______________________________________________________________________ __ __ __ __ _ ____ | | | | | \ | | | |/ _ \ | | | | | \ | | | / \ | | |/\| | | \| | | | | | | | | |\ | | | | | | /\ | | | \ | |__| |_| |__/ \__| |__| \__| [ n a i d O ' s - W r e s t l i n g - N e w s ] Edition 290 March 3, 2001 "I get the news, so you don't have to." http://groups.yahoo.com/group/naidoswrestlingnews ______________________________________________________________________ [Official newsletter & complement to:] http://www.naidOsWorld.com To subscribe: naidoswrestlingnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To unsubscribe: naidoswrestlingnews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com ______________________________________________________________________ [Table of contents] **Note from naidO **TOP NEWS STORY **Latest news from the WWF, WCW & ECW **[Article] McMahon in talks w/ Lawrence Taylor about Joining XFL **[Column] Rounding the Squared Circle **Parting chair shot **Affiliates ______________________________________________________________________ [Note from naidO] Hello to those just joining. Tell your friends about the BEST newsletter around to subscribe today! **Click for the BYTE THIS report featuring Rock & Tazz: http://www.naidosworld.com/bytethis.html - Enjoy your weekend and the latest goings on in the wrestling biz! - naidO nWN Founder - http://www.geocities.com/naidosnews ______________________________________________________________________ [TOP NEWS STORY] Regarding Jerry Lawler's contractual situation, Lawler told us yesterday that he was under contract to the WWF. The Torch story isn't incorrect according to him in that he had a contract that he hadn't signed. The contract he hadn't signed was an extension of the current contract, which is still valid and has two years remaining, that he hadn't signed. He considered it a moot point whether he was or wasn't under contract because Vince McMahon promised to give him a release. Lawler has always been able to work indie dates so that has nothing to do with his contract status. As far as WCW is concerned, I think that's an issue that's going to wind up with lawyers on all three sides if such a deal were to be put together. Since Eric Bischoff doesn't have the power this week to pull the trigger on a big money deal, that also may be a moot point for at least the period until the sale is finalized. Common sense tells you that WCW would be interested in him and also that some communication has already taken place. Lawler claimed he has not talked to Bischoff as of yesterday afternoon. He has also not talked to Vince McMahon since the brief conversation before television on Tuesday, but did have a very brief conversation with Jim Ross on Wednesday night. Stacy Carter was given a full release and could work on WCW television Monday if she chose to and they wanted her, both of which are questionable. Lawler's plans as of yesterday were to take a vacation with Carter in Florida. The Dallas Morning News today reported Lawler also had a second contract with the XFL. Dick Butkus will take Lawler's place on the "B" game, which is in San Francisco, on Saturday night. Lawler's quitting got far more mainstream ink for the fact an XFL announcer left than a WWF announcer left. ______________________________________________________________________ [News from The WWF] **News and notes from the latest Ross Report: - Scotty 2 Hotty has a ruptured disc in his neck and he will be very limited as to what he can do for the next six weeks or so. - Triple H will be at WWF NY on Wednesday, March 7 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. ET doing a book signing for "History of WrestleMania." - Billy Gunn was not at SmackDown! due to an illness in the family. "The One" will be back on the road this weekend. - The Tough Enough project got underway this week at WWF New York. It looks like this is going to be an interesting television show and could provide some very entertaining and provocative television. This is a World Wrestling Federation - MTV project. - WrestleMania will have one of the most unique lineups in recent memory, perhaps ever. Corporate shilling aside, I've got a real good feeling about this one. - Test seems closer to breaking out as a single competitor now than ever before. The young Canadian has a ton of potential and needs a strong issue to elevate his and the European Championship's status. - Edge banged up his back at No Way Out but is feeling better and should be back at TV on Monday. Edge will miss this weekend's houseshows as will Christian. - Chyna's book has a better than 50/50 chance at becoming a No. 1 best seller within the next couple of weeks. "If They Only Knew" is No. 2 this week on the New York Times Best Seller List. - The Matt Hardy - Lita issue seems to have fans' interest. Lots of ways for this one to go. It's another step in the elevation of the Hardys and the lovely Lita. - Mark Henry weighed in this week at 322 pounds, down 93 pounds from 415. That's pretty amazing when you think about it. Mark must continue to work hard with the in-ring product but it seems that his motivation is where it should be. - For the first time in Federation history, fans from all 50 states will be attending WrestleMania. In addition Federation fans from Australia, Bermuda, Canada, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and United Kingdom will also be in attendance. Tickets are still available for the April 1 Astrodome event and we are on target to hit our goal of over 65,000 at the event. - Steve Bradley has really improved and should be making his debut soon. Scott Vick may not be far behind. - K-Kwik will be out 3 weeks with a severely broken rib. - Charlie and Russ Haas are going to make it based on how well they are doing down in Memphis. Randy Hales, Terry Golden and Bobby Eaton are really doing some good things with the developmental talent. The Dupps have also had some interesting TV outings lately. - There may be two more "Kurt Angles" in OVW. Minnesota's Sheldon Benjamin and Brock Lesnar are coming along very well. Hardworking, professional approach, with lots of character are words that describe these two superb athletes. - XFL ratings have been a favorite topic of the media. However, they usually neglect to mention that the XFL on NBC out-delivered NBC's NBA Basketball, CBS' NCAA Basketball, FOX's NASCAR NAPA 300, ABC's Bob Hope Classic, and Figure Skating on ABC. Only the Daytona 500 the week of 2/19 - 2/25 out-performed the XFL, among sports programs according to the Neilsen ratings. - The X-Pac - Justin Credible relationship has some magic to it. We really need these two to continue to develop and elevate. I like their chances. Two bright, ambitious talents. And neither has seen their 30th birthday! I've been a Sean Waltman fan a long time. - Kurt Angle had an unbelievable week. From No Way Out through SmackDown!, Kurt was off the page. Let's not forget Angle has been full-time only about two years! - William Regal's promo work has been really entertaining lately and this hasn't gone unnoticed by his peers. For those that know, this guy is a marvelous success story. - Terry Gerin, who formerly competed as Rhino, has lost 25 pounds and looks to be in excellent physical shape. Terry could be introduced soon but may be held back until WrestleMania. - Nothing new on the Paul Heyman front to report. Paul's many skills could really be utilized in the Federation. Stay tuned. - Bradshaw's book project is progressing slowly, but it seems to be catching the interest of a lot of folks. - Paul Bearer has been helping behind the scenes evaluating and scouting developmental talent and other prospects. Kevin Kelly has also contributed a great deal in this area. The goal is to find men and women with positive team-oriented attitudes who are athletically capable of telling a great in-ring story. Verbal skills are very important, as well. - No word from the creative types regarding Shawn Michaels' return to TV. I hope it's soon because HBK brings a ton of charisma and heritage to the tube. I still feel Shawn will have a significant role at WrestleMania, only not as a wrestler. His workouts are going well from what I'm told. **For RAW on Monday, the WWF is expected to have The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. William Regal and Kurt Angle. Triple H is also expected to return on Monday night. **The final Smackdown rating did a 4.5 rating. (Cred: wwf.com) _______________ [News from WCW] **Official Nitro Preview: Flair Play The office of the CEO has also informed us Sean O'Haire -- fresh off a major win over Kanyon -- will battle Lex Luger in singles competition. Tag champions O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo are scheduled to face Totally Buffed at WCW Greed. Many wrestling insiders have predicted O'Haire could become the next Bill Goldberg in 2001. Could the former NBT member begin his legacy by defeating the man who retired the phenom? Here are a few other exciting matches, courtesy of the CEO: Cruiserweight Tag Team Tournament Air Paris and AJ Styles vs. Primetime Elix Skipper and a Mystery Partner The Filthy Animals and Jung Dragons have already advanced to the semifinals in this exciting tournament. This week, new cruiserweights Paris and Styles will take the first step toward possibly earning WCW gold. As of press time, there was rampant speculation as to who Elix Skipper would take as a partner -- especially considering how few friends Primetime has in the locker room... Shane Helms vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. These two tremendous athletes are set to meet for the cruiserweight belt at WCW Greed. Monday's non-title match promises tremendous action -- and some foreshadowing of their PPV rematch. Konnan vs. Lance Storm Last week, Konnan and Lance Storm made very distinct and different decisions about their WCW destinies. The leader of The Filthy Animals promised to rally wrestlers against Ric Flair's tyranny. The founder of Team Canada focused on the CEO, too. Recognizing an opportunity for easy advancement, Storm agreed to become The Nature Boss' hired thug, and made an unholy allegiance with the Magnificent Seven. Konnan and Storm's heated bout represents, not only the war that has torn apart the locker room, but also the future of the Atlanta-based promotion. PLUS: Scott and Rick Steiner, DDP, Booker T., Buff Bagwell, The Cat, Shawn Stasiak, Road Warrior Animal and more of your favorite WCW superstars... (Cred: wcw.com) _______________ [News from ECW] **Be sure to check out The LAW (Live Audio Wrestling) on the Toronto Starphone - (416) 350-3000 x5291 (long distance charges may apply) this coming Saturday to hear Jeff "The Ref" Kohl's exclusive interview with ECW's Mikey Whipwreck! Tune in to hear the former ECW Champ speak his mind on all the hottest topics surrounding him and professional wrestling today, including the current state of ECW, his working with Tajiri and the Sinister Minister, his time down in WCW, and so much more! As well, the interview will be available to listen to as of this Saturday March 3 in RealAudio at www.JeffTheRef.com ! **Speaking of Mikey Whipwreck, MikeyWhipwreck.com has been updated with news on when and where you can see Mikey Whipwreck. Check out his updated schedule page plus much more right now on MikeyWhipwreck.com! (Cred: jefftheref.com) __________________ [In other news...] **Although no dates have been announced, TSN's Off The Record with Michael Landsberg will be doing several shows with WWF wrestlers in the next while. Already confirmed is a show featuring The Hardy Boyz and Lita as well as an all Canadian panel of wrestlers discussing wrestling issues. However, no names have been announced yet and won't be until early next week. Landsberg will also be doing a special one-on-one interview with a yet to be announced guest. In the past, however, whenever the show has featured one on one interviews, it has been with heavyweights like Vince McMahon, Eric Bischoff, The Rock, Mick Foley or Stone Cold Steve Austin. All expectations are that this will be of the same magnitude. All three of the shows will be taped on March 17th which is the same day as the WWF show at the Air Canada Center. (Cred: the law) ______________________________________________________________________ [Article] McMahon in talks w/ Lawrence Taylor about Joining XFL As things get more and more desperate for the XFL, Vince McMahon has started talks with Lawrence Taylor about joining the league in some way, shape or form. The story has been confirmed by Taylor's agent. At this point in time, however, it is unknown what role exactly Taylor would play with the XFL but the move would help some XFL gain some badly needed positive publicity. Taylor has worked with McMahon and the WWF once before, as he made an appearance at a past WrestleMania. (ultimo) ______________________________________________________________________ [Column] Rounding the Squares Circle - by Sam Jerry "DADDY, DID YOU PUT THE KAT OUT?" OR "THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE ......THE QUINTESSENTIAL STUD MUFFIN" By now just about everyone (well, maybe with the exception of the residents of Beautiful Downtown Lower Dudleyville) knows that The Kat has been neutered, and The King has taken his crown and gone home with her. The reasons for The Kat's dismissal by Emperor McMahon aren't quite clear at this time, but it appears that she ruffled the fur of some of the others that shared her litter box. Word is that she was hard to get along with and that she hissed at the production crew. There are indications that she had never been warned or spoken to about her attitude so the punishment seems harsh. No one except those involved know the complete story. Egos and backstage problems have haunted and hurt WCW, so it looks like Emperor McMahon has decided to send a message of zero tolerance when it comes to disruptive forces in The WWF locker room. For the most part The WWF has had a happy bunch of campers and wants the sandbox to stay that way. This has been one of the main reasons they have been able to become, and stay the top wrestling Federation. The King had to support The Kat when she left; that is what spouses do. Knowing that, it appears that The Emperor left the door open if The King changes his mind after he cools down. He had reached agreement on a new contact a few months ago, but never returned it. This means The King is a free agent, able to sign with anyone he wants to. Reliable sources say that Good Old Eric (GOE) has already contacted The King about bringing his act to WCW. This would give WCW an immediate lift in the quality of their broadcasting team, and lord knows they could use it. Where does that leave The WWF? The color man has usually been a heel or a "tweener," with a background in the ring or as a Manager. People like Jesse "The Mind" Ventura and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (before he was lobotomized by WCW) come immediately to mind. Bobby's name has been thrown around, but he is too "80s" and way past his prime; another name (bite your tongue) is Larry "The Loser" (ugh) Zabisko, a never was. Larry Loser is to announcing as Douchebag Doophus Page is to wrestling, as oil is to water, as a operating room sterile is to a sewer. Who then can The WWF put in the color spot? Tazz has done a good job on Heat and when subbing on RAW and SmackDown, but has a ways to go before he is ready to step in full time, besides he still has a career in the ring. (Note to Emperor McMahon: Please turn Tazz loose and let him be the destructive force he was in ECW); Michael Cole is being groomed to take over Good Old JR's spot (one can only pray that JR lives to 125); Kevin Kelley is better at playing the fool (if in fact he is playing); Michael P.S. Hayes is a possibly, but a long shot; Tom Prichard is better suited for backstage activities; no one has figured out what The Coach is best suited for. With ECW about to become a memory (damn!), that leaves Joel "The Quintessential Stud Muffin" Gertner available. Anyone who has seen him on WCW knows his talents. Gertner has the background, having been the Business Advisor to The Dudley Boyz, and then color man for ECW on TNN. He has the sense of humor that is essential for the job, is great on the mic, and can keep JR honest. He worked well with Joey Styles (who IMHO is the best announcer around) and would complement JR. While we are talking about Joey Baby, why not hire him as well? With Joey around, The WWF would have a great back up man for JR, as well as insurance should something happen to him. Gertner is the best color man available and would be an asset to The WWF. Boss, you say you listen to the fans; here's your chance to prove it ... Sign him! In fact, sign both of them before GOE does. Visit My Home Page At http://members.aol.com/samjerry ______________________________________________________________________ [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] **1Wrestling/Dave Scherer/Bob Ryder @ http://www.1wrestling.com **Wrestling Observer/Dave Meltzer @ http://www.wrestlingobserver.com **The Law/Dan Lovranski @ http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com **UltimoWrestling/MrWolfson/MrCutting @ 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 **Call The KLiQ Hotline For Daily Pro Wrestling News & Rumors. This call give you the most updated Pro Wrestling News that matters. This call is FREE and allways will be you can call from the US and Canada the # 1-888-561-4391 ! Give it a call. REMEBER it's 100% FREE YOU WILL NEVER BE CHARGED ______________________________________________________________________ [nWN Staff] Founder & Editor: naidO - naido@hotmail.com Columnist: Sam Jerry - SAMJERRY@aol.com Columnist: The Vile - vile316@yahoo.com 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