====================================================================== ====================================================================== ____ ___ ____ ___ ____ / /\/ /\/ /\ / \ / /\ __ ___ / / / / / / / / \ / / / / \/ \ / / / / / / / / \/ / / / \ / \/ / / / / / / / / /\ /\ / / / / / / /\ / / / / / / / / /\ \/ / / / / /\ / / / / / / / / / /\ / / / / / \ / / /____/ /___/ / /___/ / \_____/ / /___/ / /__/ / \____\/\___\/ \___\/ \____\/ \___\/ \__\/ n a i d O ' s W r e s t l i n g N e w s Edition// 408 Date// Julu 1, 2001 Motto// "Continuing to get the news so you don't have to." Website// http://www.geocities.com/naidosnews Subscribe// naidoswrestlingnews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Unsubscribe// naidoswrestlingnews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com ====================================================================== Table of Contents//=================================================== naidO's daily note TOP HEADLINE Latest news & notes from the WWF, WCW & the rest of pro-wrestling Article// Booker T on BYTE THIS Comment// Rounding the Squared Circle Comment// What If? Remember... Affiliates ====================================================================== naidO's daily note//================================================== Hello to you and to those just joining. Tell your friends about the BEST newsletter around to subscribe today. Enjoy this latest edition of nWN! -HAPPY CANADA DAY TO ALL MY CANADIAN READERS! Heading down to Niagra Falls today with the folks and girlfriend for a picnic, some eats and some treats. I didn't check my lottery ticket yet so still pray for naidO to become a millionaire, HAHA! Take it easy and enjoy this news-sparce edition of nWN! LOVE THE NEWSLETTER? PLEASE TELL A FRIEND TO JOIN! Thanks for reading. naidO// ====================================================================== TOP HEADLINE//======================================================== -Burdened by low Smackdown! numbers, the WWF is now facing a simular situation involving its flagship broadcast - Raw Is War. The latest Nielsen Media Research numbers are out and they are not encouraging to say the least. For the week of June 18th to 24th, the first hour of Raw drew a meager 3.0 rating while the second hour (War Zone) didn't do much better at a 3.6. Last week the ratings were pretty much the same with a 3.1 for Raw Is War and a 3.6 for War Zone. If the numbers remain constant reflecting the true Raw Is War audience, the WWF will certainly lose much of their pull with the major television networks. Sader still is the fact that Raw's first hour barely beat out the 'BET Awards Show' on the Black Entertainment Network that brought in a 2.8 rating even though Raw and War Zone still held down the first and second slots on the Nielsen Cable Ratings chart. Source// SLAM ====================================================================== News from the WWF//=================================================== -To read an interview with Molly Molly conducted by SLAM! Wreslting, click http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestlingBiosH/holly_molly_01jun30- can.html -Tickets went on sale yesterday morning for the 9/3 Raw in Toronto. Despite all the talk late in the week that the fact it would be "WCW" (which is known to such a tiny percentage of the audience that it wouldn't have mattered) would kill sales, the show sold out almost immediately. There was apparently an altercation at the sales and one report has it that police came with pepper spray. -Jim Ross in a roundabout way on the Ross Report talked about the Heat that a lot of the former WCW wrestlers are getting by WWF guys. Difference in the respective locker room environments and how they were brought up in the business. Both sides may think that "this is how it's done" and if you don't do it our way, you "know nothing" or "don't show proper etiquette." Ross sort of defended Booker T, who came out of the PPV with a lot of Heat. -Just a quick reminder to Canadian viewers that Off The Record's one- on-one interview between Mick Foley and Michael Landsberg airs Sunday, July 1st at 5:30pm ET on CTV. Source// SLAM!, Dave Meltzer ====================================================================== News from WCW//======================================================= -To read Lance Storm's latest commentary, click http://www.stormwrestling.com/commentary/default.asp?aID=1111 Source// ====================================================================== News from the rest of pro-wrestling//================================= -Click to read Bret Hart's latest commentary: http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling/hitman_home.html Source// SLAM! ====================================================================== Article//============================================================= BOOKER T ON BYTE THIS! - He and Shane talked about how great an impact they made on TV this week. Question: Being WCW champ and the flagship of the company He is looking to take the WWF guys to another level. WCW is here to stay. Question: Dropping the Axe Kick on Vince McMahon Booker had always had a recurring dream about nailing Vince with the kick and he finally got the chance on Raw. Question: How does it feel to be under the "new" WCW? Booker worked for WCW for 8 years. It was a good time but he always wanted to get in and out of the business. Now, after just a few weeks with the WWF, it has given him a whole new outlook on the business. In the WWF, there is one common goal and that is to keep the fans happy. Question: How long until we see a WCW run show? Shane mentioned that they are working on that right now. He is still being blocked by his dad. Question: How did it feel for Booker to be involved at MSG? It was overwhelming. It was a big event to be at WWF NY as well. It was great to be among the WWF fans. It was also tremendous to see how the fans support the product. Shane put over Mike Awesome's "powerbomb from hell" to win the WWF Hardcore title. Question: The final Nitro broadcast It was the end of a chapter. He was glad to win the WCW title. He put in a lot of hard work into his career and feels that another chapter is about to begin. Question: Shane's favorite of his own matches. All of his matches mean something special. His first match with X-Pac and his match against Test at SummerSlam were great. The most emotionally grueling match was against his dad at WrestleMania. Shane's wife, after watching his match at King of the Ring, doesn't want him to keep doing them. However, he does not share that opinion. If the timing and storyline is right, then he will get in there. Question: Tough Enough Shane feels that the show should be more than 30 minutes a week. He was real bummed when it ended. He also hopes that the contestant Darryl gets beaten up by Tazz. Shane couldn't relate to watching the kids learn how to take back bumps. He learned everything the hard way by being thrown down. Question: Boxers or briefs? Boxers. Actually a boxer-brief combo. Question: Will there be cruiserweight tag team champions? There will definitely be a cruiserweight champion and division. They are going to discuss with the talent if they would be interested in a tag team belt for that division. It will be an exciting division with guys such as Kidman and Shane Helms. They will be revamping everything and won't have as many titles as WCW had before they changed ownership. Question: Invasion PPV WCW expects to make a statement of superiority and shock value. It is ironic the PPV will be at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, which was the location of where Vince had WCW taken from him by Shane. Source// Manny A. via 1Wrestling ====================================================================== Comment//============================================================= ROUNDING THE SQUARED CIRCLE "SCREWED BY EMPEROR McMAHON" OR"IF HE KISSES YOU, IT'S LOVE" BY SAMJERRY@AOL.COM Visit My Home Page At: http://members.aol.com/samjerry Bend over WWF fans, Emperor McMahon is about to stick it to you. Not having found a TV Network home for WCW, he is about to change Monday Night RAW Is War into a home for WCW. As part of this deal, SmackDown will become a live WWF program on Thursday. Of course much of the blame belongs to TNN. MTV and any other Network that refused to clear air time for WCW. They will tell us that SmackDown will be better because it will be live and those "spoilers" that ruined it for many fans will be gone. It will be live, but it is basically replacing RAW. If you don't think you are getting the shaft, consider this: In the days of NITRO you got two two-hour "live" (SmackDown was taped, but broadcast as if it were live) WWF programs, now you will be getting only one. Sure they will put a spin on what has happened, telling us that we will be getting a WWFE produced WCW show rather than the crapola we used to get, but take the sugar coating off and we have swapped the WWF for WCW on Monday Night. To make it go in easier we are being greased with "The Invasion," with WCW stars making spot appearances on RAW and SmackDown, and the next PPV will feature a big WCW v. WWF match. We may even see some WCW v. WWF matches every so often, but the end result is we have lost one of our WWF programs. Another thing that will be whispered sweetly in our ears is that WCW may get their own time slot in the future. Sure it could happen, but I put that in The Emperor's favorite category, "Anything can happen in the WWF." I don't plan on betting my first born on it happening any time soon. If you don't think this means all that much, consider that we will only be seeing The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, HHH, Our American Olympic Zero, Edge, Trish, etc., once a week, instead of twice. We will have to wait longer for the next chapter in those story lines that we all seem to hang on. Rather that getting the next chapter 3- 4 days later, it will be a week. WCW fans will be getting RAW on Monday instead of NITRO, but it will be "WWF RAW," not a WCW version. Sure there will only be one WCW program, but what did you lose by losing Blunder? I feel confident that Prince Shane will deliver a product worth watching, but if you are a fan of the WWF superstars, it wont be the same. It will be better than the old version of NITRO, but at the price of losing RAW. If you agree it isn't love, let The Royal Family know. If you attend a live show, carry a banner expressing your feelings at being McMahon'd (Of course this assumes they don't stick it to you again and take it away); If you call into Byte This, tell them; tell your friends to do the same. There is not much we can do about this, but if we sit idly by, The Emperor will think his subjects are happy. Like most protests, the more voices heard, the better the chance something might be done. ====================================================================== Comment//============================================================= What If? - by The Vile It's that time again. That time when we ask the question that can move mountains; that can change history forever; that can topple nations...okay, I'm being too meldramatic. Anyway... WHAT IF LARRY POFHL (Lex Luger) AND SCOTT LEVY (Raven) HAD KEPT THEIR YAPS SHUT THE FRIDAY BEFORE WRESTLEMANIA 10? It was the biggest swerve in WWF history; at least to that date. Lex Luger and Bret Hart were each going to get a shot at Yokozuna's WWF title. Luger was scheduled to win; the details of what would happen after that are sketchy. Anyway, a couple of days before the event, Luger, Levy, and some assorted WWF stars were at a local NY eatery talking shop. In a voice that apparantly was very audible, Levy mentioned to Luger "You must feel great, winning the title on Sunday." The statement was heard by a local fish hack, and in the Saturday paper, one of the headlines was "Luger to win WWF title on Sunday." The WWF was still trying to pass itself off as a "sport" at the time, so Vince did what any self respecting carnival huckster would do: He re-wrote the script. Luger got screwed, and dropped off the planet a year later, resurfacing in WCW. But what if those two lunkheads had kept their big mouths shut? Well, Luger would have joined the exclusive WWF/WCW club. As for his match with Hart, rumors were that Luger was going to turn bad during the match with Hart. If that's the case, Luger would have been Kurt Angle before Angle was cool. I don't think they would have stretched it out that far. If Luger went bad, his "Made in the USA" character would have been scrapped. Heels and Faces were still pretty cut and dry even then, and I don't think the fans would have accepted a heel "flag waver". The Narcissist gag was a failure, so he would have gone back to just plain old Lex Luger, heel. Vince still wasn't much on face vs. face matches then, so Luger would have been the best choice to turn, because Hart was the number one face at the time. Luger also would have been a transitional champion, not holding the belt very long before dropping it to either Hart or maybe Diesel. Although we wouldn't know about Diesel's popularity until later. The scenario did work out well though because Bret and Owen had a lot of heat in their feud, and it carried on for quite a long time. As for Luger "getting screwed", it is just another page in the scrapbook of a guy who could have been the next Hogan. He had a phenominal body, and was liked by the fans. Problem was, he was a bad worker, and hated the fans with a passion; even when he was a face. Don't believe me? Read Positively Page. DDP will give you the dirt on Lex Luger, humanitarian. Hope you enjoyed your lunch that fateful day, Lex Loser. ====================================================================== Remember...=========================================================== -Remember that if you've missed any TV Shows, PPV's or more? Go to the following links to read the results. Raw// http://www.naidosworld.com/tvraw.html Smackdown// http://www.naidosworld.com/tvsmackdown.html PPV's// http://www.naidosworld.com/currentppv.html Ratings// http://www.naidosworld.com/tvratings.html ByteThis// http://www.naidosworld.com/bytethis.html ====================================================================== Affiliates//========================================================== -http://paywindah.hypermart.net -http://www.green-mist.com -http://www.geocities.com/dsherelo -http://www.TommyDreamer.net -http://www.StephanieBellars.com -http://www.PaulHeyman.Net -HTTP://Wrestling-Freak.8k.com BECOME AN AFFILIATE// Make nWN your official newsletter!! Email naido@hotmail.com with your website's address for consideration ====================================================================== News gathering links//================================================ -1Wrestling/Dave Scherer @ http://www.1wrestling.com -Wrestling Observer/Dave Meltzer @ http://www.wrestlingobserver.com -The Law @ http://www.liveaudiowrestling.com -UltimoWrestling/Mr. Wolfson etc. @ http://www.ultimowrestling.com -SLAM! Wrestling @ http://www.canoe.ca/SlamWrestling ====================================================================== Ads//================================================================= -ESW * The number one E-Fed on the face of the Earth! The ESW: Extremely Suicidal Wrestling! http://www.geocities.com/the_esw -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 Columnist: ~*Laine*~ - LoveRock333@webtv.net Columnist: Leno - jm51509@AOL.com ====================================================================== 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. Copyright © 2000, 2001 - naidO - All Rights Reserved ====================================================================== ======================================================================