Royce Garland and Trent Roberts: October 8, 2001

Royce Garland here, welcoming you all back to the Dirtsheet. It took awhile, but hey, nothing good ever came quickly, did it? And that includes my sex life...god knows it's always so quick...but that's a story for another day. I was going to write a preview for the EWA's King of the Ring, but I heard my buddy (and boss, just don't tell him I stole his pen) Camel's thinking of doing that, so instead, Trent Roberts and I went out and snooped around a bit, contacted our sources, all of the usual stuff. And it turns out there's quite the interesting scoop going around.

First off, in the NYSWF this past weekend, we saw the returns of 'Cold' Harding Cash, Dubelicious, and Michael Draven. What you don't know, however, is how close we were to seeing the return of yet another former NYSWF champion. Who am I referring to? None other than the former NYSWF World Television Champion, Ray Willmott. Willmott recently made his return to the EWA, and had apparently contacted Corey Collins on Friday morning to gauge his interest in a return by Willmott. The two had a friendly discussion, but apparently could not come together to agree on the terms of the contract. The two parted on amicable terms, however, and talks could resume in the future.

The dark matches on the events this past weekend were, as always, unusual and interesting. On Up All Night, there was one match, featuring Scott Baio, the comissioner (Why, Corey, Why??) of the NYSWF, against Ralph Machio. Yes, the Karate Kid. And those skills (?) he displayed in the movies paid off in this one, as less than thirty seconds in, Machio knocked Baio out cold with a roundhouse kick, getting the easy victory. On Sunday Night Heat, everyone's favorite fatty, Danny Dynamite, was actually permitted to wrestle. His opponent? Everyone's favorite midget (and undoubtedly paid below $100 for the night), Gary Coleman. On the line for Dynamite if he won? A free Denny's meal. Guess what? He lost. Badly. Coleman walked over to him, thrust his fist as high as he good, thereby hitting Dynamite with a low blow, and then covered him for the pin. It was disturbing.

Corey Collins is a happy man this weekend, after seeing the return of three former superstars to his federation, especially one "Cold" Harding Cash. It's said that Collins' himself asked Cash to return, and Harding accepted the invitation, no doubt eager to further solidify his already legendary reputation in the federation. While Cash may come off as brash and egotistical in front of the camera, it's said that backstage, he's a real team player, and his return was met with open arms from the majority of the roster and staff.

Michael Draven made a successful return to the NYSWF this weekend, in a brutal assault on Evan Douglas, the Lightweight Champion. Draven was reportedly angered by some of the comments Douglas made to the Toronto Sun, in regards to Draven and his family. Word has it that Draven is dedicating the remainder of his career to his older and recently deceased brother Erik. Meanwhile, those in the front office are skeptical about Draven's return, wondering which version they have on their hands. If they get the Michael Draven who won five championships and took Alexander Haven to the limit in the top-grossing pay-per-view event of 2000, they'll be happy. But if they get the inconsistent, disinterested Draven of recent tenures, word has it that they may save theirselves the trouble and cut him loose before he does any significant damage to the ratings.

On Sunday Night Heat, a match was signed between Jonathan Storm and Alexander Haven, to take place next week for the NYSWF World Television Title. However, my sources tell me that Storm was extremely against the idea of having this match take place at all. Storm apparently at one point went as far to say that if the match was signed, he wouldn't show up in Winnipeg at all. Storm eventually calmed down, however, and agreed to the match.

My sources also tell me that the NYSWF staff is extremely impressed with Spyke, after his incredible match with ICE at Breach of Faith. Spyke had the week off last week to recover from his wounds, and seems to be very over with the staff of the federation. From what I've heard, Corey Collins himself phoned Spyke at his Atlanta home to congratulate him on the solid effort at the big pay-per-view. However, word of mouth is Collins and some of the other creative minds in the NYSWF think Spyke needs to consider a gimmick tweaking, if he wants to truly make it to the next level in this industry.

Speaking of current NA-Core Champion ICE, some are beginning to question the man's sanity. After putting himself through some of the most brutal matches in wrestling history, it's been said that he's looking to push the boundaries even further. Corey Collins' reaction? Not surprisingly, Collins seems to be accomadating ICE's addiction to danger. While he might not be the most popular guy in the industry, Collins is nobody's fool, and he knows that in today's day and age, violence equals ratings.

And while we're talking about Mr. Collins, he recently pulled John Iley aside backstage, and suggested that he challenge ICE for the NA-Core Championship. On the surface, it may seem as if Collins was setting Iley up for certain doom against the Hardcore Legend...but apparently, Collins sees bright things in the future of John Iley, and thinks he can only benefit by taking on a veteran such as ICE. Some may doubt Iley's worth at the Hardcore Title level...but one thing's for sure, the kid has got guts.

Some are seriously beginning to doubt Grady Smith's future in the NYSWF. After being 'upset' by current World Champion, Chris Kage, many have said they wouldn't be surprised to see Grady walk out the doors of the NYSWF yet again. Sources in the NYSWF declined to comment on the situation, as did Grady Smith...but something tells me from the look in his eyes, he's none too happy.

Switching things up to the EWA now...

The EWA has their big pay-per-view show this Thursday night, and the 2001 King of the Ring is shaping up to be HUGE. Some insiders were shocked at how much Duane Gates' flaunted Chris Kage as the new NYSWF World Champion this past week. Some were overheard questioning how Collins himself felt on the situation, but when asked for comment, he simply smirked. With Gates' billing the KotR Main Event as Champion vs. Champion, one wonders how long Collins will remain quiet about the situation...

A former wrestling star, who had a few brief stints in the spotlight of the NYSWF, is apparently considering a return to the mainstream of pro wrestling, after spending some time in the indys. Many say this young man has what it takes to succeed, if he can only keep his habits under control. Rumors are flying that this man could be joining the EWA as soon as the King of the Ring this Thursday.

Venom returned this past week, shocking the world by turning on his former FTW Stablemates. Not only were Venom's stablemates shocked that he would betray his allegiances like that, they were surprised he was even back in the EWA, after a reported dispute with the President himself. Word is Venom and Gates smoothed over their differences...but one has to wonder how long Venom can keep his ego in check.

"Pimp Daddy" Joe Satre was none to happy about being forced to team with The Fallen One this past weekend, and reportedly even jokingly threatened to quit over the pairing. After the team emerged victorious from their match, it's said that TFO approached Satre about making the partnership permenant. "Pimp Daddy" declined, for good reason. Might Satre have a more promising partnership on the horizon? Only time will tell...

On a more serious note, Duane Gates has apparently ordered security to be beefed up at the King of the Ring. Security had already been heightened in the wake of the tragic events of September 11th, but apparently those attending the event will see an even tighter force around the ring. The reason for this is apparently the match between Jack Daniels and Evan Douglas, which has boiled over into a legitimate hatred for one another. We have it on good word that both men have actually recieved death threats from each other over the weekend, and Gates is not taking any chances on this one. Let us hope the situation is not as serious as it would appear to be.

A well-known former EWA wrestler was seen at an airport flying into Phoenix on Sunday evening. We are obligated not to reveal his name, but we can say that he is one of the all-time greats, and holds a record in the EWA that could be in danger at some point in the not-too-distant future. Whether or not this man was in Phoenix on business with the EWA or for other reasons was unavailable at the time, as he declined comment when approached.

The King of the Ring Tournament comes to a wrap on PPV this weekend, with the final four men being the Artist Formerly Known as the Kaze, Andre Griffin, X-Calibur, Harvey Knox, and "Smooth" Johnny Flash. With only one collective loss among the remaining participants in the tournament, it's hard to pick a clear cut winner. One thing is for sure, however. Come PPV time, some wrestlers will have their impressive streaks in the EWA ended, while others will simply move on to bigger and better things. Regardless of who emerges victorious, management is said to be very happy with the efforts of all the remaining participants, and pushes seem to be in order.

Ray Willmott's third match since his return to professional wrestling is Thursday night, and incredibly enough, he'll be squaring off against his former fiance, Laura. In an interesting note, Willmott apparently visited the home of Duane Gates over the weekend, to iron out some merchandising details. Upon his visit, Ray reportedly caught Gates and Laura, who have been an item for a few months now, in a compromising situation. Willmott apparently put a couple of holes into the walls of Gates' living room, before storming away and leaving. Our sources tell us he later worked out his merchandising deal with EWA Marketing President Mike Malone.

The EWA has been moving full-steam ahead in recent weeks, and the entire roster have really worked their asses off to make sure this thing comes off a big success. The true All-Star of this PPV has got to be none other then Chris Kage, a young man who has been putting his heart and soul into this business as of late. After the controversy with Venom, it's said that when asked if he would double-book on the PPV, Kage was incredibly eager to accept. Management is very happy with his effort, and it seems, regardless of the outcome of his matches, he's really solidified himself as a backbone of the new EWA. In fact, there are some unconfirmed reports that Kage even offered to triple-book at KotR, but Gates was insistent that he not over assert himself, for good reason.