is limited and hardly enough to offset expenses of going live, particularly since shows taped actually average slightly higher numbers than shows live because 99% of the audience doesn't know the difference. If hyping and giving away the store on Raw overshadows the PPVs and house shows, the company's goose will be cooked. WCW has different priorities, since it's owned by a TV company and because beating Vince McMahon seems to be a primary goal as opposed to making as large a profit as possible and they are willing to go into deep deficit spending every week just to beat McMahon on Monday. The live Raw with Undertaker vs. Davey Boy Smith is a probable screw-job because Smith can't do a job since he's getting a PPV title shot a few weeks later. The match was only mentioned at the end of Raw so as not to detract from the PPV hype.

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The Lex Luger jump became an even more intriguing situation this past week when word we received is that contrary to reports here and elsewhere and claims of WCW management, WWF is claiming Luger has a valid contract with the organization through January 6, 1996. Luger has claimed all along he was wrestling with Titan for the past few months without a contract and thus was free to make the jump at any point. Apparently Luger, according to sources within WCW, is now claiming that Titan put white-out on his original contract and filled in a new later date in order to make this claim and that his contract had long since expired.

No lawsuit has been filed by WWF in regard to the Luger jump at this point, but the situation is said to be in the hands of the lawyers. According to other sources, the word that Luger informed Vince McMahon he was going to WCW was said to be denied with the report that McMahon found out about Luger joining WCW at the same time the rest of the country did, while watching Monday Nitro on 9/4.

The situation with all WWF wrestler contracts, despite what you may hear or read, is that when wrestlers join the company, they sign two-year deals. No wrestlers in the WWF receive guaranteed money other than the figure of $1,500 to $2,250 per year which is basically a $150 per appearance guarantee for appearing at a set number of television tapings. The contracts have a window of 13 weeks at the end of the two year period where a wrestler must give notice by and work out the rest of their contract to keep the contract from automatically renewing for one more year. If they don't give notice prior to that date, the contract automatically renews for another one year period. Not understanding that the 13 weeks notice only applies during a certain window each year has kept some big name wrestlers from leaving WWF when they were offered guaranteed money contracts by WCW. Where the Randy Savage situation differed was that Savage was working as both a broadcaster and a wrestler and had a different deal, which had expired, and he was actually working without a contract when he left for WCW. If you ever hear or read that such-and-such's WWF contract was for $100,000 per year or anything like that or that wrestlers are asked to take a pay cut or offered a raise, that information would inherently be untrue because wrestlers are theoretically paid by an undetermined percentage of the gross for the shows they appear and those percentages aren't written into the contract. Basically Titan, because of the nature of the contract which many believe to be terribly one-sided and unlike none others in any sport, has the legal right basically to pay the wrestlers whatever they feel like. They can also terminate wrestlers basically at will before the end of the contract so long as they pay them the minimal amount guaranteed for television appearances.

According to WWF sources, Luger's window to give notice would have ended on October 6, 1995, but that is immaterial because he had exercised his option to not have his contract renewed months before that date. As has been reported elsewhere, during the spring he gave notice and wanted a guaranteed money deal and/or a guarantee of a specific spot in the pecking order. Luger had been perhaps the first wrestler at Titan who earned a guarantee because in his first year as a Titan wrestler, he worked under his guaranteed money WBF contract before that expired. McMahon hadn't agreed to either stipulation, which, given the current state of the Titan business, is less likely to be a concession given at this point in time than in the past when the company was profitable. Others close to the situation claim Luger and his attorneys feel they've found a technicality which breaches the Titan contract and made him a free agent. WCW must have been confident enough of that being the case when they put the deal together with him and rushed him on the air.

Even more strange about this deal is that in mid-August, McMahon and Luger had a meeting where Luger informed McMahon about the potential WCW deal and McMahon gave him permission to negotiate. Without Titan's permission to negotiate, any WCW approaches to Luger would have been illegal contract tampering and you have no idea how closely both groups watch their words in negotiations to avoid breaking that law and the ramifications because the penalties are so severe. Given the environment that the WWF/WCW situation has turned into, it is hard to fathom why McMahon would have given Luger the permission to negotiate at that point in time.

However, it is said that after the original negotiations fell through over a large difference in money, Luger informed McMahon negotiations fell through and was put in a semi-prominent position. He did the weird angle at SummerSlam and was a focal part of the Superstars taping two days later. Plans for Luger were to have been working the next several months as the No. 6 singles babyface (behind Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Bret Hart and Razor Ramon) before a possible or probable heel turn in early 1996.

The claim is that after Luger and WCW reached their verbal deal on 8/31, Luger called McMahon up the next day but never told him about any negotiations or informed him of anything. Luger continued to work the Canadian house shows through the Sunday night before he showed up on the Nitro show in Minneapolis. Luger never called McMahon after 8/31 and as of this past weekend, still hadn't called.

As for Leon White, whose two brawls with Paul Orndorff the previous day paved the way for the Luger jump, he is officially suspended by WCW. White isn't figured into any plans through the end of the year, however WCW has not fired him and WCW sent a letter to WWF informing them that any conversations they were to have with White would constitute tampering.

WCW did fire Steve Austin (Steve Williams) on 9/15. Austin, 30, was considered for years as perhaps the best young wrestler in the United States. His career languished for the past year almost to the point that he was spoken of, like his former tag partner Brian Pillman, as a wrestler who had made a lot of money by signing good contracts but had great careers ruined by a WCW organization that had been both unwilling and unable to get any wrestlers over. Austin had been in the doghouse with WCW management over the past year over a reputation for not exactly keeping quiet with his discontent about how he was used and for those involved in cost cutting seeing the $200,000 or so figure he was earning per year while not being involved in any significant programs as wasted money. While on a tour with New Japan in June, Austin tore his tricep and has been out of action since and was believed to be about six weeks from being ready to return when he was fired. This of course paints WCW as a real class organization for firing a guy while injured when he suffered the injury on a tour the company sent him on.

Austin's main problem appeared to be in the cliquish nature of WCW (which is consistent not only in wrestling but in most jobs but worse in WCW than most places obviously). He didn't hang with the right crowd. When the Hogan camp got into power, they dismissed Austin as a highly-paid wrestler who was a good worker with no charisma and in their view of wrestling, workrate meant next to nothing. The Hogan clique basically consisted of WWFers from the mid-80s when wrestling was hot and thus, could dismiss any wrestler who came along later as being "unable to draw money" (forgetting that most of those who drew money in the mid-80s became suddenly unable to draw money either when the business lost popularity). He wasn't in the Flair clique either, so nobody spoke up for his workrate on the inside at the meetings. Austin was given little chance to show his stuff after the career ending back injury of his main opponent, Rick Steamboat. Austin then suffered a knee injury which kept him out for a few months, and before he was plugged into a new planned program, a reuniting of his tag team with Brian Pillman, he went to Japan and suffered the tricep tear.

It's unknown what Austin's plans will be once he's able to return to the ring, but he would be able to get a strong spot with ECW if he would want it since he's a long-time friend of Paul Heyman, although that would entail a major comedown in money. I don't know if he has any connections or has made any with All Japan, but if he wants to make a career out of Japan, that promotion and him almost seem tailor-made if he can learn that style and psychology. All Japan needs new foreign stars they can push and very few Americans have the ability to make it with that group and Austin potentially fits into that select group. Of course WWF is the most logical option. He probably could also return to WCW if he was willing to work for less money and a per night deal although I'm betting the nature of his dismissal which will almost certainly result in very bitter feelings will make that very difficult.

A few hours later, WCW and Gene Okerlund's agent Barry Bloom agreed verbally to a two-year contract which, with incentives, is more potentially lucrative than his previous deal which was said to have a $250,000 base. Okerlund's WCW contract had expired two days earlier and it was questionable if the deal hadn't been put together whether he would have appeared at the Fall Brawl PPV show. Naturally the timing of the Austin firing, particularly being fired while injured ala Steamboat, and the Okerlund raise didn't set well with several wrestlers within WCW for obvious reasons.

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WCW's Fall Brawl took place on 9/17 at the Asheville Civic Center before a sellout crowd of about 6,600 (about 5,100 paid with a gate of approximately $72,000). Based on all immediate response indicators, it appears the buy rate for this show will be well down from previous WCW shows which doesn't bode well since Hulk Hogan was on this show and that takes 25% off the top of the gross. Most there live felt that it was Flair vs. Anderson and not the War Games that was the main draw on the show.

To me, the show was average. It was better than it looked on paper, largely because both Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd and Dallas Page vs. Renegade were a lot better than they figured to be. The announcing was also up several notches from previous WCW shows. Bobby Heenan was more entertaining than he's been in a long time and came close to his former form. Tony Schiavone did an excellent job during the Ric Flair vs. Arn Anderson match which due to the announcing came off as being more dramatic and more memorable than the Pillman-Badd match, which contained far more action. They still were clueless about most of the moves during the Pillman vs. Badd match but did get the match itself over. Flair vs. Anderson was about what one would expect from the two--a very good match. But it was not the classic they'd have no doubt had a few years ago. War Games was very bad and that was billed as the main event. And if the buy rate is lower than usual, I'd say the two reasons for that are that the Monday Nitro being the focal point of the promotion and being for free makes getting people to pay $25.95 for what has become almost a monthly PPV harder to do, not to mention this was the least over and most inept group of main event heels in history.

The main event show opened with a poorly-acted angle where Hogan showed up at the building with the motorcycle given to him in Los Angeles surrounded a dozen people paid to act like his fans. The Giant then showed up driving a Dungeon of Doom monster truck and ran over the motorcycle. This is to set up a monster truck battle on the 10/29 where the Dungeon of Doom monster truck faces the Hulk Hogan monster truck. I'm not making this up.

A. Big Bubba Rogers (Ray Traylor) pinned Mark Minh in 1:04 with the Bubba-slam. DUD

B. Disco Inferno (Glen Gilburnetti) pinned Joey Maggs (Joseph Magliano) in 2:33 with a neckbreaker. Inferno has a great gimmick and a great ring entrance but I was disappointed in him once the match started. He bumps better than Honkytonk Man (which is basically what he's supposed to be right down to the finishing move) but doesn't have as much poise in the ring. DUD

C. Alex Wright went to a no decision with Eddy Guerrero in 6:36. Well, they proved what everyone knew all along. None of the newcomers who can work are going to have a prayer of getting a chance to make it. They were having a really good match until they did a major screw up on a spot and never recovered. Eric Bischoff was trying to offset criticism in his announcing (and give him credit for at least trying which puts him one step above Tony Schiavone and Vince McMahon) by talking with Guerrero before the match and he called every move to the point of almost silliness. The funniest part was when Guerrero did a Splash Mountain or Niagara Driver and Bischoff called it a Gori special (like they were doing moves like that when Gori Guerrero wrestled). Then Guerrero's very next move was the Gori special. And what did Bischoff call that? Well, the Gori special. Wright suplexed Guerrero over the top rope and Guerrero sold that his knee was out and he couldn't get back in the ring. Wright refused the victory. And WCW let everyone know in Guerrero's first television appearance that he was nothing more than opening match calibre. *3/4

D. American Males (Marcus Bagwell & Scott Riggs aka Scott Anton) beat Nasty Boys (Jerry "Sags" Seganowich & Brian "Knobs" Yandrisovitz) in 4:15. The Males gimmick is doomed because the vast majority of wrestling fans are guys and guys naturally hate guys who they are told are good looking. Nasty Boys were cheered by almost everyone in Males' debut. Males didn't get over a bit. There was a lot of talk that because the Nasty's had to do the job here that they would quit the promotion over it, and they were said to be furious but not on the verge of quitting over it. But the way the finish was done in this match and then in the Harlem Heat title change later appeared to be done largely to politically pacify them. The winners were to face the Blue Bloods on the Nitro show the next night. Dick Slater came out and hit Knobs off the top rope with his cowboy boot and Bagwell pinned him. *1/4

1. Johnny B. Badd (Marc Mero) pinned Brian Pillman in 29:14 to earn a U.S. title match with Sting. The title match was to air on the 9/30 WCW Saturday Night show however the match actually never takes place because Badd "no-shows" the match. The fans were booing Pillman even before he started the subtle turn. Badd bled hardway above his left eye although the announcers never acknowledged it and the camera shots did everything they could to avoid showing it (it was acknowledged as a nine-stitch cut the next night on Nitro). The match was pretty slow for the first 12:00 because they were going so long. Actually the length of this match was an office rib that backfired. The idea was to expose that both of these guys aren't as good workers as people think (since both have Steve Austin-sized contracts) and would fail trying to put together a 30:00 match, but it turned out to be the best match on the card. The last 8:00 of the original match was good. Badd suplexed Pillman over the top and did a dive over the top to the floor. Badd came off the top but Pillman caught him with a dropkick. Badd used a power bomb for a near fall and Pillman used a tombstone piledriver for a near fall. Pillman used the leg sweep/Octagon submission (of course the announcers had no clue that was a submission move). Badd hit his punch but Pillman was under the ropes. Pillman came back with his "Air Pillman" springboard clothesline but Badd kicked out and the bell rang at 20:07. It was announced they would do a sudden death because there had to be a winner. The two traded big moves and near falls for the entire overtime which included Badd's sunset flip off the top, Pillman doing a huracanrana (like the announcers had a clue here), Badd reversing a crucifix into a back slam, Badd with a Frankensteiner off the top rope (no clue by the announcers as it was invented post-1985), Pillman with a swinging DDT off the middle rope (called a flying bulldog). Badd then threw Pillman off the top rope and Pillman caught his throat on the guard rail. Badd used a Liger dive and went for a splash from the apron into the ring but Pillman got his knees up. Pillman dropped Badd in a face first suplex onto the ring ropes and then delivered a tope which came up slightly short. Pillman tried a Silver King dive but ended up crotching himself on the top rope for a near fall. Pillman went for a crossbody off the ropes and hit it, but Badd wound up on top for the pin at 9:07 of overtime. ****

2. Craig Pittman beat Cobra (Jeff Farmer) in 1:22 with the code red (armbreaker) submission. A guy dressed up as a serviceman came to ringside when Pittman was introduced and distracted Cobra. Pittman came down from the ceiling with a rope and jumped him from behind, never lost the advantage, and won quickly. Now Cobra's gimmick is that he was a member of the CIA who Pittman left stranded in either a desert or a jungle in either Viet Nam or Desert Storm or maybe Korea or maybe even in the Civil War. At least Pittman's ring entrance was good. DUD

They aired a video with Paul Orndorff "depressed" after losing a match to Randy Savage (they should have at least made it believable and have him depressed after putting over Renegade). Gary Spivey of the Psychic Hotline showed up with what looked like a sponge on his head and convinced Orndorff that he really was Mr. Wonderful, changing Orndorff's character. The acting by Orndorff in the skit made Hogan look like an Oscar Award winner, but it was almost so bad that it was good.

3. Diamond Dallas Page (Page Falkenberg) pinned Renegade (Richard Williams) to win the WCW TV title in 8:07. Page actually made this watchable basically attempting to do a Terry Funk vs. a broom match. They were doing a storyline where Diamond Doll was mad at Page and being forced to hold up the "10" card whenever he'd do a move. At the 4:00 mark the announcers said that this was the longest Renegade had wrestled in a match since coming to WCW (which would be the case if you exclude every house show and PPV match he's had). Renegade did a handspring elbow at one point. Finish saw Page and Max Muscle collide attempting a double-team. Renegade then dove off the top rope to the floor onto Muscle. As he got back in the ring, Muscle grabbed his leg and Page used the Diamond cutter (Ace crusher) for the pin. **

4. Harlem Heat (Lane Huffman aka Steve Ray & Booker Huffman aka Booker T) beat Dick Slater & Bunkhouse Buck (Jimmy Golden) to win the WCW tag titles in 16:49. Match started very slow and didn't improve. Finish saw Rob Parker and Sherri kissing in one ring while The Nasty Boys came out and Sags hit Slater with Slater's own cowboy boot and Booker T pinned Slater. Heat was mad at Sherri after the match but she explained it was part of the plan. Buck was mad at Parker after the match but he said that he was in love. -*

5. Arn Anderson (Marty Lunde) pinned Ric Flair (Richard Fliehr) in 22:37. Most of the underneath wrestlers were sitting together (faces and heels were at least kept separate) watching this to try and get over the importance of this match. The psychology was excellent. They did a lot of the normal Flair or Anderson routine with slight cross-ups as in getting the story that each knew the others' moves but the other was one step ahead recognizing it. It turned into a very good match with near falls going back-and-forth. Neither really came across as a face or a heel. Anderson was selling his knee big from long figure four sequences when Pillman came to ringside. Pillman punched Flair, who punched him back. As Flair turned his back, Pillman gave him an enzuigiri with a cowboy boot to set up their Nitro match the next night and a staggered Flair fell into Anderson's DDT for the pin. ***1/2

6. Hulk Hogan (Terry Bollea) & Randy Savage (Randy Poffo) & Sting (Steve Borden) & Lex Luger (Larry Pfohl) won the War Games over Zodiac (Ed Leslie) & Shark (John Tenta) & Kamala (James Harris) & Meng (Uliuli Fifita) in 18:47. Sting opened with Shark with the highlights being Sting diving from one ring to the other and doing a bodyslam. Shark tried to dive from ring-to-ring but ended up caught in the middle like a beached whale. Shark was in need of oxygen before the 5:00 period was up. Zodiac was in next, followed by Savage, Kamala, Luger, Meng and finally Hogan. When Luger came in, they teased a Savage-Luger split when they bumped into each other and went after each other but Sting settled them down. Actually there was more intrigue going into the match on whether or not Savage or Luger would turn than on the match itself. When Hogan came in he threw powder at Kamala, Zodiac and Meng and then beat Zodiac with the camel clutch for the win. After the match Kevin Sullivan ran away, but he was brought back in for his five minutes. After 2:30 of almost no heat because nobody cares about Sullivan, The Giant did the run-in and choked Hogan and twisted his neck. Hogan sold it as if he had been maimed and they went off the air wondering if Hogan would ever wrestle again. *1/4

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The WWF held a press conference in Winnipeg this past week to announce the line-up for the 10/22 In Your House PPV show at the Winnipeg Arena.

The six-match PPV show is headlined by Diesel vs. Davey Boy Smith for the WWF title. Also announced was Shawn Michaels vs. Dean Douglas for the IC title, Undertaker vs. Waylon Mercy, Smoking Gunns vs. Owen Hart & Yokozuna (which isn't being billed as a title match), Razor Ramon vs. Sid and Hakushi vs. Skip.

In addition, there will be two dark matches, Bret Hart vs. Isaac Yankem and Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Goldust. In the Hart-Yankem match, Hart will have two members of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers Canadian Football League team in his corner for local publicity with the idea they'll offset any outside interference of Jerry Lawler, who will be in Yankem's corner. It'll be pushed live as the main event on the show and as a way to get fans to attend live because they won't be able to see that match if they buy the PPV.

Judging from this card, it seems to tell much about the plans for the 9/24 show as far as who is and isn't winning in the main event. One would think that Smith and Douglas would be put over in their respective matches with Bigelow and Ramon to earn title shots, although what makes sense from a traditional wrestling standpoint and both what is done today and even makes sense today are three different things. And based on whose on top, one figures it's the tag team title changing hands in the main event.

Ted DiBiase, Paul Bearer and Shawn Michaels along with WWF Canadian rep Carl DeMarco were at the press conference, which was not a major success locally. Of the five local television stations, only one was there and it was a French language station (Winnipeg is primarily English speaking). Even the local station that carries the WWF syndication didn't send a rep to the press conference. All three WWF personalities did a lot of local radio spots and there were a few newspaper stories plugging the show this past week. Ticket sales were off to a slow start.

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In other PPV notes, we have some estimated buy rates of shows from the past six or so weeks. The first run of the Ultimate Fighting Championships appears to have done about an 0.85 buy rate (200,000 buys/$1.8 million) although that figure can be misleading in a number of ways. UFC traditionally does much stronger on the replay showings than pro wrestling events. For example, the last UFC did an additional 0.2 just on replays. In addition, we've received no estimates on how much UFC promoters Semaphore Entertainment Group will have to rebate to cable companies and merchandise for consumers for make-goods for those who didn't see the finish of the main event. The total, even figuring into strong replay showings would probably fall from UFC VI, although with the less attractive show, that isn't much of a surprise. UFC officials were figuring to increase based on September being an easier month to get people to watch television as compared with July, but with a weaker main event, the reasons seemed to be offsetting.

WWF is claiming a 1.0 buy rate for SummerSlam (235,000 buys/$2.64 million). Other estimates are lower and even some higher, ranging from 0.8 to 1.1. That figure would be about a 30% decline from last year's SummerSlam and even more revenue wise because the price was lowered, which is being attributed to the overabundance of PPV wrestling events as compared with last year. It is not being considered a success since it's the WWF's No. 2 event of the year.

WCW ran two events over the past six weeks--Collision in Korea appears to have done an 0.15 buy rate (30,000 buys/$175,000) and we don't have a buy rate on the K-1 PPV but it was right about the same figure or slightly better. Since both shows were on taped delay, the costs for the shows and break-even points were considerably down from a typical PPV show (a live PPV show appears to need about a 0.25 to 0.3 buy rate to break even). With the heavier advertising budget, K-1 was probably less profitable than the Collision in Korea even if it drew slightly more viewers. Initially WCW was planning on doing two more taped K-1 shows before the end of the year but no word on any future dates so I get the idea that is at least no longer etched in stone.

There have been rumblings about doing a similar bargain-priced PPV of the WCW/New Japan show on 11/13 at Tokyo Sumo Hall, but again nothing has been officially announced. It would be a lot more beneficial, given that the plans for Starrcade have to do with using a lot of New Japan wrestlers, to air the 11/13 show from Japan as a two-hour version of WCW Saturday night and thus get the bulk of the regular fans familiar with the Japanese wrestlers so they'll have a reason to care about them, rather than try and sell them to only the hardcores for the quick profit and have the casual fans not care about them enough to care about Starrcade. But then again, that concept has been discussed here since for four years and untold number of WCW regimes that have been unable to get over wrestlers they have full-time under contract so it's probably silly to even discuss ways to get over new wrestlers.

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One of the biggest head-to-head battles of the year in Mexico takes place on 9/22 when EMLL and AAA go at it.

AAA looks to have the stronger line-up at Juan de la Barrera Gym. The card has Perro Aguayo vs. Nikosuna in a hair vs. hair match, Psicosis vs. Rey Misterio Jr. in a Mexican welterweight title match, Konnan & Latin Lover & Heavy Metal (who will become a regular trio as a way to elevate Latin & Heavy to main event face status) vs. Cien Caras & Villano IV & Payaso Azul, Octagon & Mascara Sagrada & La Parka & Frisbee vs. Fuerza Guerrera & Jerry Estrada & Blue Panther & Vegas and Power Raiders vs. Angel Mortal & Mr. Condor & Marabunta & Duende & Canalla.

EMLL counters with its Anniversary show at Arena Mexico, by tradition its biggest card of the year. Its advantage is its the EMLL return of two of the Dinamitas. The show is also headlined by a Mexican vs. foreigner in a hair vs. hair match, in this case Silver King vs. Miguel Perez. The undercard is Rayo de Jalisco Jr. & El Hijo del Santo & Dos Caras vs. Mascara Ano Dos Mil & Universo Dos Mil (both making their EMLL returns) & Negro Casas, Pierroth Jr. & Emilio Charles Jr. & Dr. Wagner Jr. vs. Ricky Santana & El Boricua & Foreign Exchange in a battle of heel teams with the Mexican trio being automatically the faces against the Puerto Rican trio, Los Brazos vs. El Satanico & Gran Markus Jr. & Mocho Cota and Javier Rocca & Javier Cruz vs. Chicago Express & Mogur.

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MAJOR EVENTS CALENDAR 9/22 TO 10/22
9/22 New Japan Nagoya Aiichi Gym (Chono & Tenzan vs. Yamazaki & ?)

9/22 EMLL Mexico City Arena Mexico Anniversary show (Silver King vs. Perez)

9/22 AAA Mexico City Juan de la Barrera Gym (Aguayo vs. Nikosuna)

9/23 New Japan Yokohama Arena Inoki 35th anniversary special (Hashimoto & Hirata vs. Chono & Tenzan)

9/24 WWF In Your House PPV Saginaw, MI (Diesel & Michaels vs. Yokozuna & Owen Hart)

9/24 AJW Kawasaki Gym (K.Inoue & T.Inoue vs. Hokuto & Shimoda)

9/25 New Japan Osaka Furitsu Gym (Muto vs. Hirata)

9/25 Vale Tudo Tokyo Komazawa Olympic Gym (Sayama vs. Kobayashi)

9/25 WWF Monday Night Raw taping Grand Rapids, MI (Bret & Undertaker & Diesel & Michaels vs. Owen & Yokozuna & Men on a Mission)

9/25 WCW Monday Nitro taping Florence, SC (Savage vs. Sullivan)

9/26 WWF Superstars taping Valpraiso, IN

9/29 EMLL Mexico City Arena Mexico (NWA welterweight title tourney)

10/2 WCW Monday Nitro taping Denver Coliseum (Hogan vs. Shark)

10/5 WWF Boston Fleet Center debut

10/6 WWF Madison Square Garden (Mabel vs. Undertaker)

10/7 World Combat Championships PPV Winston-Salem, NC

10/7 ECW Philadelphia ECW Arena (Raven & Richards vs. Pit Bulls)

10/9 New Japan/UWFI Tokyo Dome (Muto vs. Takada)

10/9 WCW Monday Nitro taping Chicago Rosemont Horizon (Flair vs. Luger)

10/11 UWFI Osaka Furitsu Gym

10/14 AAA Los Angeles Sports Arena

10/15 All Japan Nagoya Aiichi Gym (Kawada & Taue vs. Misawa & Kobashi)

10/16 WCW Monday Nitro taping Albany, GA

10/20 SMW Halloween Scream tour Knoxville City Coliseum (Heavenly Bodies vs. Thugs)

10/21 AAA Chicago International Ampitheatre (Konnan & Aguayo & Parka vs. Cien Caras & Killer & KGB)

10/21 RINGS Fukuoka International Center (Mega Battle tournament '95 first round)

10/22 WWF In Your House PPV Winnipeg, MB (Diesel vs. Smith)

RESULTS
9/9 Tuxpan, Veracruz (AAA): Galactico & Tornado b Ravana & Maremoto, Espectrito I & Jerrito Estrada b Octagoncito & Voladorcito, Angel Azteca & Torero & Aguila de Acero b Vegas & Piromaniaco & Pero Silva-DQ, Pentagon & Fuerza Guerrera & Blue Panther b Octagon & Mascara Sagrada & Frisbee, Los Villanos b Latin Lover & Heavy Metal & Rey Misterio Jr.

9/9 Hannover, Germany (CWA): David Taylor b Drew McDonald, Cannonball Grizzly b Joe Joe Lee, Tony St. Clair b David Finlay-DQ, Franz Schumann d John Hawk, Ulf Hermann & August Smisl b Rod Price & Big Titan

9/9 North Schuylkill, PA (Trans World Wrestling Federation - 2,000): Kid Flash b Johnny Rebel, Cocoa Samoa b Bob Starr, Sionne (Barbarian) & Samu & Mustafa b Jack Hammer & Steve Smith & Tahitian Warrior, Little Louie b Sleazy, Typhoon b Bastion Booger, Sean Fley b Dan Steele & Jay North, Brutus Beefcake b Jim Neidhart

9/11 Miami (WCW Monday Nitro tapings - 5,500 sellout/3,183 paid): WCW tag titles: Dick Slater & Bunkhouse Buck DCOR Harlem Heat, Shark b Mark Starr, Kamala b Barry Houston, Johnny B. Badd b Ric Flair-DQ, Alex Wright b Sabu-DQ **1/2, U.S. title: Sting b V.K. Wallstreet *1/4, Randy Savage b Scott Norton **1/2, WCW title: Hulk Hogan b Lex Luger-DQ *

9/11 Orlando (WWF - 600): Hakushi b Rad Radford *1/2, Savio Vega b Duke Droese 1/2*, WWF womens title: Bertha Faye b Alundra Blayze -*, Davey Boy Smith b Bam Bam Bigelow **, Goldust b Bob Holly **1/4, Blu Brothers b Bushwhackers DUD, Razor Ramon b Sir Mo 1/2*

9/11 Memphis (USWA - 1,080): Steven Dunn b Pat Tanaka, Axl Rotten d Spellbinder, Handicap match: Miss Texas b Downtown Bruno & Uptown Karen, Doug Gilbert b Tracy Smothers, USWA tag title with Gilbert referee: PG-13 b Heavenly Bodies, USWA title: Brian Christopher b Billy Jack Haynes to win title, Unified title: Jerry Lawler b Jesse James Armstrong (Brian Armstrong)

9/11 Furukawa (All Japan women - 1,250): Misae Watanabe & Mina Taniyama b Nobue Endo & Yumi Fujimoto, Chapparita Asari & Yuka Shiina b Yumi Fukawa & Yoshiko Tamura, Kaoru Ito b Kumiko Maekawa, Mariko Yoshida & Manami Toyota b Toshiyo Yamada & Rie Tamada, Mima Shimoda b Sakie Hasegawa, Aja Kong & Etsuko Mita b Yumiko Hotta & Kyoko Inoue

9/12 Louisville, KY (USWA): Handicap: Uptown Karen & Brandon Baxter b Miss Texas, USWA tag title: PG-13 b Pat Tanaka & Axl Rotten, Jesse James Armstrong b Steven Dunn, USWA title: Brian Christopher b Billy Jack Haynes-DQ, PG-13 & Doug Gilbert b Heavenly Bodies & Tracy Smothers

9/12 Towada (All Japan women): Nobue Endo & Mina Taniyama b Yoshiko Tamura & Yumi Fujimoto, Misae Watanabe b Yumi Fukawa, Tomoko Watanabe & Yuka Shiina b Takako Inoue & Chapparita Asari, Kyoko Inoue & Aja Kong b Sakie Hasegawa & Kumiko Maekawa, Etsuko Mita b Rie Tamada, Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida & Kaoru Ito b Yumiko Hotta & Toshiyo Yamada & Mima Shimoda

9/12 Hannover, Germany (CWA - 800): David Finlay b Joe Joe Lee, Tony St. Clair b David Taylor, Cannonball Grizzly & John Hawk b Rambo & Ice Train, Franz Schumann b Viktor Kruger-DQ, August Smisl b Drew McDonald

9/12 Fukushima (Tokyo Pro Wrestling - 650): Takeshi Miyamoto & Masuda b Imai & Kei Tsukada, Shunne Matsuzaki b Bruiser Okumura, Apollo Sugawara b Jun Kikuzawa, Hiroshi Hatanaka & Yoshiro Ito b Yuichi Fukaya & Marashi, Masashi Aoyagi b Kishin Kawabata, Great Kabuki & Benkei (Danktane) b Takashi Ishikawa & Ryo Myake

9/12 Matsuyama (JWP): Hikari Fukuoka b Saburo, Cutie Suzuki b Rieko Amano, Candy Okutsu & Boirshoi Kid & Dynamite Kansai b Hiroumi Yagi & Devil Masami & Mayumi Ozaki

9/13 Lakeland, FL (WWF - 450): Hakushi b Rad Radford, Savio Vega b Duke Droese, WWF womens title: Bertha Faye b Alundra Blayze, Davey Boy Smith b Bam Bam Bigelow, Goldust b Bob Holly, Blu Brothers b Bushwhackers, Razor Ramon b Sir Mo

9/13 Aguascalientes (AAA - 7,500 sellout): Perro Silva & Juventud Guerrera & Vegas b Frisbee & Rey Misterio Jr. & Perro Aguayo Jr., Tinieblas Jr. & Mascara Sagrada & Cibernetico b Killer & KGB & Chicano Power-DQ, Nikosuna b Perro Aguayo-DQ, Cage match: Latin Lover & Heavy Metal & Panterita del Ring b Blue Panther & Psicosis & Fuerza Guerrera

9/13 Fukui (IWA - 1,800): Keizo Matsuda & Katsumi Hirano b Takashi Sato & Daisuke Taue, Kyoko Ichiki b Motokawa, Shinobi b Keizo Matsuda, Leatherface b Yoshihiko Abe, Head Hunters b Keisuke Yamada & Shoji Nakamaki, Bunkhouse match: Tarzan Goto & Mr. Gannosuke b Cactus Jack & Baragail, 2 on 4 match: Goto & Gannosuke d Head Hunters & Cactus Jack & Baragail

9/13 Mutsu (All Japan women - 1,230): Yumi Fujimoto & Yumi Fukawa b Yoshiko Tamura & Mina Taniyama, Misae Watanabe b Yuka Shiina, Tomoko Watanabe & Nobue Endo b Kumiko Maekawa & Rie Tamada, Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue b Etsuko Mita & Chapparita Asari, Toshiyo Yamada b Mariko Yoshida, Aja Kong & Yumiko Hotta & Mima Shimoda b Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa & Kaoru Ito

9/13 Nagoya (Big Japan Pro Wrestling - 3,500 sellout): Katase b Kimura, Toyonari Fujita b Takahashi, Ichiro Yaguchi b Kobayashi, Seiji Yamakawa b Masanobu Kochi, Bruiser Okamoto b ?, King Parsons & Action Jackson b Yuichi Taniguchi & Yoshiaki Yatsu, Vale Tudo fight: Kendo Nagasaki b Nikolai Gordeau

9/13 Akita (Tokyo Pro Wrestling): Imai & Takeshi Miyamoto b Keizo Matsuda & Kei Tsukada, Ryo Myake b Jun Kikuzawa, Yoshiro Ito b Okumura, Apollo Sugawara & Kishin Kawabata b Yuichi Fukaya & Musashi, Hiroshi Hatanaka b Masashi Aoyagi-DQ, Great Kabuki & Benkei (Danktane) b Shunne Matsuzaki & Takashi Ishikawa

9/13 Hannover, Germany (CWA - 120): Cannonball Grizzly b August Smisl, Big Titan b Tony St. Clair, Ulf Hermann b Drew McDonald, Viktor Kruger b Rambo-DQ, David Taylor & Franz Schumann & Ice Train b David Finlay & Dan Collins & Rod Price-DQ

9/13 Okayama (JWP): Saburo b Rieko Amano, Hikari Fukuoka b Fusayo Nouchi, Dynamite Kansai & Hiroumi Yagi b Devil Masami & Candy Okutsu

9/14 Palmetto, FL (WWF - 900): Hakushi b Rad Radford, Savio Vega b Duke Droese, WWF womens title: Bertha Faye b Alundra Blayze, Davey Boy Smith b Bam Bam Bigelow, Goldust b Bob Holly, Blu Brothers b Bushwhackers, Razor Ramon b Sir Mo

9/14 Hickory, NC (SMW - 175): Robert Gibson b Killer Kyle, SMW title: Brad Armstrong b Al Snow, Buddy Landel DDQ Tommy Rich, SMW tag title: Heavenly Bodies b Tracy Smothers & Dirty White Boy

9/14 Aomori (All Japan women - 1,660): Mina Taniyama b Yumi Fukawa, Nobue Endo & Yumi Fujimoto b Yuka Shiina & Misae Watanabe, Chapparita Asari & Kumiko Maekawa d Rie Tamada & Yoshiko Tamura 30:00, Aja Kong & Mima Shimoda b Toshiyo Yamada & Etsuko Mita, Yumiko Hotta b Kaoru Ito, Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue & Tomoko Watanabe b Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida & Sakie Hasegawa

9/14 Hannover, Germany (CWA - 100): Rambo b Dan Collins, Big Titan b Joe Joe Lee, David Finlay d Franz Schumann, David Taylor b John Hawk-DQ, Ulf Hermann & August Smisl b Viktor Kruger & Drew McDonald

9/14 Ena (IWA - 1,100 sellout): Keizo Matsuda b Takashi Sato, Kyoko Ichiki b Motokawa, Shinobi & Katsumi Hirano b Yoshihiro Tajiri & Daisuke Taue, Keisuke Yamada NC Yoshihiko Abe, Cactus Jack & Head Hunter B b Mr. Gannosuke & Tarzan Goto, Barbed wire match: Leatherface & Shoji Nakamaki b Baragail & Head Hunter A

9/14 Maebashi (FMW - 600): Yukie Nabeno b Yukari Ishikura, Ricky Fuji & Hisakatsu Oya b Mach Hayato & Koji Nakagawa, Masato Tanaka b Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Miwa Sato & Shark Tsuchiya & Bad Nurse Nakamura b Kaori Nakayama & Combat Toyoda & Megumi Kudo, Street fight: Horace Boulder & The Gladiator & Mr. Pogo b Hido & Hideki Hosaka & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga, Super Leather b Wing Kanemura, Hayabusa b Katsutoshi Niiyama

9/14 Fujisaki (Michinoku Pro - 365): Taka Michinoku b Masato Yakushiji, Kendo (AAA Ninja Del Fuego) b Mascara Magica, Wellington Wilkens Jr. NC Yone Genjin, Tiger Mask & Hanzo Nakajima b Naohiro Hoshikawa & Steve Jay, Kato Kung Lee Sr. & Great Sasuke b Gran Naniwa & Super Delfin

9/14 Sendai (Tokyo Pro Wrestling): Takeshi Miyamoto & Keizo Matsuda b Imai & Shimura, Ryo Myake b Jun Kikuzawa, Shunne Matsuzaki NC Musashi, Matsuzaki & Apollo Sugawara b Musashi & Yuichi Fukaya, Kishin Kawabata b Bruiser Okumura, Masashi Aoyagi b Yoshiro Ito, Benkei & Great Kabuki b Hiroshi Hatanaka & Takashi Ishikawa

9/14 West Memphis, AR (Ozark Mountain - 170): Riki Burton b Shawn Taylor, Terry Golden b Reggie B. Fine, Brickhouse Brown b Christian Devereaux, Future Shock b Moondog Spot, Colorado Kid b Bull Pain

9/15 Montreal (WWF - 5,825): Barry Horowitz b Skip ***, Isaac Yankem b Aldo Montoya *1/2, Waylon Mercy DDQ Fatu *, Smoking Gunns b Yokozuna & King Kong Bundy *3/4, Dean Douglas b 1-2-3 Kid **, Hunter Hearst Helmsley b Henry Godwinn 1/2*, IC title: Shawn Michaels b Sid **, WWF title: Diesel DCOR Jean Pierre Lafitte ***, Casket match: Undertaker b Kama DUD

9/15 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (All Japan - 2,100 sellout): Satoru Asako b Maunukea Mossman, Tsuyoshi Kikuchi b Kentaro Shiga, Mitsuo Momota & Mighty Inoue b Masa Fuchi & Haruka Eigen, Yoshinari Ogawa b Takao Omori, Akira Taue & Jumbo Tsuruta & Giant Baba b Tamon Honda & Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi 22:54, Mitsuharu Misawa & Masao Inoue b Toshiaki Kawada & Ryukaku Izumida

9/15 Knoxville (SMW - 2,500/fairgrounds show): Chris Michaels & Flash Flanagan b Head Bangers, Butch Cassidy b Bad Boy Bully, Robert Gibson b Al Snow, Tommy Rich DCOR Buddy Landel, SMW title: Brad Armstrong b Terry Gordy-DQ, SMW tag title: Heavenly Bodies b Tracy Smothers & Dirty White Boy

9/15 Jim Thorpe, PA (ECW - 430): J.T. Smith b Hack Myers, Chad Austin b 911-DQ, ECW title: Sandman b Bull Pain, Too Cold Scorpio b 911-DQ, ECW TV title: Scorpio b Mikey Whipwreck, Public Enemy b Dudley Dudley & Dances with Dudley, Gangstas b Whipwreck & Tommy Dreamer, Raven & Steve Richards & Beulah McGillicuddy b Pit Bulls & Francine

9/15 Koidego (IWA - 250): Keizo Matsuda b Sato, Kyoko Ichiki b Motokawa, Yoshihiko Abe b Katsumi Hirano, Keisuke Yamada & Shinobi b Yoshihiro Tajiri & Daisuke Taue, Head Hunters NC Tarzan Goto & Mr. Gannosuke, Cactus Jack & Baragail b Shoji Nakamaki & Leatherface

9/15 Kazuno (All Japan women - 1,260): Misae Watanabe b Yumi Fukawa, Nobue Endo & Yoshiko Tamura b Yumi Fujimoto & Mina Taniyama, Tomoko Watanabe & Kumiko Maekawa b Yuka Shiina & Chapparita Asari, Toshiyo Yamada & Etsuko Mita & Takako Inoue b Mariko Yoshida & Sakie Hasegawa & Kaoru Ito, Manami Toyota b Rie Tamada, Aja Kong & Kyoko Inoue b Yumiko Hotta & Mima Shimoda

9/15 Mexico City Arena Mexico (EMLL): Prelim results unavailable, Ricky Santana & Foreign Exchange & El Boricua b Scorpio Jr. & MS 1 & Pierroth Jr., Dr. Wagner Jr. & Fishman & Miguel Perez b Atlantis & Hector Garza & Silver King-DQ, Corazon de Leon & Ultimo Dragon & El Hijo del Santo b El Satanico & Emilio Charles Jr. & Negro Casas

9/15 Wakuya (Michinoku Pro - 424): Naohiro Hoshikawa b Masato Yakushiji, Wellington Wilkens Jr. DDQ Yone Genjin, Tiger Mask & Hanzo Nakajima b Mascara Magica & Steve Jay, Great Sasuke & Kato Kung Lee Sr. & Kendo b Super Delfin & Gran Naniwa & Taka Michinoku

9/15 Iwaide (Big Japan Pro Wrestling): Tayonari Fujita b Masanobu Kochi, Kobayashi b Kikuzawa, Bruiser Okamoto b Takahashi, Ishiro Yaguchi b Seiji Yamakawa, King Parsons b ?, Yoshiaki Yatsu & Kendo Nagasaki b Action Jackson & ?

9/15 Cordele, GA (Peach State Wrestling - 495): The Nightmare (Ted Allen) d Lee Thomas, Bobby Walker b T-Rex (Ron Reis), Street fight: Paul Golden & R.D. Swain & Bubba Gossett (Haystacks Calhoun Jr.) b Jim Bryant & Fred Avery & Luscious Lonnie, Ron Simmons b The Barbarian-COR, Chain match for Cordele title: Billy Black b Rob Van Dam to win title, 2 on 3 handicap match: Rick & Scott Steiner b Steve & Scott & Brian Armstrong

9/15 Hannover, Germany (CWA - 200): Ulf Hermann b Rod Price, Ice Train b Viktor Kruger, Dan Collins d Joe Joe Lee, Franz Schumann b Big Titan, Cannonball Grizzly & John Hawk b Tony St. Clair & David Taylor

9/15 Woonsocket, RI (IWF - 700): Mike Hollow b Russian Mauler, Jamie West b Nasty Angel, Bulldozer b Tim McNeaney, Freight Train Dan won triangle match over El Mascarado (Bert Senteno) & Outpatient, Tiny the Terrible b Half Nelson, Smooth Operator b Antoine Roy-COR, Man Mountain Rock b Hakushi

9/15 Dallas Sportatorium (Confederate Wrestling Federation - 500): Al Jackson b Bill Irwin-DQ, Johnny Mantell b Doug Masters, Firebreaker Chip (Curtis Thompson) b Derrick Stone, Al Walker b Johnny Watts, Tony Norris b Rico Suave, Devon Michaels & Bo Vegas b Treach Phillips Jr. & Shawn Summers, Chris Adams b Randy Rhodes, Guido Falcone & Vito Mussolini b Sam Houston & Scott Putski

9/15 San Francisco (Incredibly Strange Wrestling - 600 sellout): El Hijo del Executivo b The Unholy, Stacey Domina b Castle Waif, The Abortionist DDQ Cletus the Fetus, Amazing Caltiki b Aztec Mummy, Kimera & Anarchy b El Hijo del Red Rum Ron & El Hijo del Manny Perez, Vandal Drummond & Harley Racist b Kimera & Anarchy, La Chingona b Mondo Garcia, Yom Ripper b Klu Klux Klown, Karl LaFong b Chef Boy R. Yee, Ringo Ricardo & Anarchy b Abortionist & Cletus, Domina NC Chingona, J.R. Benson b The Rapist

9/16 Philadelphia ECW Arena (ECW - 1,175 sellout): Bull Pain b Tony Stetson *3/4, Dudley Dudley & Dances with Dudley b Chad Austin & Don E. Allen *, Hack Myers b J.T. Smith-COR **, Eliminators (John Kronus & Perry Saturn) & Jason (Jason Knight) b Rick & Scott Steiner & Taz **3/4, Double dog collar match for ECW tag title: Pit Bulls b Raven & Steve Richards to win titles ***1/2, Rey Misterio Jr. b Psicosis ****1/2, Cage match: Public Enemy & Mikey Whipwreck b New Jack & Too Cold Scorpio & Sandman ***3/4

9/16 Tokyo Korakuen Hall (New Japan - 1,795): Shinjiro Otani b Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Koji Kanemoto b Tokimitsu Ishizawa, Wild Pegasus b El Samurai, Gran Hamada & Jushin Liger b Norio Honaga & Sabu, Hawk & Power (Kensuke Sasaki) Warrior & Keiji Muto b Takashi Iizuka (Takayuki Iizuka) & Akira Nogami & Scott Norton, Masa Chono & Hiro Saito b Shinya Hashimoto & Tadao Yasuda, Junji Hirata b Hiroyoshi Tenzan

9/16 Morristown, TN (SMW - 275): Robert Gibson b Al Snow, SMW title: Brad Armstrong b Terry Gordy-DQ, SMW tag title: Heavenly Bodies b Tracy Smothers & Dirty White Boy, Tommy Rich DCOR Buddy Landel

9/16 Hannover, Germany (CWA - 1,900): Dan Collins b Tony St. Clair, Rambo b Big Titan, CWA tag title: Ulf Hermann & August Smisl b Cannonball Grizzly & John Hawk, Joe Joe Lee b Drew McDonald, CWA IC title: David Finlay b Lance Storm

9/16 Nanamura (FMW - 1,600): Koji Nakagawa b Mach Hayato, Shark Tsuchiya b Yukie Nabeno, Mr. Pogo & Ricky Fuji b Tetsuhiro Kuroda & Katsutoshi Niiyama, Megumi Kudo & Combat Toyoda b Bad Nurse Nakamura & Miwa Sato, Hisakatsu Oya b Super Leather, Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka b Hideki Hosaka & Hido, No rope barbed wire street fight tornado death match: The Gladiator & Horace Boulder b Wing Kanemura & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga

9/16 Kauzumaki (Michinoku Pro - 298): Taka Michinoku b Mascara Magica, Kendo b Yone Genjin, Tiger Mask & Hanzo Nakajima b Naohiro Hoshikawa & Stevie Jay, Great Sasuke & Kato Kung Lee Sr. b Gran Naniwa & Super Delfin

9/17 Toronto, ONT (WWF - 5,500): Barry Horowitz b Skip, Isaac Yankem b Aldo Montoya, Smoking Gunns b King Kong Bundy & Yokozuna, Fatu b Jean Pierre Lafitte, Dean Douglas b 1-2-3 Kid, Hunter Hearst Helmsley b Henry Godwinn, IC title: Shawn Michaels b Sid, Casket match: Undertaker b Kama, WWF title: Diesel b Waylon Mercy

9/17 Nagano (New Japan - 4,000): Tokimitsu Ishizawa b Tatsuhito Takaiwa, Osamu Kido b Norio Honaga, Hiro Saito b Tadao Yasuda, El Samurai & Gran Hamada b Shinjiro Otani & Koji Kanemoto, Hawk & Power Warrior b Wild Pegasus & Scott Norton, Sabu & Hiroyoshi Tenzan & Masa Chono b Jushin Liger & Junji Hirata & Masa Saito, Keiji Muto & Akira Nogami b Takashi Iizuka & Shinya Hashimoto

9/17 Tsunami (IWA - 530): Keisuke Yamada & Keizo Matsuda b Takashi Sato & Katsumi Hirano, Kyoko Ichiki b Motokawa, Yoshihiko Abe b Daisuke Taue, Shinobi b Yoshihiro Tajiri, Shoji Nakamaki & Leatherface b Cactus Jack & Baragail, IWA tag titles: Head Hunters b Tarzan Goto & Mr. Gannosuke

9/17 Kashihara (FMW): Yukari Ishikura d Kaori Nakayama, Hisakatsu Oya b Tetsuhiro Kuroda, Megumi Kudo & Combat Toyoda & Yukie Nabeno b Miwa Sato & Shark Tsuchiya & Bad Nurse Nakamura, Super Leather b Hido, Horace Boulder & The Gladiator & Mr. Pogo b Gosaku Goshogawara & Mach Hayato & Katsutoshi Niiyama, Hayabusa & Masato Tanaka & Koji Nakagawa b Hideki Hosaka & Wing Kanemura & Mitsuhiro Matsunaga, Nakagawa won Battle Royal

9/17 Hirosaki (Michinoku Pro - 317): Naohiro Hoshikawa b Masato Yakushiji, Great Sasuke & Kato Kung Lee Sr. & Kendo b Super Delfin & Gran Naniwa & Taka Michinoku, Tiger Mask & Hanzo Nakajima b Stevie Jay & Mascara Magica, Yone Genjin NC Wellington Wilkens Jr.

9/17 Kesennuma (All Japan women - 1,185): Nobue Endo b Yumi Fukawa, Rie Tamada & Yoshiko Tamura b Mina Taniyama & Yumi Fujimoto, Tomoko Watanabe & Chapparita Asari b Misae Watanabe & Yuka Shiina, Toshiyo Yamada & Takako Inoue b Mariko Yoshida & Kumiko Maekawa, Kyoko Inoue b Mima Shimoda, Aja Kong & Yumiko Hotta & Etsuko Mita b Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa & Kaoru Ito

9/17 Osaka (Gaea Japan): Nagashima & Sato b Kaori Nakayama & Yukari Ishikura (FMW), Uematsu d Satomura, Saburo (JWP) & Bomber Hikari b Tomoko Miyaguchi (JWP) & Kato, Dynamite Kansai (JWP) & Devil Masami (JWP) b Hikari Fukuoka (JWP) & Kaoru 21:24, Street fight: Chigusa Nagayo b Mayumi Ozaki (JWP) 25:41

9/18 Johnson City, TN (WCW Monday Nitro taping - 3,200/2,031 paid): State Patrol b Rob Parker & Dick Slater DUD, Randy Savage b Zodiac 1/4*, Arn Anderson b Dave Sullivan 1/4*, Eddy Guerrero b Dean Malenko ***1/2, WCW tag title?: American Males b Harlem Heat **, Paul Orndorff b Johnny B. Badd *1/4, Ric Flair b Brian Pillman **

9/18 Jonesboro, AR (Ozark Mountain - 616): Riki Burton b Texas Outlaw, Giant Warrior b Man Mountain Mike, Machine Gun Mike b Dirty Little Dave, Brickhouse Brown b Christian Devereaux, Ricky Morton b Reggie B. Fine, Bill Dundee & Colorado Kid b Bull Pain & Terry Golden-DQ

Special thanks to: H.A. Haridgree, Ron Lemieux, Ric Gillespie, Steve "Dr. Lucha" Sims, James Titus, Adam Penninson, Stefan Pickshaus, Mike Rodgers, Georgiann Makropolous, Dominick Valenti, Ron Hed, Dan Parris, Kim Lamberth, Brian Smith, Don Parker, Brian Hildebrand, Stuart Kemp, Ken Hamblin, Gregg John, Peggy Watkins, Jimmy Marshall, Steve Schonberger, John Lanigan, Michael Bechtel, Dan Moreland, Fay Ferguson, Scott Despres, Kevin McKenzie, Tim Whitehead, Jesse Money

JAPANESE TELEVISION RUNDOWN
8/26 NEW JAPAN: 1. Flair beat Shiro Koshinaka with the figure four in 17:17. The last 8:00 aired on television. Flair had the figure four on for more than three minutes before Koshinaka submitted. It looked to be a good match but the finish was overdone. **1/2; 2. Scott Norton pinned Hiroyoshi Tenzan in 15:08 after a powerslam. Everything was stiff but it wasn't that exciting early because they didn't seem to work well together. The match picked up at the finish and turned into a pretty good bout with lots of near falls at the end. At one point Norton used Tenzan's own Mountain bomb finisher on him. Fans booed a lot when Tenzan used the moonsault. ***1/4; 3. Kensuke Sasaki pinned Shinya Hashimoto in 21:46. About the last 8:00 aired. The heat wasn't that great early on but Hashimoto kept unloading with the brutal kicks and Sasaki's offense was mainly using the Power strangle submission (hard to describe). Hashimoto was destroying Sasaki with brutal kicks and a DDT. Out of nowhere Sasaki hit a reverse ipponzei (judo hiplock) and came off the ropes with a flying lariat for a surprise pin. ***3/4; 4. Keiji Muto pinned Masa Chono in 11:36. Very entertaining. Chono is a great working heel for psychology but doesn't do much in the ring, but when he's in with Muto when Muto is motivated, he's the perfect foe. At one point Muto used the handspring elbow on the floor but Hiro Saito jumped in the way to "protect" Chono. Ref Massao Hattori than threw Saito out of ringside. Eventually Muto juiced like Muto. Chono then undid the turnbuckle padding and rammed Muto into the metal and the juice got sick, and dug into the cut. Muto made a comeback with a Frankensteiner off the top but missed the moonsault. Chono got the STF on twice but Muto made the ropes both times. Finally Muto hit a Frankensteiner out of nowhere for the pin. Muto continued to work on Chono after the match. This was Chono's best singles match in a long time. ****

9/2 NEW JAPAN: 1. Hashimoto pinned Tenzan in 11:44 with a brainbuster. Hashimoto has been in better matches, but this is as good as I've ever seen him as far as an individual performance. He was a master in this match. Tenzan is showing more and more potential although he's not a top worker yet. ****; 2. Norton pinned Sasaki in 16:21. About half of the match aired on television. A good match with near falls going back-and-forth at the end. Norton was getting several near falls on Sasaki who kept kicking out. Sasaki then hit a powerslam out of nowhere, but Norton popped right back up and hit a clothesline and got the pin. The logic of the finish escaped me but it was a very good match. ***1/2; 3. Muto pinned Flair in 23:33. The last 9:00 aired on television. Flair seemed more comfortable working with someone who knew his style. Muto juiced like crazy, even worse than in the Chono match. There were literally puddles of blood around the ring. It turned into an excellent match although Flair's style still looks out of place in the more serious environment. Finally Muto won with the moonsault. ***3/4; 4. Chono pinned Koshinaka after a Yakuza kick in 11:10. Match had great heat since this was a storyline grudge match unlike every other match on the show. Koshinaka's HI regulars were at ringside as was Chono's team to add to the heat although there was little outside interference. Koshinaka got a near fall with a power bomb and everyone on his team started protesting that it was a three count. While all this was going on, Chono used the high kick and got the pin. These were two of the best New Japan television shows of the year. ***1/2.

EMLL
The long talked about new Distrito Federal (Mexico City metropolitan area) commission wrestling rules were supposed to be released on 9/18 but we don't have them at press time because apparently they weren't. Before they were released, the promotions were led to believe the key rules would be that chairs and foreign objects would be banned, that brawling outside the ring would be banned, that the idea of heel refs would be banned and that someone who lost a mask wouldn't be allowed to wear a new mask with a new gimmick for five years. This affects both EMLL and AAA and was pushed harder by EMLL because those from the old school are bringing these rules in to keep credibility in the wrestling. It has less of an effect on AAA because AAA does most of its major shows and tapings outside the D.F. while EMLL runs shows nightly including all its major shows in Mexico City.

The 9/15 Arena Mexico was headlined by a rematch from last week with El Hijo del Santo & Ultimo Dragon & Corazon de Leon beating El Satanico & Negro Casas & Emilio Charles Jr. with most of the focus once again on Santo vs. Casas. The other top matches saw Dr. Wagner Jr. & Fishman & Miguel Perez over Atlantis & Hector Garza & Silver King via DQ when Perez faked a foul and got the call, and El Boricua & Ricky Santana & Foreign Exchange beat Scorpio Jr. & MS 1 & Pierroth Jr. in a battle of heel teams with fans naturally siding with the Mexican heels against the foreign heels. Onita Jr., who is now IWA wrestler Flying Kid Ichihara, returned on this show underneath. With the return of Santo feuding with Casas and with Perez and Santana on the heel side and Corazon de Leon returning, not only has the workrate been way up but so has the heat the past few weeks.

Corazon de Leon gets a shot at Apolo Dantes' CMLL heavyweight title on 9/19 in Arena Coliseo after pinning him clean in the middle in the main event of the 9/12 show (Corazon & Vampiro & La Fiera vs. Dantes & Mano Negra & Gran Markus Jr.).

After the anniversary show on 9/22, they are running 9/29 with a tournament to crown a new NWA welterweight champion.

The latest to jump from AAA this week were Rambo, whose gimmick as El Misionero died a quick death when Negro Navarro jumped and El Signo took on his Piromaniaco gimmick, and woman wrestlers Vicky Carranza and Janet. Mascara Ano Dos Mil and Universo Dos Mil had interviews this week on both the EMLL and AAA television shows, basically saying that they were mad because Cien Caras said he didn't want to team with them anymore and basically said Cien was going babyface and they didn't want to and they were all going their separate ways. There is a lot of speculation that their EMLL tenure may be short-lived. Cien Caras blamed them in an interview for him losing his hair in Los Angeles since the finish was Mascara Ano Dos Mil hitting his brother instead of Konnan with the bottle at the top of the cage and said he didn't want to team with them any longer. The flaw in the storyline was that the three had teamed several times after the Los Angeles match but I guess it's making a story out of a major jump while trying to save face.

Mano Negra was suspended for two weeks, which just ended, for showing up "in no condition to wrestle."

AAA
Biggest show of the past week was 8/13 in Aguascalientes before a sellout 7,500 with the first Perro Aguayo vs. Nikosuna non-stip singles match. Rey Misterio Jr. and Fuerza Guerrera were in the respective corners. Third fall finish saw a DQ on Aguayo for refusing to stop stomping the hell out of Nikosuna after Nikosuna crotched himself. Fuerza and Juventud Guerrera attacked Aguayo after the match until Perro Aguayo Jr., who is getting a monster push on TV, made the save to set up the father-and-son tag team feud and both teams brawled for a few minutes.

AAA filed suit against Karloff Lagarde Jr. (Charles Lucio) because he jumped while still under contract. This was meant as a message that they are going to start enforcing their contracts. There was an article in one of the papers the past few days where Cien Caras hinted that he was going to join his brothers in EMLL, that he had nothing against AAA but wanted to keep his brother trio act going, but wouldn't leave AAA until he was paid the money they owe him (he still hasn't been paid in full for the haircut in Los Angeles). He also has about six months left on his AAA contract. EMLL is also making a major play again for the good minis and La Parka.

KGB is really improving based on the weekend television.

As for the other new characters, Vegas is a very skilled wrestler and works well but still has a lot to learn about heeling. Frisbee is the typical AAA babyface with good moves. Perro Aguayo Jr. is noticeably green when he's in regular matches, but that's to be expected since he's only had a half-dozen matches. Those within AAA are raving about how far along he is and saying that by the time he's 17 he'll be another Juventud Guerrera (who is a top 15 in the world calibre wrestler and only 20 years old). On TV this past weekend on Galavision, when he got the deciding pin in a trios match, the reaction was amazing in that all the women in the audience 30-and-older were going crazy because he has the kind of boyish charisma like Fred Savage had when he did "Wonder Years" several years ago and like they try and have his younger brother Ben have, that makes every mother and grandmother think of him like a nephew or grandson. The men were mainly folding their arms since he's not yet convincing in the company of the likes of Juventud, Psicosis and Rey Jr.

I've heard conflicting stories whether the next Los Angeles Sports Arena show will be 10/14 or 10/28 but 10/14 comes from the most reliable sources. Originally EMLL was going to run Los Angeles on 10/14 and word was AAA was moving its date up two weeks to go head-to-head and EMLL canceled. Ron Skoler, who promotes EMLL, also sent a nasty fax to the Ampitheatre in Chicago where AAA has 10/21 booked, running down John Arezzi and claiming that AAA would be out of business and that they should be doing business with EMLL. The next U.S. shows are 9/30 at the Orange Pavilion in San Bernardino and 10/1 at the Wilson Theater in Fresno with tickets available at the local Ticketmaster and BASS respectively.

No results from this past weekend but they had major shows on 9/17 in Monterrey which was a 40th anniversary of pro wrestling at Arena Coliseo in Monterrey with Aguayo & Mascara Sagrada & Tinieblas Jr. & Cibernetico vs. Nikosuna & KGB & Killer & Chicano Power, Latin Lover & La Parka & Heavy Metal vs. Fuerza Guerrera & Blue Panther & Psicosis, Volador & Misterioso & Panterita del Ring vs. Destructores, Rey Jr. & Perro Jr. & Frisbee vs. Vegas & Juventud & Perro Silva and Mascarita Sagrada & Octagoncito vs. Espectrito I & Jerrito Estrada.

9/18 in Nuevo Laredo featured a tag title match with Latin & Panterita defending against Fuerza & Juventud, and I'd expect a title change since they are putting Latin & Heavy back together as a regular team.

ALL JAPAN
The top two matches for the 10/25 Budokan Hall show were announced at Mitsuharu Misawa vs. Kenta Kobashi for the Triple Crown and Toshiaki Kawada vs. Gary Albright.

Albright starts on 10/2 in Shizuoka, or a few days into the next tour which begins on 9/30. Apparently his UWFI contract expires on 10/1. UWFI is claiming they still have Albright under contract for another year.

Rusher Kimura, 54, who was thought to have been retired due to injuries, announced on the 9/15 Korakuen Hall Fan Appreciation show that he would be making a comeback shortly. Kimura usually had been teaming with Giant Baba and Mitsuo Momota (the son of Rikidozan, the biggest name in Japanese wrestling history) as the babyface team in mid-card comedy matches.

On the 9/15 show, the only show of the past week as they are between tours and thus the show had no foreign wrestlers, Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta worked the semifinal in a "serious" match teaming with Akira Taue to beat Jun Akiyama & Kenta Kobashi & Tamon Honda when Taue pinned Honda. Main event on the show saw Misawa & Masao Inoue over Kawada & Ryukaku Izumida.

9/10 television show did a 2.9 rating.

NEW JAPAN
The annual tag team tournament will be 10/15 to 10/30 with Keiji Muto teaming with the returning Osamu Nishimura, Riki Choshu & Kensuke Sasaki, Junji Hirata & Shinya Hashimoto (IWGP tag champs), Masa Chono & Hiroyoshi Tenzan, Shiro Koshinaka & Tatsutoshi Goto, Kazuo Yamazaki & Osamu Kido and Akira Nogami & Takashi Iizuka. Iizuka changed his name from Takayuki Iizuka. If you think that sounds silly, think of how they feel when John Tenta and Ray Traylor are changing their ring names every week. Rick & Scott Steiner will appear from 10/21 to 10/26 but not be a part of the tournament.

The latest tour, one of the biggest tours of the year because they have several major arena shows next week, opened on 9/16 at Korakuen Hall before a non-sellout 1,795 with Junji Hirata pinning Hiroyoshi Tenzan in the main event with a jumping piledriver. Hirata needed the win to be taken as a serious challenger for his shot at Muto's IWGP title on 9/25 in Osaka. In Muto's match where he teamed with the Hell Raisers to beat Iizuka & Nogami & Scott Norton, Muto did almost all mat wrestling and submissions with the story that he's doing so to get ready for his match with Takada.

There were 55,000 tickets sold for the Tokyo Dome show as of 9/15. It was announced this week that the matches at the Tokyo Dome would be under New Japan rules, however when the New Japan wrestlers appear on the 10/11 and 10/28 UWFI shows, those matches would be under UWFI rules. There will also be interpromotional matches on 10/29 in Fukuoka where they will fight under an as yet unannounced combination rules. Sasaki, Yuji Nagata and Tokimitsu Ishizawa will appear on the 10/11 show in Osaka.

They are doing a storyline where Yamazaki doesn't want to be a part of the tag team tournament.

They are also doing a deal where the HI promotion is mad because none of their wrestlers were invited to the Tokyo Dome show. HI runs Korakuen Hall the next day with Koshinaka & Michiyoshi Ohara vs. Yamazaki & Kido and Choshu & Yoshiaki Yatsu vs. Chono & Hiro Saito.

Jushin Liger and Sabu were in the ring with each other for the first time in a tag match on 9/16 where Liger & Gran Hamada beat Sabu & Norio Honaga. They worked again on 9/17 in Nagano with Liger & Hirata & Masa Saito losing to Chono & Tenzan & Sabu. The two are working mainly with each other since they have their first singles match on 9/23. Liger's ring costume was stolen, which I believe isn't a gimmick because the police are on the lookout for it. On the 9/17 show, Liger had to wrestle in an El Samurai ring outfit.

9/16 television show did a 2.4 rating.

OTHER JAPAN NOTES
The 9/5 Sapporo FMW show judging from magazine photos looks to have drawn the 4,850 that was announced. Often with the smaller groups the announced attendances are exaggerated in the press to the point of being ridiculous.

All Japan Women are running a major show on 9/24 in Kawasaki Gym with Kyoko Inoue & Takako Inoue defending the WWWA tag titles against Akira Hokuto & Mima Shimoda on top, plus Toshiyo Yamada defending the All-Pacific title against Yumiko Hotta, Aja Kong & Lioness Asuka & Jaguar Yokota vs. Manami Toyota & Sakie Hasegawa & Kaoru Ito, Bison Kimura vs. Etsuko Mita and Mariko Yoshida vs. Tomoko Watanabe. The 1995 tag team tournament which starts on the 10/10 Korakuen Hall show and ends on 12/10 at Korakuen Hall has Toyota & Ito, Hasegawa & Yoshida, Kong & Takako Inoue, Hotta & Reggie Bennett, Yamada & Mita, Kyoko Inoue & Watanabe and Hokuto & Shimoda so it's a hard one to predict. A clarification on the item last week about Toyota setting the title record. This was released by the AJW office after Toyota won the Grand Prix tournament on 9/3 that it was her 10th career title breaking Bull Nakano's record of nine. Actually former wrestlers Jumbo Miyamoto and Mariko Akagi each held 22 titles during their careers in the 70s because in those days they changed the tag title as often as they do in Memphis. However, I believe they were only referring to singles titles and not tag titles.

IWA opened its latest tour on 9/13 in Fukui. Main event was a bunkhouse match where Tarzan Goto & Mr. Gannosuke beat Cactus Jack & Baragail. The Head Hunters than attacked Goto & Gannosuke with chains causing Goto to challenge for a 2 on 4 match against the foursome which went to a 10:00 draw. This was to set up Goto & Gannosuke challenging The Head Hunters for the IWA tag team titles but Gannosuke was pinned in 19:00. IWA is running a major show on 9/29 at Yokohama Bunka Gym with Goto defending the IWA singles title against Leatherface, Head Hunters vs. Cactus Jack & Tracy Smothers, Terry Gordy & Gannosuke vs. Shoji Nakamaki & Keisuke Yamada. On 10/5 at Korakuen Hall, The Head Hunters defend the CMLL tag team titles against Nakamaki & Yamada and the main event is Goto vs. Cactus Jack.

Shinya Kojika and Kendo Nagasaki's Big Japan Pro Wrestling ran a big show in Nagoya on 9/13 with Nagasaki vs. Nikolai Gordeau, the older brother of Gerard Gordeau in what was billed as a Vale Tudo match inside a UFC octagon. I presume this match was worked since Nagasaki was knocked down twice and came back to win in 8:47 via submission. Satoru Sayama is running a Vale Tudo show on 9/25 at Tokyo Komazawa Gym with Nagasaki facing kick boxer Gene Frazier. Sayama himself will have an exhibition match against his pro wrestling rival from the early 80s, Kuniaki Kobayashi now of the HI group. Based on the tapes I've seen, Vale Tudo, which is a shoot (it's the deal that Craig Pittman did several months back), is terribly boring because the guys hang onto the ropes and nothing happens. There are no rope breaks, but if they fall out of the ring, they are dragged into the center of the ring and put in the same position as when they fell (which looks so contrived) and then given the signal to re-start. Yuki Nakai, the 156-pound guy who scored the controversial win over Craig Pittman and also beat Gerard Gordeau when both his eyes were closed before losing to Rickson Gracie, will be in the tournament. Sayama's protege, the newest Tiger Mask, started this past week for Michinoku Pro Wrestling. The Vale Tudo show will be seven singles matches rather than a tournament as has been the case on the previous two cards.

Former New Japan legend Tatsumi Fujinami, 41, who was basically retired by New Japan this year, is starting his own promotion. He held a press conference this past week in Osaka and announced his first show on 10/29 in Osaka. No mention of who will be with him but at the press conference he said he wanted to have a style of wrestling like the legendary Antonio Inoki vs. Karl Gotch matches in the early 70s and said that he's planning on running two shows per month starting in 1996.

WAR will run Sumo Hall in mid-December and the Tokyo Ota Gym on 12/8 with Tenryu vs. Hiromichi Fuyuki on top.

Chigusa Nagayo ran her Gaea Japan group on 9/17 in Osaka with her beating Mayumi Ozaki of JWP in a street fight on top which was double juice. Several JWP wrestlers worked the Nagayo show as did two FMW underneath women.

USWA
Reports we received on the Bill Dundee/Wolfie D incident on 9/8 in Ripley, TN were that Dundee was selling photos of himself with PG-13 and Wolfie D wanted a cut and it started as an argument and turned into a fight. Later reportedly Dundee pulled out a weapon, which some reports say was a knife. Booker Randy Hales then suspended Dundee when he showed up for television on 9/9. Originally Dundee's suspension was to be for two weeks, but he's gone to work full-time for rival promoter Bert Prentice's Ozark Mountain group so at least for the present he looks to be history. Brian Lee and Pat Tanaka have also left.

Brian Christopher regained the USWA title from Billy Jack Haynes on the 9/11 show in Memphis which was headlined by Jerry Lawler beating Jesse James Armstrong before 1,080 fans. It is believed that will be Lawler's last appearance in the area for a while since his WWF workload has increased.

Tekno Team 2000 (Erik Watts & Chad Fortune billed as Troy & Travis) returned this week. They billed them as never having been there but they actually were for about two weeks before going to WWF.

Nobody can figure out why they dropped the SMW feud so abruptly since it was doing such great business and now they aren't doing great business.

Brandon Baxter is feuding with TV announcer Cory Macklin coming off the 9/11 Lawler vs. Armstrong match. Baxter interfered and Armstrong was about to win the title when Macklin made the save and Lawler wound up winning.

Christopher defended the USWA title against Doug Gilbert on television 9/16 in a babyface match. After a ref bump, Baxter ran out and gave Gilbert a chain. However, Gilbert wrapped the chain around his fist and hit Baxter. Tekno Team 2000 then ran-in and attacked Gilbert until Christopher made the save. Haynes then ran in with a rope and hung Christopher.

9/18 card had Steven Dunn vs. Axl Rotten, Miss Texas vs. Uptown Karen in a chain match, PG-13 defending against Tekno Team 2000, Gilbert vs. Tracy Smothers in a loser leaves town, Macklin vs. Baxter, a tag team Battle Royal with the winners getting a shot at the WWF tag titles on an upcoming Monday Night Raw, and a loser of the fall leaves town with Christopher & Sid Vicious vs. Haynes & Armstrong.

SMW
They ran a fair show in Knoxville on 9/15 which drew an estimated 2,500 as the highlight of the weekend. The headline matches have been Heavenly Bodies over Thugs, Brad Armstrong over Terry Gordy via DQ and Tommy Rich double count out with Buddy Landel at most of the shows.

On television this weekend when they were doing local promos for Saltville, VA, Tracy Smothers challenged Ricky Morton, who lives in Saltville. He called Morton a bleached blond punk and said if he had any guts he'd come down but he knew Morton didn't have any guts.

SMW has shows scheduled for Defiance, OH and Lima, OH in mid-October and there's a good chance Koji Kitao will be working those shows which would certainly be a fish out of water here.

A clarification of the situation regarding Jim Cornette, joining the NWA, Dan Severn and Brad Armstrong. Cornette said that his long-time friend Dennis Coraluzzo and Howard Brody have been asking him about joining the NWA and he wanted to be polite about turning them down but right now has no interest in doing so. In regard to what was reported here, Cornette said it was simply a discussion he had with Brody, who he said was negative about Severn being NWA champion. He didn't suggest Brad Armstrong to be champion or say he'd join if Armstrong was champion or knock Severn in any way because he said he likes Severn. He said that Severn is limited as champion by the old standards because there are only a handful of wrestlers who can be challengers for him and said that in the conversation with Brody he was talking about NWA champions of the past. In the past the champions were guys who could go into a territory and make the local wrestler, no matter what his style was and what his ability was, look good, and who could conduct himself as a wrestler rather than a gimmick. Brody asked if there was anyone he could think of that would fit that bill and Cornette said he came up with Armstrong's name off the top of his head and without any serious thought. He didn't mean that he wanted Armstrong to be champion or that even Armstrong wanted the title, that he wanted Armstrong to have the title and not that he was suggesting Armstrong for the title. He said Severn had more name value in some places than Armstrong because of UFC, but also pointed out that doesn't necessarily correlate to wrestling because Dan Severn was over huge at the UFC show in Charlotte, but when SMW came to Charlotte using Severn just down the road, they only drew 180 fans and none of the wrestling fans that attended seemed to be UFC fans.

ECW
The Pit Bulls won the ECW tag titles from Raven & Steve Richards on the 9/16 ECW Arena show which featured the debut of Rey Misterio Jr. and Psicosis, who did a 10:38 bout rated between **** and *****. There was a situation the afternoon of the show involving Mustafa Saed of the Gangstas (Jamaal Mustafa) where he apparently freaked out in the hotel (Travelodge in South Philadelphia) and several police officers were called and hauled him out. He was released that night but missed the show so Too Cold Scorpio ended up teaming with New Jack and Sandman losing the main event cage match to Mikey Whipwreck & Public Enemy when Whipwreck pinned Sandman after a splash off the top of the cage.

Thus far announced for 10/7 are Taz vs. Jason (who returned on 9/16 as the manager of The Eliminators, who debuted without a change in gimmick), Pit Bulls defending the tag titles against Raven & Richards with Tod Gordon and Bill Alfonso as referees and 911 and Big Dick Dudley at ringside acting as lumberjacks and Sandman defending the ECW title against Whipwreck. There will probably be a gimmick match with Public Enemy vs. Gangstas and a two of three fall match with Misterio Jr. vs. Psicosis plus possibly Scorpio vs. Konnan and Tommy Dreamer vs. Cactus Jack (the latter two matches may not take place and be built up for the following show since Paul Heyman is pretty confident of a sellout with what he's finalized and may want to hold the Dreamer-Cactus bout back).

They have at least two more Dudley Brothers, a guy doing an Indian gimmick as Dances with Dudleys (who used to work IWCCW as part of the tag team called the Sioux War Party) and Chubby Dudley (he used to work Pennsylvania indies as part of the Hell Riders tag team) along with Sign Guy Dudley (Lou D'Angelli) being back.

Cactus Jack has been doing by far the best interviews anyone has been doing in a long time on the past two weeks television shows.

9/16 show before another sellout estimated at 1,175 fans saw Bull Pain beat Tony Stetson; Dudley Dudley & Dances with Dudley beat Don E. Allen & Chad Austin with Big Dick Dudley (who has a blown out knee and can't work) and Chubby Dudley at ringside. Hack Myers beat J.T. Smith via count out. Smith is doing very well as a heel with the gimmick that he misses spots left and right so the crowd can chant "You f***ed up" at him. Smith slipped off the top rope and fell to the floor to lose the match. The crowd was also chanting "J.T. has a woody" and Smith got on the house mic and said it wasn't his fault he was hung like a horse. Steiners & Taz were supposed to face Too Cold and a mystery team, but instead The Eliminators came out with Jason (returning manager Jason Knight) as their partner. The gimmick is that Taz is too injured to be in the ring, which is apparently the truth, and he wasn't in until the finish. Eliminators did some things well and Steiners sold a lot for them, but also missed a lot of spots. Jason, who juiced, wound up pinning Taz after Scorpio interfered. Pit Bulls winning the tag titles in a double dog collar match where they had to break up if they lost (which pretty well telegraphed the eventual result) ended up being two of three falls. First Richards wouldn't come out and Raven came out by himself. Beulah McGillicuddy said Raven would face both and defend the titles but wanted it two of three falls. The first two falls were quickies going 2:10 and 1:33 with Raven & Richards winning the first and losing the second. Actually Pit Bull #1 left the ring during the first fall to get Richards and Raven pinned PB #2. PB #1 dragged Richards into the match and quickly juiced him like crazy and pinned him to win the fall. In the third fall, The Dudleys interfered. Beulah and Francine got involved with Raven giving Francine a DDT. Pit Bulls then super bombed both Dudleys. Raven then put one of the Pit Bulls out with ether outside the ring but he had his leg caught up in the guard rail so he couldn't be put into the ring to be pinned. Dreamer then came to ringside and put the collar on and it wound up with Dreamer pinning Raven to apparently win the title. However, Alfonso came out and erased the fall saying Dreamer wasn't signed to be in the match. Tod Gordon did a run-in arguing with Alfonso. Big Dick Dudley came out and choke-slammed Dreamer and they asked what Alfonso was going to do because the choke slam was banned. Alfonso said he's rescinded the ban on the choke slam just for this night which of course brought out 911 to finally choke slam Alfonso which is what they've been building to for months so it got the expected lengthy pop. As all this was going on the Pit Bulls super bombed Raven & Richards (Richards on Raven's shoulders) through a table for the third fall pin. They wound up breaking five tables in the match.

Misterio Jr. beat Psicosis in a match which started slow but they did all kinds of great moves and got over huge. Highlights were Psicosis going for a tope but Misterio Jr. grabbing a chair and swinging it like a baseball bat to hit Psicosis. The other highlight was Misterio Jr. doing a springboard plancha into somewhere between the second and fifth row onto Psicosis (depending on how many generations old the story became). Misterio Jr. won with a Frankensteiner off the top. They started slow because they were told to calm the crowd down from the previous match, and after 4:00 to turn it on which is basically what they did.

Highlight of the cage match saw three tables stacked up on each other and Scorpio and Rocco Rock were fighting on top of the cage and somehow bearhugged each other off the cage through all three tables. The match had five-way juice and lots of brawling outside the ring even though it was a cage match. By the time the show was over, they had broken 15 tables and nine guys had juiced.

According to Heyman, Richard Freedburg, who handled the merchandise and Global Distributions, have been removed from the company and to expect legal action stemming from it because they are behind paying ECW their share for merchandise. Heyman is coming out with his own ECW merchandise this week.

Scott Steiner no-showed the 9/15 show in Jim Thorpe, PA because he had been booked in Cordele, GA so his TV title match with Scorpio wound up with Whipwreck as a sub. Refunds were offered although nobody asked for them.

Lance Wright, who is now doing the local promos on the television show is a former Titan production assistant who was part of the group let go in the most recent layoff.

ECW will be on at 1 a.m. Sundays every week on MSG cable through the end of October.

HERE AND THERE
The status of Marco Ruas in the Ultimate Ultimate is questionable right now because his broken hand is pretty serious. Apparently SEG wants Ruas badly because doing a tournament of champions without Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock is already a problem and Ruas would probably go into the next PPV as a favorite. From what I'm hearing, it looks pretty much that Dan Severn will be in the Ultimate Ultimate. Speaking of Ruas, we received a letter from someone studying Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu explaining why it appeared Ruas walked into the front facelock in all three fights. He in fact did so on purpose as it looked. The approach is to walk into the hold, wrap your arms around the torso, stick your head under the armpit and raise it and keep your base. If you keep the body relaxed rather then tensed (which is the natural reaction and was apparently what Dan Severn did), the opponent can't apply enough pressure or leverage to make the hold effective. From this position, there are many counters one can do when the opponent gets tired from being unable to choke one out.

The rival World Combat Championships, which runs the biggest competition to UFC to date on 10/7 on PPV, lost the guy who in its own publicity it was pushing the hardest in pro wrestler Dick Leon-Vrij (Rings) who has apparently pulled out.

Speaking of Ultimate, Jim Hellwig is no a partner in NWC. T.C. Martin's original partner went bankrupt, so Hellwig's Ultimate Creations Inc. has become a business partner starting with the 10/7 show.

Steel City Wrestling is running 10/21 in Mount Washington, PA and 10/22 in Collinsville, PA with Koko Ware, Johnny Gunn, Raven and Steve Richards.

Sabu will be appearing 10/7 in Gloucester, MA against Crash the Terminator at the Dorothy Talbert Ice Arena. Also Tony Atlas vs. Vic Steamboat.

At the Cordele, GA Peach State Wrestling show on 9/15 which Scott Steiner worked instead of ECW, the Steiners beat Brian & Scott & Steve Armstrong in a 2-on-3 match and Billy Black beat Rob Van Dam in a chain match to win the Cordele title. Ron Reis from WCW's training school worked against fellow trainee Bobby Walker with Reis, billed at 7-4, 425, doing the job. Reis, billed as T-Rex, was also billed as a protege of John Studd and worse John Studd's ring jacket. They return on 11/24 with a triangular match with Ricky Morton, Marty Jannetty and Too Cold Scorpio plus Van Dam vs. Black in a cage.

With King Kong Bundy pulled from weekend dates for Killer Kowalski to replace Owen Hart on tour, Kowalski was given Hakushi by WWF who did jobs for Man Mountain Rock on his show in Woonsocket, RI.

Windy City tag team champs Kevin Quinn & Christopher Daniels are starting up this week for Carlos Colon in Puerto Rico.

Otto Wanz ran a major show on 9/16 in Hannover with Dave Finlay retaining his CWA Intercontinental strap beating Lance Storm and Ulf Hermann & August Smisl keeping their tag titles beating Cannonball Grizzly (P.N. News) & John Hawk.

West Coast Championship Wrestling, which has been promoting in the British Columbia area for the past several years, will officially fold at the end of the month after a five-year run, based largely in Cloverdale. The group folded because the shows were continual money losers. WCCW was run by Mark Vellios (who wrestles as Michelle Starr), Ken Kingshop and Wayne Greenwood. Both Greenwood and local wrestler Rocky Dellasserra (who was also involved in the WCCW promotion) are opening up separate new groups.

The Dallas Sportatorium has continued to draw about 500 the past two weeks largely due to a lot of promotion help from local rock station KEGL. On the 9/8 show, Killer Brooks turned face when Scandor Akbar's fireball meant for Chris Adams hit him in the face and he turned on Akbar. Geez, after reading that sentence it's funny to believe it's being written in this decade. They are starting a tag team tourney next week with the Sicilian Studs, Adams & Brooks, High Voltage, Alex Porteau & Shawn Summers, Sam Houston & Scott Putski, Randy Rhodes & Bubba Monroe, Al & Action Jackson, the Kongs, Chip the Firebreaker (Curtis Thompson) & Bull Pain, Jimmy James & Bobby Reece and Johnny Mantell & Bill Irwin.

They are having an all-womens show on 9/24 in Lancaster, PA and the Landis Valley Banquet and Conference Center headlined by Leilani Kai vs. Brittany Brown. Debbie Combs, Robbie Rage, Candi Divine and others are working the date and the plan is to run all-womens shows in the building every other month.

There will be a wrestling flea market at Champs Arena in Salisbury Beach, MA on 11/11 and 11/12 during the afternoons with Ox Baker, Lou Albano, Tony Atlas and Killer Kowalski.

Ozark Mountain Wrestling drew a crowd of 616 in Jonesboro on 9/18 with Bill Dundee and Ricky Morton as the biggest names on the show. SMW's Head Bangers (Chaz Warrington & Glen Ruth) will be returning to Ozark Mountain to work Mondays through Wednesdays as The Spiders and continue with SMW on the weekends.

And the latest from Incredibly Strange Wrestling from their 9/15 show in San Francisco. The Abortionist & Cletus the Fetus have become a tag team known as Pro Life & Pro Choice. The two attempted to give female wrestler Jenny X an abortion in the ring with a coat hanger even though she isn't pregnant. The Klu Klux Klown, managed by Harley Racist debuted against Yom Ripper (as I recall that was a moniker the late Don Ross, who was Jewish and worked as Ripper Savage, had given to himself), Mondo Garcia (promoter Johnny Legend) billed as the son of Jerry Garcia heaving a heart attack in the ring. Anyway, the show ended with J.R. Benson being knocked out by The Rapist and being revived when his valet, after failing to revive him by rubbing her panties under his nose, peed on him to revive him. Kids, don't try that maneuver at home. Mom will get mad. Hey, some of that stuff must have been done before somewhere but I can safely say I'm glad whoever did it before didn't tell me about it. Listen, I wouldn't believe this actually stuff goes on either except they send me the tapes after the show.

Tommy Fierro's 10/1 show in Haledon, NJ which was to be headlined by Jim Hellwig vs. Roadie was canceled due to a mix-up with the New Jersey commission. Fierro is putting together a mailing list for Jersey area indie promoters and if you're interested in getting word of indie dates in that area write to him at 14 Terrace Ave., West Paterson, NJ 07424.

A correction from last week. Jacques Rougeau didn't get an exclusive deal with the new Montreal Forum, but did make a deal to run the first wrestling show in the building and rights for four shows a year in the building. Rougeau is working on doing combined shows with WCW when he runs the building. It may wind up as an exclusive as Titan's policy isn't to run arenas where opposition is regularly running. They even pulled out of the Los Angeles Sports Arena for the Forum, which is traditionally nowhere near as good a building for wrestling, because the Sports Arena continued to book with AAA.

Comedian Jimmy Blalock, who does a Jerry Lawler imitation since he grew up as a wrestling fan in Memphis, was on America's Funniest Home Videos this past weekend.

WCW
Ric Flair was scheduled to undergo eye surgery on 9/19 after the Nitro show and will be out of action for two to three weeks which is why they won't be doing the match with Arn Anderson on the live show next week.

In the dark matches in Johnson City, TN, The State Patrol upset Rob Parker (sub for no-show Bunkhouse Buck) & Dick Slater when Buddy Lee pinned Parker in a terrible match, Randy Savage beat Zodiac in 1:30, Arn Anderson beat Dave Sullivan and Eddy Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko in 10:30 of a ***1/2 match. Crowd was somewhat into the last match, which was better than anything on the TV show, but when Bobby Heenan came out in the middle of the match he took the crowd away from it and they started chanting for Heenan.

Flair's Gold's Gym in St. Maarten was destroyed in the recent hurricane and it was said to have not been insured which is a major six-figure loss.

In the match from Dalton, GA, apparently Eddy Guerrero beat Jushin Liger. The match will air on the Main Event show on 10/1 billed as the winner faces Dean Malenko on the 10/2 Nitro show which will be the Nitro debut of both wrestlers.

Sabu's opponent on the 10/29 Detroit PPV show will be Jerry Lynn. The attempt to get Too Cold Scorpio, which wasn't dead as of this past week, is considered dead now. WCW also attempted to get Bobo Brazil to be in whomever's corner since Brazil and The Sheik (who will be in Sabu's corner) had probably the biggest feud ever in Detroit. Brazil, who needs a walker to walk, turned WCW down saying he's retired from the wrestling business. Sabu is working on severe back and shoulder injuries.

Supposedly Jimmy Hart ran into Ted Turner in an elevator during mid-week and Turner remarked to Hart words to the effect of "We really kicked Vince's ass" which I guess tells where the priorities lie.

Dusty Rhodes will definitely be moving to the Saturday Night show as an announcer. I believe it'll be a three-man team rather than as a replacement for Bobby Heenan. This has been tried before putting Rhodes on Saturday Night and didn't work in the past because what's charming for five minutes get nauseating for two hours. That goes for a lot of things.

Boy am I glad we don't have to see those MDA promos for Fall Brawl anymore. Exploitative crap like that just brings home how sleazy this business can be.

TNT has spent a ton of money advertising Nitro on top-rated rock stations in major markets around the country and even bought the Howard Stern show in New York which is the most expensive radio time in the country.

Hulk Hogan will be taking a hiatus after Halloween Havoc to film a movie. The 11/26 PPV from Norfolk looks to have a Bull Nakano & Akira Hokuto vs. Manami Toyota & Mariko Yoshida match (with a rematch the next night in Nitro). There is also talk of some sort of a three-ring gimmick triangular match with The Giant, Ron Reis and El Gigante and I think the show is going to be billed as "War of the Worlds" and lots of outside talent is going to be used including Butch Reed & Ron Simmons.

Starrcade in December is going to have a group of WCW babyfaces take on a group of New Japan wrestlers in a series of singles matches. There will be a lot of rematches from the 11/13 Sumo Hall card in Tokyo and be a team points deal. Apparently New Japan will win the promotion vs. promotion points deal in Japan and WCW will gain revenge at Starrcade. I believe Jushin Liger vs. Chris Benoit will take place on both shows. Starrcade I'm told will probably be the best show for pure wrestling matches of the year in WCW since Liger, Shinjiro Otani, Kensuke Sasaki, Shinya Hashimoto, Keiji Muto, etc. will appear. Since WCW has never gotten anyone new over yet, the idea they can get a group Japanese wrestlers over enough to pop a buy rate by December is certainly going to be a difficult task.

The 10/23 Nitro show was moved from Atlantis City to Huntsville, AL and the 11/6 Nitro from Sarasota, FL to Jacksonville.

The matches advertised in local advertising for Nitros where they've begun advertising are 9/25 in Florence, SC (Randy Savage vs. Kevin Sullivan, Sting vs. Arn Anderson, Lex Luger vs. Meng, Diamond Dallas Page vs. Johnny B. Badd for the TV title, Eddy Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko and Harlem Heat vs. American Males); 10/2 in Denver (Hogan vs. Shark, Savage & Sting & Luger vs. Dungeon of Doom, Page vs. Badd, Anderson vs. Pillman--which really makes no sense now, Guerrero vs. Malenko and Sabu vs. Alex Wright); 10/9 in Chicago (Flair vs. Luger, Savage vs. Sullivan, Anderson vs. Sting, Malenko vs. Guerrero, Sabu vs. Lynn and Orndorff vs. Renegade). The TV shows are constantly changing so as far as what will air on television is anyone's guess.

The big talk in the Power Plant was that they had a wrestling shoot between Kurosawa (who represented Japan in the 1992 Olympics in freestyle) and Craig Pittman (who I believe went to the U.S. Olympic trials in Greco) which ended up with Kurosawa not being able to take Pittman down.

Colin Bowman from England was in the U.S. this weekend to try and renegotiate his deal to continue the WCW Magazine and no new deal was made. While not a definite, the prevailing belief is the magazine is going to bite the dust.

The WCW Saturday Night show on 9/16 wound up being pre-empted except for the last 15 minutes because the Braves game went long because of a rain delay. Because of that, the rating was a fluke 1.1 while the live Main Event from Asheville did a 1.8 and Pro did a 1.4. Thunder in Paradise as a lead-in to Nitro did a 1.5 on 9/11 and a strong 2.0 on 9/18 and boy does that show stink .

WWF
What looked to be the biggest show of the past week was 9/15 in Montreal for the Diesel vs. Jean Pierre Lafitte title match in Montreal. It wound up in a major brouhaha because Lafitte refused to do the job. For one thing, the crowd was 5,825 and about $85,000 (which translates into a lot less since Canadian/U.S. exchange rate is so bad these days) which, while great by normal WWF standards of these days, was a major disappointment since people were hoping for well in excess of 10,000 fans for this match. It was far below what Montreal has been doing the past year regularly since aside from New York, it has been the WWF's hottest city with local wrestler Lafitte believed to have been the top draw. Lafitte did a ton of local publicity for the match and when he arrived for the show, was told by Tony Garea it was a jackknife finish and he immediately refused. Garea tried to talk him into it by Lafitte said he thought the finish would not only hurt him, but hurt future crowds in Montreal and said he would walk out and not do the match and cost himself his job rather than do the job. Finally Vince McMahon was called at home and after a 15 minute conversation, McMahon and Pierre agreed to a double count out. Diesel was really mad about this, made worse because Shawn Michaels was riling him up about it saying that Pierre should be fired. There has always been heat between Michaels and Pierre to begin with because Michaels isn't well liked in the WWF dressing room and if people try and defend Michaels by pointing out his workrate, the response usually is that Pierre can do anything Michaels can do (which really isn't the case and even if it was, he doesn't have Michaels' charisma). Pierre said he'd do a job for Diesel anywhere else except his home town (although I don't have the results, I presume he did the next night in Quebec City and in Toronto on Sunday had to put over Fatu) but that didn't quell hostilities and there was a lot of bitterness when they went into the ring although both were professional about it in the ring and actually had a good match. The other surprise is that Diesel was cheered by about 60% of the crowd in French-Canadian Montreal. Pierre did a Liger dive onto Diesel on the floor and both were counted out. After the match Michaels came out backstage and began cussing him out and Pierre responded in kind and Pierre wound up so riled up he went to Diesel's dressing room but no blows took place but it was definitely the talk of the territory.

The Florida tour was one of the most disastrous in the history of the WWF. Aside from a crowd of about 2,000 in Jacksonville on 9/10, none of the shows cracked 1,000 and two dates were canceled. Goldust wound up being cheered in most cities because when he took off the wig, everyone recognized him as Dustin Rhodes and you can't boo a Rhodes in Florida. The main events were scheduled as Razor Ramon vs. Mabel, however missed the entire tour with a back injury (sciatic nerve problem) and Mo took his place losing in every city. Mabel is expected back for television on 9/25. One or two cities were also canceled due to poor advances on the Canadian tour.

The February In Your House PPV show will be from Jacksonville.

Both the Mania on 9/9 and debut of Action Zone on 9/10 each did 1.3 ratings. For this past weekend, Mania did an 0.9 and Action Zone a 1.3 so after two weeks the ratings for the new ET like format are considerably down from the old format.

Adam Bomb was scheduled for a meeting with the office this week but the odds were great he wasn't coming back.

Expect SummerSlam to be the traditional series of elimination matches, but with one or two singles matches added, rather than a regular card.

The new Action Zone is an Entertainment Tonight type format going through WWF news items with Todd Pettengill and Dok Hendrix as hosts in what appears to be a scripted format. Jim Ross does a Ross Report but it's nothing even bordering on inside although the gimmick is it's supposed to be. They also do music videos.

The $200,000 figure for the taping on the roof was heavily exaggerated. It was actually less than $100,000.

Tony Norris signed a two-year contract. No word on his role or gimmick although it would do everyone good if they sent him to SMW for six months.

Tatanka's suspension looks to have turned into a firing. The story is there was an alleged incident (and something must have happened to cost him his job) in December 1994 at a hotel in Anaheim, CA involving Tatanka and a woman who is apparently threatening a lawsuit (we haven't heard that one was actually filed) and other WWF wrestlers.

There was a major story on Lafitte in the 9/14 Montreal Gazette and it said he came up with the gimmick himself based on life experiences. When Lafitte was 12, he was shot in the eye with a pellet gun and had three operations to try to save the sight and actually has no sight in that eye.

U.S. West, the company that supplies phone service in 14 states has reached a business deal with WWF. According to WWF, it believes its primary audience is adults between 25 and 34, which is contrary to most common thinking.

Some notes from the Jesse Ventura lawsuit being upheld by the Court of Appeals. The three judges hearing the appeal voted 2-1 in favor of Ventura with Circuit Judge Morris Sheppard Arnold writing a dissenting opinion. According to the suit, Ventura earned $1,000 per week by verbal agreement when he started as a color commentator with Titan in 1985 although he had signed a standard wrestlers' contract. In March, 1986, Ventura quit Titan to try to make it as a movie actor but returned that fall under another verbal deal. In late 1987, Ventura hired Barry Bloom to negotiate regarding his appearances on the NBC Saturday Nights Main Events with Dick Ebersol, but those negotiations broke down and when the 87-88 season began, Ventura wasn't part of the shows. A few weeks later, in Bloom's negotiations with Dick Glover (Titan VP), when the subject of videotape royalties came up, Glover told Bloom Titan's policy was to pay royalties only if it was a tape featuring one performer. Because he believed that was company policy, Ventura signed a contract waiving the rights to videotape royalties and remained with Titan through the summer of 1990. It was later discovered that Titan paid Hulk Hogan points on the first three Wrestlemania videotapes and that by 1988 was paying every performer on the show for video rights at the major PPV shows. Between 1987 and 1990, Glover and Bloom met annually on Ventura's contract and each year Bloom brought up whether Titan had changed its videotape royalties policy and Glover told him no every time, despite the fact every performer on PPVs was by that time getting paid a fee for videotape sales. Ventura filed suit in December 1991 for videotape royalties when he found out that Glover had lied to Bloom in negotiations and the jury ruled in his favor for $801,336.06 (also another $8,625.60 for other merchandising claims). Titan argued Ventura wasn't entitled to royalties from 1985-87 before he signed the contract with Bloom because he had an oral agreement with the company. They also argued the court erred in awarding him post-87 because of the contract he signed waiving his rights to the royalties and they challenged the testimony of Ventura's expert witness who gave the jury a figure they felt Ventura had been defrauded by not earning points on the videos. The court ruled that they couldn't find any firm evidence that the original ruling was in error. The dissenting opinion by Arnold was that Ventura was paid to be a commentator and that's all he did and was already paid for it and had made an agreement with Titan regarding royalties and thus wasn't due any further money from Titan. He compared the case to a studio musician case in 1957 where the musician was paid a flat fee for work on songs recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra that ended up making a lot of money and later sued for a piece and the court ruled he had no agreement with Miller entitling him to a piece and was turned down.