It's an unfortunate fact that in our very tough business, injuries do occur. Brian "Grandmaster Sexay" Christopher came back from his recent tour of the UK battered and bruised, and as UPW notified the wrestling world last week, had to bow out of Wednesday's Galaxy Show.
Albert and Scotty Invade Disneyland
By Phil Speer
San Diego, California - It's a Small World, except when Albert is included.
When Scotty 2 Hotty learned that Vengeance was in Southern California, one thing went through his mind: Disneyland.
Scotty - who Mick Foley once described as a "complete Disney psychotic" - took his new tag team partner, Albert, to the "Happiest Place on Earth" on Saturday. Although Albert is also a huge fan of Disney and has been to Disney World several tiems, it was his first trip to Disneyland. And it's one that he'll undoubtedly never forget.
When Scotty took Albert - all 350 pounds of him - on the "It's a Small World" ride, their part of the boat started sinking.
"It's because of Scotty," Albert joked. "People started screaming, 'Shut it down!'"
By the time Albert and Scotty got out of their boat, about an inch of water filled the bottom. They partook in the ride once again, but this time they paid more attention to weight distribution, Albert said.
He added that he was also a bit too big for Space Mountain. The cars on that ride normally seat two people, but "Phat Albert" had one all to himself.
Overall, the former Intercontinental Champion was more than satisfied with his initial Disneyland experience.
"It was just as good, if not better (than Disney World), because all the Christmas decorations were up," Albert said.
Scotty, meanwhile, has been to Disneyland - and Disney World - several times. And he's plotting to go even more in the future.
Scotty's wife is pregnant with the couple's first child. When Scotty was told that all children who are born at Disneyland get lifelong passes to the park, Scotty started plotting.
"Right now I have (my wife) chained to a bench on Main Street," Scotty joked.
(Dina's note: here's more info on Brian's appearance on the Big Breakfast show)
Road Dogg, GrandMaster, and Disco Inferno were on the Big Breakfast, an early morning show in the UK on channel 4. The presenter Amanda starts by asking why they are here. They tell her they are here with the WWA. She asks what that is and what the difference between that and the WWF. Road Dogg tells her that is it the World Wrestling Alliance. Disco Inferno explains that they are like rock starts in that they are travelling around the world. They have been to Australia and at the moment they're touring Europe. Amanda then asks if there is a rivalry between the WWA and the WWF. Road Dogg makes a joke by saying there are probably lawsuits already. He then says how the WWA is different from the WWF because they are going all around the world and he thinks the WWF neglect their fans outside of America. He says they have a great response at the house shows and the PPV from Australia. A clip is shown of Disco doing the "Village People's Elbow." Amanda starts asking the usual "are you rally hurting each other" and "is wrestling fake" questions. Another clip is shown of Road Dogg and he says sarcastically "yeah, this is fake right here" as the clip shows him giving Jeff Jarrett an awesome right hand. Amanda then says that people over here see wrestling as a Saturday morning entertainment show for the kids, etc., and is that the sort of audience they are aiming for. Disco says no, that they want it to appeal to kids, parents, grandparents, anyone really. Amanda then asks Grandmaster about Scotty 2 Hotty being his tag partneer and will he be going alone in the WWA. Grandmaster says he will, but there is a chance he could jump ship to WWF. He's keeping that option open.
They then play a game which they have to decorate a Christmas tree in a minute. Road Dogg wins and even decorates the tree with GrandMaster's jacket. GrandMaster says it doesn't count because it's the worst Christmas tree he's ever seen. Road Dogg hits back by saying in Somalia that would be a heck of a Christmas tree. Amanda says that is probably the worst thing she's hever seen in her life. Road Dogg says she obviously hasn't seen GrandMaster wrestle. GrandMaster says to not forget that he can dance. Amanda then thanks them for coming on the show.
From the Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter:
Scotty 2 Hotty was upset with Test following the immunity battle royal at Survivor Series. Scotty felt that Test was working too stiff while "pounding" his injured neck.
Brian Lawler was on Ch. 4's "Big Breakfast" morning show in England (very popular show in that country) and accidentally swore on the air, leading the host to telling him that it's a family show. (Dina's note: Oops!!)
Scotty 2 Hotty saw Dr. Lloyd Youngblood in San Antonio, Texas, last Wednesday. Nothing new to report. Scotty's working through the pain from his neck condition; he's doing therapy three times a week and also maybe be using a home-traction unit.
This is taken from an interview with Jerry Lawler after tonight's RAW taping:
WWF.com: This is the first time in a while you've been here without your son, Brian Lawler (GrandMaster Sexay), being here. Is that strange for you?
Lawler: We spoke yesterday. We have a unique relationship, in the fact that we're more like two wrestlers and friends than anything else. His situation is his situation, and we actually discussed it very little. I think he realizes that he made a huge mistake, and he's disappointed. And by the same token, I made a huge mistake when I left here too. So we don't really sit around and talk to each other about that. He's gone out and done a lot of good work on the independent circuit, and he's doing really well. Certainly, he'd love to come back here and be reunited with the WWF. He'd love to be reunited with Scotty 2 Hotty and Rikishi. And maybe some day that can happen. As they say, anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation.
As we've mentioned on several occasions, Scotty 2 Hoty is having some neck pain, but the doctor hasn't recommended surgery at this time; he'll need it eventually. But Scotty will be doing physical therapy much more aggressively at home and on the road to help his own cause.
I just heard second hand that it was reported in the Portland Herald Press (a Maine newspaper) that Scotty and his wife Terri will be expecting a child around Christmastime. In the article, Scotty mentioned that he won't allow his child to watch wrestling until he believes his child is of an appropriate age. Congrats Scotty!
Look for Brian Christopher, aka GrandMaster Sexay, to sign with the new wrestling promotion XWF this week. According to sources, Christopher is expected to ink a deal as early as later this week and will still be part of the WWA UK Tour which commences at the end of November.
Scotty 2 Hotty consulted with Dr. Youngblood on Wednesday to address his neck problems. He has two herniated disks but the damage is not at a level that requires surgery. He will be able to continue wrsetling.
As some of you have noticed, Scotty hasn't been having many matches lately. It was disclosed recently that Scotty is experiencing some discomfort from the neck injury that caused him to be on the disabled list for many months earlier this year. He will be visiting Dr. Youngblood (who tends to many WWF wrestlers' injuries) this week for evaluation
Brian Lawler dropped by on Tuesday (Dina's note: for the 9/18 Smackdown taping). Brian and JR talked a bit but did not discuss a possible return. Brian's wife will give birth to a child in October and the time away has been a blessing in disguise for him.
From wrestlingobserver.com
Both Jerry and Brian Lawler were backstage in Memphis at the tapings (Dina's note: the 9/18 Smackdown taping). Jim Ross was pushing Vince McMahon for eventually rehiring both of them. Ultimately, Vince's decision. Said to be issues still needing to be addressed.
From the Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter
In a recent Jakked/Metal taping, Chuck Palumbo immediately kicked out after Scotty 2 Hotty pinned him. Scotty, who was trying to get his new second rope DDT over as a finisher, was said to be furious afterward. The match plans called for Palumbo to get his heat back by hitting Scotty with a superkick. Observers note that Scotty took the kick, but then no-sold it by immediately standing up.
There's an article on wwf.com about Scotty 2 Hotty and those in the "Nerd Group" that love rollercoasters. Click *HERE* to read.
I just checked out MECW's site, and on the "Super Stars" page, and Brian is listed on there!!!
Brian Lawler has been working a full schedule of indy dates since being fired by the WWF. Due to his friendship with Doug Gilbert, sources believe Lawler will work MECW shows.
This weekend, check out www.jefftheref.com for an interview with Brian Lawler - check the site for details when tbe interview is supposed to air. Once it's up in the "interviews" section of that site, I'll post a link to it in my Multimedia section.
Interview with Scotty 2 Hotty
Taped: July 15, 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Interviewer, Joltin' Joe
Toronto - This past week at the Molson Indy in Toronto, Joltin' Joe got a chance to do an exclusive interview with WWF superstar, Scotty 2 Hotty. The "master of the worm" had a lot to say in this one-on-one interview, as he spoke about his former tag team partner Grandmaster Sexay, his return to the WWF, the WCW/ECW merger, and much more. Here's what Scotty 2 Hotty had to say:
>>Scotty 2 Hotty said that he is doing good, and starts off the interview by making funny comments about "Joltin'" Joe's nickname.
>>He said that he is feeling good after being injured with a herniated disc. Scotty went on to say that it was great to get back in the ring and wrestle.
>>Scotty emphasized that he believed that the WCW Invasion angle is going great and it's becoming very interesting. He expressed that it's a dream come true for himself and wrestling fans around the world.
>>Joltin' Joe then went on to ask Scotty about his former tag team partner, and the other half of Too Cool, Grandmaster Sexay. Scotty joked around and said that he guessed a bunch of Canadians gave him a hard time or Val Venis and Trish had something to do with it. He then went on to say that it's too bad that it happened.
>>When asked about who will win this Sunday at WWF Infasion in the Bra and Panties match, Scotty 2 Hotty said that he doesn't know who will win, but a draw would be just fine with him.
>>Scotty then told Joltin' Joe that he thinks that the rebirth of ECW is great because it opens up a lot of opportunities for the guys that used to wrestle for that company. He said that from a business perspective, it was amazing!
>>The "Master of the Worm" was then asked what Paul Heyman brought to the WWF. Scotty said that Heyman obviously brought ECW to the WWF. Although Scotty still doesn't know him too well, he emphasized that wrestling is Paul Heyman's life.
>>Scotty 2 Hotty then said that he came up with the idea for the "W-O-R-M". He said that he thought up the idea, then he tried it, and it worked. He said that at first nobody was interested in the move, but it developed over time. He went on to say that he got very lucky!
>>Lastly, Joltin' Joe asked Scotty were he sees himself in the WWF a year from now. Scotty joked that he sees himself retired a year from now. However, he hopes that he can have some success in singles competition.
To listen to this interview, you can call Joltin' Joe's Wrestling Hotline on Starphone at (416) 350-3000 ext. 2049. Long distance charges may apply.
Keller: Did the WWF handle the situation with your son Brian as best as could be expected?
Lawler: I think so.
Keller: So if you were working for the WWF, you wouldn't have quite over his situation?
Lawler: Oh no, not at all. And once again, maybe I should clear up a couple of things on that. The day that this all occurred, some of the first calls that I received were from two friends of mine from the WWF who called me that evening after Raw was over. Of course, I hadn't even seen the show. They said, "Man, did you hear what happened to Brian?" I said no. Their exact words were, and they were just telling me the information that they heard at the time, "Well, apparently he got detained at the Canadian border because he had some steroids or something that was supposedly legal in the United States but illegal in Canada, and he got detained for like five hours. He missed Raw, they had to replace his match, and ooh is there a lot of heat on him." I said, "Oh man, what an idiot (laughs)." But it wasn't that big of a deal to me. That's just exactly the story that I was told after Raw.
As soon as that word came out, the next call I got was from Channel 5 here in Memphis, the TV station. They called and asked for a comment. I said, "Well, I haven't even talked to Brian, but here's what I heard, that he had some sort of muscle enhancers that were apparently legal in the United States but illegal in Canada. It's a longstanding rule by the WWF," and this is a fact that no matter what he had, and it's always been a well-known fact in the WWF, if you are ever caught with anything illegal at the Canadian border, you lose your job. It's understandable because the WWF has to do so much business with Canada and going across the border for that one person to cast a shadow of doubt and suspicion on the entire company is inexcusable. What that can cause is that they can now stop those big WWF 18-wheelers and take all of the rings, the sound equipment, and the merchandise...All of a sudden, when the border guards see the WWF come across, they could pull those guys over and make them unload the entire truck adn just cause huge headaches, simply because that suspicion was there from one WWF worker. To the border guard, if one guy tries to bring drugs in, who knows, this whole truck may be loaded with them. So, that's always been the rule, and the uncompromised rule and everyone knew it. If you are caught at the border with anything illegal, you are going to lose your job. That's why I was not upset.
A lot of people say that I was trying to cover up for Brian by saying it was muscle enhancers. At the time I made the comment, that was the only story that I had heard. I still hadn't heard from Brian. The next person I heard from was Jim Ross and that was after I had already made the statment to channel five. Jim Ross called me and said, "Well, King, did you hear what happened to Brian?" I said, "Yeah, what an idiot. The guys called me and told me had muscle enhancers or steroids or whatever." And he said, "Well, that ain't all of the story." So I heard from Jim Ross what...In actuality, there wasn't even any steroids or anything, it was the cocaine. That's when I heard the real story. I didn't even hear from Brian until later. I'm sure he was ashamed to call me or contact me. I didn't hear from him until like three days later once he was back home. A lot of people were making comparisons where, sure, there have been guys that have had problems with substance abuse that they were given second chances to, sent to rehab, and that sort of thing. But the whole situation with Brian was simple because it was the Canadian border and it cast the whole company in a bad light.
Keller: It wasn't a case of an internal test, it was a case of authorities and publicity, and that does change things.
Lawler: Right.
The Worm returns to ring action - by Phil Speer
Scotty 2 Hotty got an early birthday present.
The Westbrook, Maine, native returned to the World Wrestling Federation last week on Smackdown! after a four-month injury leave. The former Light Heavyweight Champion had been suffering from a herniated disc between his C5 and C6 vertebrae and a bulging disc between C6 and C7.
"If there was one arena I could pick in the whole world (to return), it would have been Madison Square Garden," Scotty said.
His wish came true, as he ended up being Chris Jericho's mystery partner for their tag team match against Commissioner William Regal and Tajiri.
"It was great," Scotty said. "It was exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time, especially before I went out there. Afterwards, it felt good to know everybody remembered me. You know they will -- it's only been four months -- but it's still in your head."
Scotty was originally only going to be away for four to six weeks, but his injuries weren't healing as well as expected. In fact, while he's no longer in pain, he still has the disc problems. Surgery was considered, but Scotty's doctor told him that he could wrestle without causing further damage and without pain. "I just have to be a little bit more careful," Scotty said.
Before coming back to Federation television, Scotty was sent to Ohio Valley Wrestling in Louisville, Ky., to work off the ring rust and test the injury.
Everything turned out fine, and Scotty had a chance to see the Federation's talent development program first-hand.
"It was a great bunch of guys," he said. "I can't say a bad thing about any of them. They're good workers. There's nobody that I'd say, 'He sucks.' It's what a developmental area should be."
Scotty added that the Prototype, Rico Constantino, Brock Lesnar, Ron Waterman and Leviathan particularly impressed him.
After resting at home for two weeks, Scotty got the call to return to the Federation. "I was just happy to make it through (my first math( with my wind being horrible right now," he said. "You can do all the cardio in the world. The only way to build it up is to have matches. Between your nerves and taking bumps, that's what blows you up."
While the Worm is still around -- to the delight of the fans at MSG -- Scotty is trying something new when it comes to headgear.
"I'd always buy the bucket hats, anytime I saw a cool one," he said. "It got harder and harder to find ones. I asked the guy at Lids, and he said they sell tons more visors now than bucket hats. I said, 'That'd be good for a change when I come back.' I figured I'd try it out for a while and see what happens."
Another major change for Scotty is that he no longer has a tag team partner. Brian "GrandMaster Sexay" Lawler was recently dismissed from the Federation after an incident in Canada.
"Everybody knows he screwed up," Scotty said.
"It didn't affect anyone more than it affected him. Nobody knows he screwed up more than himself. He's one of the best workers out there. If he can get his stuff together, I'm sure he can get a second chance."
Scotty, one of the most popular superstars backstage as well as in front of the camera, has proven that he can carry the ball on his own. In the spring of 2000, he had a series of memorable matches with Dean Malenko, and the two superstars stole the show at that year's Backlash in April. Another positive: according to the storyline, Scotty had been out nursing an ankle that was broken by Kurt Angle. A feud with Angle would do nothing but good things for Scotty's singles career.
"It's a good spot to be in," Scotty said. "Hopefully I'll get to do some singles stuff and show everybody what I can do."
Dina's Note: I am on a daily newsletter list from Wrestling Online. They just come out with their most recent Top 50 Wrestlers list, and both Brian and Scotty are on it. Here's what was said about them:
#38 GRANDMASTER SEXAY (not listed on prior ranking)
-We've seen the back of this talent, and it's a shame because he was only really starting to hit his stride. He and Scott Taylor have nad a solid year's worth of popularity and, whilst not really progressing, have always provided entertainment value and decent wrestling at worst. Christopher is not the most versatile talent, but is a sturdy lower mid-carder who will be mildly missed.
-If Scott Steiner was arrested on similar grounds do you reckon they would fire him?
#26 SCOTTY TOO HOTTY (#41 on last ranking)
-Possibly one of the top 5 technical athletes in the WWF
-S2H is hugely missed at the moment - Taylor had finally found his niche, was over with the crowd, getting better with interviews and was one of the few wrestlers committed to genuine improvement. His ankle injury put paid to that, but his comeback is just around the corner. If he can develop a style of entertainment that is not reliant on "The Worm", he has the potential to elevate himself to the IC title bracket. I tell you, a series between him and Christian would have me on the edge of my seat.
-I'm begging the WWF not to put him in any kind of Too Cool Two as he is probably the best choice for the WWF to build the Light-Heavyweight Division around...ah who am I kidding? Send him to WCW so he can actually fulfill his potential.
Grandmaster Sexay comes to HPW
Promoter Jerry Wilson is proud to announce that he has been able to sign Grandmaster Sexay Brian Lawler to appear at the July 14th Hoosier Pro Wrestling show. He was also able to put together a reunion between two great wrestling families.
Grandmaster Sexay will be teaming with the Dangerous One Doug Gilbert on July 14th to help Jerry get his promotion back from The High Rollers Diceman Ronnie Vegas and Austin James and their money man, Terry Jones.
Jerry said, "Everybody knows the history of the Lawler-Gilbert feud over the years, but I know that Brian and Doug will help be get the grasps back of HPW." Tickets are available by calling 812-375-9163 or by email at [email protected].
There is a very heartwarming story on wwf.com that tells how Scotty brought some happiness to some very sick children. Click *HERE* to read the story.