______________________________________________________________________ __ __ __ __ _ ____ | | | | | \ | | | |/ _ \ | | | | | \ | | | / \ | | |/\| | | \| | | | | | | | | |\ | | | | | | /\ | | | \ | |__| |_| |__/ \__| |__| \__| [ n a i d O ' s - W r e s t l i n g - N e w s ] Edition 267 February 8, 2001 "I get the news, so you don't have to." ______________________________________________________________________ [Official newsletter & complement to:] http://www.naidOsWorld.com To subscribe: naidoswrestlingnews-subscribe@egroups.com To unsubscribe: naidoswrestlingnews-unsubscribe@egroups.com ______________________________________________________________________ [Table of contents] **Note from naidO **TOP NEWS STORY **Latest news from the WWF, WCW & ECW **[Article] Mummy Returns release moved up a week **[Column] Vile Thoughts **Parting chair shot ______________________________________________________________________ [Note from naidO] Hello to those just joining. Tell your friends about the BEST newsletter around to subscribe today! **Click for the THUNDER results: http://www.naidosworld.com/tvthunder.html - I was sho shocked after watching Nitro yesterday that I forgot to mention that we have added two great sites to our affiliates section! Check out the unofficial homes to Tommy Dreamer and Stephanie Bellars today by using the links in the affiliates section. Check out those other sites too! To say the Vile one has a few choice words abou the XFL would be criminal. Read what he has to say! - naidO nWN Founder - http://www.geocities.com/naidosnews ______________________________________________________________________ [TOP NEWS STORY] In an Atlanta court on 2/6, World Championship Wrestling attempted to have a racial discrimination suit that had been leveled against the company, dismissed. WCW performers Sonny Onoo, Hardbody Harrison and Bobby Walker were on hand to present their side of the story, since they are the ones that launched the suit against WCW. Their lawyers presented evidence in the form of racist comments made in an interview with WCW writer Vince Russo and a mock Chinese food menu that was distributed amongst employees, in order to show why the suit should not be dismissed. A deposition from former WCW referee Randy Anderson was also presented as evidence. Anderson claimed that black wrestlers at WCW's training camp the Power Plant weren't given the same opportunities as white wrestlers. The judge has ten days to decide whether or not the suit will be dismissed. ______________________________________________________________________ [News from The WWF] **WWF has opened SmackdownRecords.com for their new record label, Smackdown Records. The site contains samples of WWF: The Music Volume 5 so far. **Tazz will be the guest on Byte This tonight at 6PM at wwf.com **Official SmackDown preview: This Thursday, SmackDown! explodes on UPN, at 8/7 CT, just about two weeks from No Way Out! A Tag Team Championship match has already been signed for the show. The Dudley Boyz will defend their titles against Edge & Christian, the men they won the titles from at the Royal Rumble. Also this Thursday, Raven defends the Hardcore Championship against Hardcore Holly. In eight-person tag action, the Right to Censor -- represented by Steven Richards, Ivory, Bull Buchanan and the Goodfather -- take on The Kat, Jacqueline and the APA. Plus, the Hardy Boyz take on Chris Benoit and Perry Saturn of the Radicalz. Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, Kurt Angle, the Big Show, The Rock and Mr. McMahon will also be in the house this Thursday at 8/7 CT on UPN -- it's SmackDown! **Although Tori is currently playing the role of Raven's driver, the WWF may reveal the character as being someone else. **Billboard.com reported today WWF NY will host a midnight sale for the upcoming WWF: The Music Volume 5 on February 20. The CD features Rapper Slick Rick teaming up with the Rock on "Pie" and Motorhead's version of HHH's entrance song "The Game". The CD will be rounded out with other WWF wrestlers' entrance music. The CD will be released on the WWF's Smackdown Records and will have enhanced features that will work on the web. Billboard reported that WWF: The Music Volume 4 debuted at number four in the Billboard 200 in November of 1999 and has sold 1.1 million copies. **The WWF has come out with a really great commemorative issue dedicated WrestleMania, on stands now. If you are a WWF fan, this is a mag you probably want to pick up. It has a lot of commentary from wrestlers, as to how they feel about being in WrestleMania. Of course, it also has looks back at all of the past events as well. You can buy it online by clicking http://www.wwfshopzone.com/product.asp?pf%5Fid=00377&dept% 5Fid=7&from=D7 (Cred: wwf.com) _______________ [News from WCW] **WCW is rumored to be interested in bringing back Kevin Sullivan as a booker. **Tygress on a radio show talking about being released and other things: - Tygress does all the talking as Paisley somehow gets bumped off the line early on. - Says that she isn't bitter at all about the release from WCW. Says there is a possibility she may be brought back later on. She understands the position WCW is in since they were just bought out. - She says everyone has been working hard backstage since Bischoff has returned. - Felt that the 5 former Nitro Girls that make up the group all had a very good chemistry together. They wanted to maintain something together and decided to try starting a pop group since the five of them always managed to click, despite being so different. - Describes the group as pop/rock but says they don't want to set up any boundaries. - Says that they try to venture into different styles but it is all stuff you can dance to. - They have a two track CD available at their website right now. They plan on releasing a full CD sometimes this fall. - Fyre right now is handling most of the business end of things. - Stidham makes a point that this group isn't like "Hogan's Wrestling Boot Band." HA, that a good one, bruttha. - Each member of the band has a personal site based from the diversity five website which you can find at www.diversity5.com. - Still open to offers from other wrestling companies. **Lance Storm has posted his latest commentary at www.stormwrestling.com. In it, he talks about his weekend before Nitro, as well as the book he is writing. (Cred: 1wrestling) _______________ [News from ECW] **Nothing. Absolutely nothing. (Cred: naidO) __________________ [In other news...] **The National Mental Health Association asked that the Memphis Maniax change their name due to the belief it is demeaning to people who are affected by mental illness. At this point, no name change has taken place. **Randy Savage will be appearing on the WB Show "Nikki" this Sunday **For those of you that missed the Women of Wrestling Unleashed PPV, Viewer's Choice in Canada will broadcast the replay on 2/10 at 8 and 11pm EST. (Cred: the law) ______________________________________________________________________ [Article] Mummy Returns release moved up a week Universal Pictures will release "The Mummy Returns," the eagerly- anticipated sequel to its 1999 worldwide hit, on Friday, May 4, 2001, one week earlier than previously scheduled, it was announced today by Nikki Rocco, president, Universal Pictures Distribution. The film, once again written and directed by Stephen Sommers, reunites original cast members Brendan Fraser, Rachel Weisz, John Hannah, Arnold Vosloo, Oded Fehr, and Patricia Velasquez, who are joined this time by newcomer Freddie Boath and WWF sensation The Rock as "The Scorpion King." James Jacks and Sean Daniel are again the producers. In announcing the new date, Ms.Rocco said, "We've just seen a very early cut of the film, and it's fabulous. In 1999, the summer movie season really got its start the first weekend in May when we released 'The Mummy,' so we've decided to launch this year's summer movie season that same weekend with 'The Mummy Returns.' We've got the goods, and one more week of summer playing time will be a great bonus for us." "The Mummy Returns" is set in 1935, 10 years after the events of the first film. Rick O'Connell (Fraser) is now married to Evelyn (Weisz), and the couple has settled in London, where they are raising their 9- year-old son Alex (Boath). When a chain of events finds the corpse of Imhotep (Vosloo) resurrected in the British Museum, the mummy Imhotep walks the earth once more, determined to fulfill his quest for immortality. But another force has also been set loose in the world ... one born of the darkest rituals of ancient Egyptian mysticism, and even more powerful than Imhotep. When these two forces clash, the fate of the world will hang in the balance, sending the O'Connells on a desperate race to save the world from unspeakable evil, and rescue their son before it is too late. Sommers brought back his key behind-the-scenes team for this film, including Director of Photography Adrian Biddle, Production Designer Allan Cameron, Costume Designer John Bloomfield, and Editor and Executive Producer Bob Ducsay. John Berton supervised the visual effects wizards at Industrial Light and Magic for "The Mummy Returns." The film's predecessor, "The Mummy," was the 8th biggest hit of 1999 and number 31 on the list of all-time box office champs, having grossed more than $404 million worldwide. It was also the top-selling live home video action title of 1999, debuting at the top of the Billboard sales charts, where it held the number one spot for three consecutive weeks. In addition, "The Mummy" was the second best- selling DVD title of 1999, shipping more than one million units. (Yahoo! News) ______________________________________________________________________ [Column] Vile Thoughts - by The Vile I thought I'd stray away from the wrestling genre this week, and talk about the XFL. Last weekend was the big premier, and there has been a lot of criticism both constructive and negative. However, I think a lot of the negative criticism is focused more on who runs the XFL vs. the actual product itself. Don't get me wrong; the XFL isn't perfect. I also don't think it's the abomination that some "journalists" make it out to be. Case in point: Monday's edition of the Last Word with Jim Rome featured a roundtable discussion with Drew Pearson of the NY/NJ Hitmen, Gerry DiNardo of the Birmingham Bolts, and NY Post columnist Phil Mushnick. I was hoping for an objective discussion on the new XFL. What I got was a ludicrous lecture by Rome and Mushnick about how they hate Vince McMahon, and that the XFL is a big fat fraud. Rome's argument holds no weight at all. He said "I thought the XFL would bomb because of all the other stuff: the sex, the frills, the WWF atmosphere. That it wouldn't be about football. I was wrong. It was abotu football; bad football. I just watched the best players in the world for six months. Why would I watch bad football for another three? The XFL will die because of bad football." Excuse me, Mr. Rome. Bad football? Wasn't that you on your syndicated radio show and on TV calling last week's Super Bowl "An abomination. The worst Super Bowl ever played. Most likely, the worst football game ever played." So in the course of a week, it went from the worst game ever played to "the best players in the world." Well, which is it? As for Phil Mushnick, this guy is nothing more than an abortion that lived. The next time this guy says something objective will be the first. You could have saved us a lot of time and trouble by just saying "I hate Vince McMahon" as your comment. No; instead you gloss it with a bunch of crap just to cover up the fact that you hate everything about Vince, and that everything he does will be horses**t in your eyes. Who the hell died, and made you our moral savior? You're just a newspaper hack, and a pretty sh***y one at that. As for my opinions on the XFL, I will try to give you both sides. I did watch both games that were on TV. Saturday's game, in terms of football, was pretty crappy. The Hitmen are just a bad team. But doesn't every sports league have a crappy team? Sunday's game was pretty darn exciting, and it was cool seeing the game winning field goal. It was definitely more exciting than the NHL Shootout, er....All Star Game or the NFL Scrimmage, er...Pro Bowl. Isn't it hilarious that people were already jumping out of the woodwork on Monday questioning the XFL's validity? "In the SF/LA game, the Demons had no time outs, but the clock was stopped twice with under a minute to go. It's scripted!!!" For you naysayers out there, I will explain it like I'm talking to a four year old: There were two plays in question. These 2 plays led to first downs, and in the last 2 minutes of the game, the clock stops on plays that result in first downs. The clock stops long enough for the chains to be reset, and then the clock starts again. It's the old USFL rule. So there is no grassy knoll. That said, here are some things I liked, and disliked about the inaugural week of XFL football... They really need to cut down on the interviews of players on the sideline. Many times, they just don't have anything to say. They're either trying to catch their breath, going over plays with the coaches, etc. Fred Roggin is a moron anyway. For a fledgling league trying to get noticed, nicknames on the back of the jerseys is not a smart idea. The biggest problem I had was trying to figure out who the hell guys like "Gladiator" and "He Hate Me" were. It reminded me of beer-league softball. While the opening scrum was an inventive idea, I think it would have been much better if the players lined up on opposite 30 yard lines. Then you get a big collision right away. The PAT was interesting as no kicks are allowed. One thing I wouldn't mind seeing is 2 points awarded for a run, and 1 for a pass. It seems like running it in is a harder proposition, and you should be rewarded for it. I really enjoyed hearing the plays called in, as well as the snap counts. It gave you a feel for being out on the field. However, they need to do a better job of blending it with the commentators. It seemed like they were fighting for airtime. The camera angles were cool; especially the vertical view. It was great seeing the game as the offense sees it; where the holes open up, where the pass rush is coming from. That was a very good innovation. I also like that in overtime, each team gets the ball once. That sudden death crap is for the birds. The biggest thing I like is that players get paid, but they get paid more to win. The kicker for the SF Demons got $3500.00, and then another $2500.00 when he bagged that game winning field goal. Each member of the losing NFC Pro Bowl team got $15,000.00. What the hell is up with that? The XFL is definitely a work in progess. It's not the NFL, but did anyone ever say it would be? They did say they were going to present the game differently, and they've done that. They are also determined not to follow the idiotic lead of Donald Trump and his band of merry morons when they decided to challenge the NFL by playing in the fall. Vince realizes what the XFL can be; a league for people that love football, and hate to see it end after the Super Bowl. He knows no one will eeeeeeehver compete with the NFL. And to close my column, I'd like to use one more of Jim Rome's sage comments about his radio show, but restated for the XFL. "For those of you who have never seen the XFL, you won't get it. You'll wonder 'What is this crap?' Give it two weeks. Watch it, and listen to it; get a feel for it. Then after two weeks, if you still don't get it, I'll be man enough to say: 'Okay, some people are a little slower than others; give it two more weeks." And with that, I am out (If I ever say that again, just shoot me.) ______________________________________________________________________ [Parting Chair Shot] Remember, tell your friends about nWN - naidO's Wrestling News today! **Missed any TV Shows? Go to the following link to read the results: http://www.naidosworld.com/tvshows.html Also, be sure to check out the NEW internet home of nWN, http://www.geocities.com/naidosnews for all your archived stats, tv shows, wrestling links, terms and PPV's, and most of all PICTURES! - naidO nWN Founder ______________________________________________________________________ [Affiliates] **http://www.paywindah.com **http://green_mist.homestead.com **http://www.geocities.com/dsherelo **http://www.tommydreamer.net **http://www.stephaniebellars.com - BECOME AN AFFILIATE OF nWN and make it your official newsletter!! Email naido@hotmail.com with your website's address for consideration. ______________________________________________________________________ [News gathering links] **Dave Scherer, Buck Woodward, Bob Ryder @ http://www.1wrestling.com **Dave Meltzer, Zach Arnold @ http://www.wrestlingobserver.com **Chris Clarke, Jeff Pollock @ http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com **Blake Wolfson @ http://www.ultimowrestling.com ______________________________________________________________________ [Ads] ESW - The number one E-Fed on the face of the Earth! The ESW: Extremely Suicidal Wrestling! http://www.geeksoft.net/gin/gfed2/gfed.cgi?lid=1204 ______________________________________________________________________ [nWN Staff] Founder & Editor: naidO - naido@hotmail.com Columnist: Sam Jerry - SAMJERRY@aol.com Columnist: The Vile - stoncold@bignet.net Columnist: Ted Cabata - tcabata@roanoke.edu ______________________________________________________________________ [Disclaimer] naidO's Wrestling News was founded on April 30, 2000 and is owned and operated by naidO. He, nor this newsletter is in no way, shape, or form affiliated with World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Turner Broadcasting's World Championship Wrestling, Extreme Championship Wrestling, or any other wrestling organization. Nor the people (staff members), wrestlers, or any other talent in the wrestling. News is gathered from various sources around the net, including newsgroups and are believed to be of public domain and truthful (uh huh). As long as proper credit is given it exempts nWN and it's staff. I (naidO) am just promoting their organization/website. nWN is not responsible for content on affiliate websites or where they may link to including mp3's, warez, kiddie porn and/or other unlawful content. This exempts myself & this newsletter (nWN) from all legal disputes. Anything taken from this newsletter requires written consent from naidO Copyright © 2000, 2001 naidO. All Rights Reserved To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: naidoswrestlingnews-unsubscribe@egroups.com Sorry to see you go if you do =(