______________________________________________________________________ __ __ __ __ _ ____ | | | | | \ | | | |/ _ \ | | | | | \ | | | / \ | | |/\| | | \| | | | | | | | | |\ | | | | | | /\ | | | \ | |__| |_| |__/ \__| |__| \__| [ n a i d O ' s - W r e s t l i n g - N e w s ] Edition 311 March 24, 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] Conference call with McMahon & Snyder **Parting chair shot **Affiliates ______________________________________________________________________ [Note from naidO] Hello to those just joining. Tell your friends about the BEST newsletter around to subscribe today! - This by far is the biggest thing and biggest day in the history of pro - wrestling. I will leave my opinions out. What you will get today is pure legal documents straight from the horses mouth (those horses involved at least) and a few more tidbits. Tomorrow's edition will probably have more aftermath and Monday & Tuesday will be off the hook! - naidO nWN Founder - http://www.geocities.com/naidosnews ______________________________________________________________________ [TOP NEWS STORY] WWFE Acquires WCW from Turner Broadcasting Cross-Brand Storylines To Create Intriguing Possibilities for Fans Expected to Increase Television Ratings, PPV Buys STAMFORD, Conn., March 23, 2001 - World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. (NYSE: WWF) today announced its purchase of the World Championship Wrestling (WCW) brand from Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. (TBS Inc.), a division of AOL Time Warner. The purchase of WCW creates a tag team partnership with the World Wrestling Federation brand that is expected to propel the sports entertainment genre to new heights. In keeping with the company's strategic alliance with Viacom, new WCW programming is anticipated to air on TNN in the near future. The possibility of cross-brand storylines and intrigue, however, may start as early as Monday night during WWF Raw Is War on TNN and the final performance of WCW Monday Nitro Live on Turner Network Television (TNT). The binding agreement provides World Wrestling Federation Entertainment with the global rights to the WCW brand, tape library, and other intellectual property rights. "This acquisition is the perfect creative and business catalyst for our company," said Linda McMahon, Chief Executive Officer of World Wrestling Federation Entertainment. "This is a dream combination for fans of sports entertainment. The incendiary mix of World Wrestling Federation and WCW personalities potentially creates intriguing storylines that will attract a larger fan base to the benefit of our advertisers and business partners, and propel sports entertainment to new heights." "The acquisition of the WCW brand is a strategic move for us," said Stuart Snyder, President and Chief Operating Officer for World Wrestling Federation Entertainment. "We are assuming a brand with global distribution and recognition. We are adding thousands of hours to our tape library that can be repurposed for home videos, television, Internet streaming, and broadband applications. The WCW opens new opportunities for growth in our Pay Per View, live events, and consumer products divisions, as well as the opportunity to develop new television programming using new stars. We also will create additional advertising and sponsorship opportunities. In short, it is a perfect fit." --- Forward-Looking Statements : This news release contains forward- looking statements which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include the conditions of the markets for live events, broadcast television, cable television, pay-per-view, Internet, food and beverage, entertainment, professional sports, and licensed merchandise; acceptance of the Company's brands, media and merchandise within those markets; and other risks and factors identified in documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated. (WWF.COM) ______________________________________________________________________ [News from The WWF] **The WWF announced today that WrestleMania in Houston is completely sold out today, at close to 64,000 tickets. They have announced that another 1,000 tickets or so will be released on the day of the event. They can get a legit 65,000 when that happens **News and notes from good ol' JR: - Bob Holly hasn't been cleared to return to work yet. He had swelling between his C5 and C6 discs in his neck but is expected to return to television next week. - Kane is doing a media day Friday in Knoxville, Tenn., for our RAW IS WAR event coming there April 16. The Big Red Machine resides in the area. - Shane McMahon is putting in a great deal of work preparing for his street fight with his father Vince McMahon. - The Undertaker had 16 staples put in his head to close the wound he suffered on SmackDown! in the confrontation with Triple H. I still feel this will be a helluva match at WrestleMania. - Scotty 2 Hotty's physical therapy is going well and he will make appearances at AXXESS and WrestleMania. - We will have an update from Rikishi's doctor Tuesday after Rikishi gets his next check up on his surgically repaired eardrum. Rikishi is scheduled to be at WrestleMania but will most likely not see combat. - Spike Dudley and Rhyno had solid debuts last week, but we could have done a better job in letting our Federation audience know who these two performers are. Not everyone is familiar with Extreme Championship Wrestling. - We wish Randy Hales the best of luck with Memphis Power Pro Wrestling and look forward to the possibility of working with him again if the opportunity arises. As always, Jerry "The King" Lawler and Stacy Carter will do a great job with these folks. - Madison Square Garden is once again sold out for Saturday night in New York City. We have an impressive string of sellouts since 1998 for our No. 1 market. - Shawn Michaels was in Houston Friday doing media for WrestleMania. The Heartbreak Kid could appear back on Federation television as early as next week. - In hindsight, we did not do as good a job as we should have managing our Tuesday SmackDown! taping in Providence. Too many long delays without in-ring action. We learn from our mistakes. - Expect a Chris Benoit-Kurt Angle match to be included at WrestleMania. I like the sound of that one! - Test has begun a slow but steady rise up the ladder. His progress will largely depend on his continued improvement of telling his story in the ring. Physically, he is there. - TLC 2 seems to be one of the most anticipated matches at WrestleMania. I'll hold my breath on this one. - Mick Foley will be a part of WrestleMania and could be making an appearance on Federation television next week. Mick is still a very vital part of the Federation and WrestleMania will be better with Mick on it. - The "Gimmick Battle Royal" is beginning to take shape. Michael Hayes, Brother Love, the Bushwhackers, Kamala, Kimchee, Doink the Clown, Repo Man, Nicholai Volkoff, the Iron Sheik, the Goon, Hillbilly Jim, Earthquake, Typhoon and Sgt. Slaughter are all confirmed and others may be added. This will hopefully give the event a little comic relief. - Al Snow, Jacqueline, Tori and Tazz are all doing an excellent job with our new program, "Tough Enough." This property will begin a 13- week run on MTV in May as it now stands. Triple H and Pat Patterson have already taped cameos with more Federation Superstars expected to do the same. - Vince McMahon had an excellent appearance on WFAN radio on Thursday in New York City. The Federation top dog was on the air over an hour with hosts Mike and the Mad Dog, which is very unusual. New York Post columnist Phil Mushnick did not come off as well, in my opinion, on the same forum. - X-Pac, Justin Credible and Albert have a significant upside together but all three need to work on their verbal skills to get to where they all want to go. - Could Raven be on his way to becoming a fan favorite? - Expect a Tazz and APA vs. Right to Censor six-man tag to be added to the WrestleMania lineup. - Val Venis has singles star appeal and will be utilized in that manner this year, sooner than later. - Triple H had a superb appearance on NBC's Conan O'Brien show Thursday night. HHH also has three items in the top 20 most sold merchandise in the Federation in February. The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, the Hardy Boyz & Lita and the Dudley Boyz have also posted strong sales numbers. WWF, The Music: Volume 5 was the top selling catalog/Web seller while the Undertaker's Deadman Inc. T- shirt was No. 1 at venues. - WrestleMania has a four-hour window this year on Pay-Per-View. - WrestleMania's ticket sales far exceed $3 million and should end up with around a $3.5 million gate for the Astrodome. AXXESS is really doing well, too, and I hope you get the opportunity to check it out if you are in the Houston area, even if you do not have WrestleMania tickets. It will be well worth the investment. I can't believe how much this event (AXXESS) has grown and how much fun it looks like it will be for all Federation fans. See you there! - Tajiri has signed his Federation contract and is getting paid; however, we do not have an official start date for him yet. - Perry Saturn's in-ring work is unfairly compared to Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko and Eddie Guerrero, the three men Perry arrived with in the Federation. Perry works very hard and if he keeps doing so will no doubt end the perception that he is not on the same level as the other three aforementioned performers. Perry is a solid hand, but the other three are all extremely proficient. Working smarter solves lots of perceived ills. I think Saturn will be just fine in the long run. - Jerry Lynn starts his Federation house show (non-televised event) tour of duty Sunday in Baltimore, where the show begins at 2 p.m. - Next week could be very significant for the Federation as it relates the WCW. There is a possibility that Monday could yield more information and news but that remains to be seen. **Smackdown finished with a 4.2 rating and 7 share, placing it in its usual fourth place for the night. It was the easiest competitive night in a long time with Survivor having been moved to Wednesday and Friends in reruns. Instead of the 17 that Survivor would get, CBS ran with the March Madness which did a 7.9. **Perry Saturn has updated his commentary over at PerrySaturn.com. This week, Saturn talks about wrestling Chris Benoit. To read, click the link http://www.perrysaturn.com/commentary/default.asp?aID=887 (Cred: wwf.com, 1wrestling) _______________ [News from WCW] **Brad Siegel sent the following email to WCW employees today. March 23, 2001 To: WCW Staff From: Brad Siegel RE: WWF announcement Today, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. is announcing that we have reached an agreement for the sale of WCW. This agreement with WWF holds tremendous potential for the WCW brand and assets. The press release announcing the news is attached. As we told you last week, WCW programming will not appear on TNT and TBS Superstation after March 27. We will share more information with you about the WWF's immediate plans for WCW in the all-staff meeting scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, at 10 a.m. at the Power Plant. Thank you. **Taking a look at who the WWF plans to keep and who to let go out of WCW. The Pro Wrestling Torch has gotten hold of a list of workers the WWF plans to keep from WCW: Lance Storm - Mike Awesome - Sean O'Haire - Chuck Palumbo - Shane Helms - Mike Sanders - Hugh Morrus - Kidman - Elix Skipper - Chavo Guerrero Jr. - Shawn Stasiak - Kaz Hayashi - Mark Jindrak - Yang - Stacy Keibler The above wrestlers plus around nine or ten others will have their contracts bought out by WWFE. --- Although there aren't any other names known offhand, there are a few that are likely candidates to be picked up by the WWF: Goldberg - Booker T - Dallas Page - Ric Flair All four have upper-level contracts that will not be bought out by WWFE. Instead, they will let their contracts be paid off by Time Warner and then renegotiate. --- Names that the WWF will likely NOT be picking up: Hulk Hogan - Sting - Buff Bagwell - Lex Luger - Scott Steiner - Jeff Jarrett - Kevin Nash - Rey Mysterio, Jr. --- Some analysis: Some of the names on the "accept" list and "reject" list are pretty surprising. Shawn Stasiak is one. He used to be with the WWF, and was fired because of tape recording backstage conversations. Jeff Jarrett is another. Jarrett left on good terms with the company, and even worked a day after his contract expired. **Dave Scherer reports that some WWF talent will definitely be on the Nitro "Season Finale" this Monday. As of now, it is not known who will be at the show, but there is said to be more than one WWF representative making an on-camera appearance on Nitro. Eric Bischoff will be on Nitro as well. **Despite a severly torn ligament in his right wrist, Kanyon worked both the WCW Greed PPV, along with Nitro and Thunder. It is unknown whether he will actually miss anytime, or continue to work injured. **Despite recent internet rumors, the injury DDP suffered at the Greed PPV was legit. The injury occured when Page walked right into a belt shot, which caused a laceration to open up in his head. Many had reported that DDP had done a "blade job," which is simply untrue. DDP ended up passing out during the finish to the match. **Dusty Rhodes' website is saying that Dream will be "flying to NY to meet with a very big name in the entertainment field" next Tuesday. They say they will have more on what is going on at their site next Tuesday. (Cred: wcw.com, 1wrestling) _______________ [News from ECW] **After WrestleMania, this section will officially be deleted if there's nothing major happening. (Cred: ) __________________ [In other news...] **With recent rumors that the XFL will somehow defy the word "logic" and expand, is appears as though on of the cities being considered for an XFL team next year, is Portland, Oregon. Recently, XFL Officials were in Portland, taking a look at a stadium downtown, which had recently been remodled. The Oregonian, a local Oregan Paper, has also recently reported that the XFL has shown interest in Portland. (Cred: xfl.com) ______________________________________________________________________ [Article] Conference call with McMahon & Snyder Linda McMahon and Stuart Snyder, President and Chief Operating Officer of WWF, just completed a conference call talking about their acquisition. Here are the highlights. When asked for the purchase price of WCW, Linda said that she would not address that and would respect AOL's privacy policy on that. When asked about contracts of wrestlers, Linda said that they would be assuming some of the contracts, but not all. That is part of the final details that the sides are working out now. Any old WCW advertising deals that AOL had are their problems, not the WWF's. Linda said that creating more wrestling product for WCW was exciting, not a daunting task. When asked if they would have separate TV deals, PPVs, etc., Linda said that they plan to have the company retain it's identity as WCW. She said that they don't have any plans in place yet for where WCW will air. Linda was asked if this was their "crowning achievement" and she said it was a good acquisition today, but she didn't know if it was a crowning achievement. She was asked what wrestlers they would bring in and she said, again, that she didn't want to say who, as she said above. But she said to expect exciting things from this. When asked about what to expect, she made a key point of saying that they will create more PPV revenue down the road, as well as having more money created through the old footage they acquired. She also said that we can expect WCW PPVs, very soon or down the road. The WWF will use the power of their brand to promote the product. When asked about the WCW finances, Stuart Snyder said that there weren't any surprises when he looked at the books and that the bad health of the company has been widely reported. He said that when the WWF joined negotiations this time (for the second time), things moved quickly. He said that when they talked about buying the company last year, they had TV exclusivity issues with Viacom, They said that the XFL had nothing to do with them doing this. Linda said that they expected to re-launch the brand on a Viacom property. She said to watch Monday because they may have a tease as to when programming could start. Linda was asked how much programming they will do for WCW and she said that it hasn't been decided yet. When asked if the deal would have an affect on WrestleMania, Linda said, "You know better!" Obviously, she won't give that away. As for licensing and agreement deals, Snyder said they will take some of them. He said that it will take a week or so to work that out. When asked if there was a chance this could fall apart, Linda said they signed a binding letter and the deal will be finalized next week. It will not fall apart. Linda was asked how they would rework the WCW product. She said that the creative team would be given a chance to "wrap their arms around it". When she was asked about starting a wrestling channel, she said it's not imminent now, but it could be down the road. Linda said it was not a stock deal. When asked if Nitro will be rewritten for Monday, she said that all she can say is that there are talks going on right now between the two creative teams. When asked if the WWF had anything to do with WCW programming being canceled, Snyder said that they were negotiating before the programs were cancelled. He said that when they got back into the dealings, canceling programming was needed to be done, due to their connections with Viacom. That would mean that AOL chose selling WCW to the WWF over Fusient. Snyder said that they began talking with AOL again about three and a half weeks ago. He said that the WWF had always had interest and once it became available, they took advantage of it. When asked if developmental people and former ECW talents would appear on the new WCW show, she said it was possible, but she was not sure at this point. She again said that the creative team needs to get its arms around it and take it from there. When asked if the WWF would take over WCW lawsuits, Snyder said no. The final caller asked that if a worker playing a gimmick, like Sting, didn't want to come to the WWF, would another person play Sting. Snyder said it was too soon to say. ______________________________________________________________________ [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 **http://www.PaulHeyman.Net - BECOME AN AFFILIATE OF nWN and make it your official newsletter!! 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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 To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: naidoswrestlingnews-unsubscribe@egroups.com Sorry to see you go if you do =(