====================================================================== ====================================================================== ____ ___ ____ ___ ____ / /\/ /\/ /\ / \ / /\ __ ___ / / / / / / / / \ / / / / \/ \ / / / / / / / / \/ / / / \ / \/ / / / / / / / / /\ /\ / / / / / / /\ / / / / / / / / /\ \/ / / / / /\ / / / / / / / / / /\ / / / / / \ / / /____/ /___/ / /___/ / \_____/ / /___/ / /__/ / \____\/\___\/ \___\/ \____\/ \___\/ \__\/ n a i d O ' s W r e s t l i n g N e w s Edition// 426 Date// July 20, 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// Jim Ross Conference Call Notes Comment// Vile Thoughts 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! -Click for the SMACKDOWN results: http://www.naidosworld.com/tvsmackdown.html -First, WTF was up with Stephanie's ta ta's? Those things were HUGE! Either that's the worse case of bra-stuffing I've ever seen, or Daddy's little girl get her self a couple D-cups whilst Hunter was in the hospital. Now on to SmackDown! I'd like to go on record right now by saying that Austin will be turning back heel on Sunday and here's why. The WWF invested millions on Rock/Austin at WrestleMania 17. Now, a little over three months later, it all means bullshit. People have short attention spans, but not THAT short. Rock comes back and what, he faces a babyface Austin? We can't have that at WretleMania Jr. (SummerSlam), that just doesn't work. So. Austin we know hates McMahon. So, he's going to join the kids simply because he's the "old" Stone Cold. A man who could care less about saving ANYTHING that has to do with the man. Rock's suspeded, it gets lifted by Vinnie Mac and he asks to save the WWF. Book that now Danno! LOVE THE NEWSLETTER? PLEASE TELL A FRIEND TO JOIN! Thanks for reading. naidO// ====================================================================== TOP HEADLINE//======================================================== -Vince makes Forbe's "Faces in the News" for the 19th of July: NEW YORK - This year's been about as fun as a full nelson for former billionaire Vince McMahon. He started up the XFL football league, then watched it fail miserably and felt its pinch in both his personal wealth and his company's stock. Now his corporation is being taken to court. A wildlife group that used to be known as the World Wildlife Fund is suing the World Wrestling Federation (nyse: WWF - news - people), or WWF, over the use of those initials. The Worldwide Fund for Nature claims that the wrestling federation breached a 1994 agreement that contained a written series of restrictions on business use of the initials WWF. The wrestling federation argues that the agreement runs counter to European trade law and that the restrictions place a burden on its business practices. This year the wrestling federation posted a fourth-quarter net loss of $20.4 million, or 28 cents per share. McMahon lost his billionaire status along with $400 million in nine months. Source// Forbes.com ====================================================================== News from the WWF//=================================================== -Lita and Trish Stratus were on the Howard Stern radio show this morning: There was nothing major coming out of the show. Howard started out by saying that they weren't manly looking women like Chyna. Howard said that he liked Chyna, but didn't want to see her in bra and panties. Howard asked if the women in the WWF made what the men make, and Trish said no. Both girls said that they don't resent it because the guys work harder and take more bumps than they do. Howard fawned over them a little bit and asked them if they would be wearing thong underwear or bikinis at the show. They said they would be wearing thongs because it was PPV and they can be racier. Howard said he was buying it to watch the women, and not the guys. He then asked if they realized that watching women fight was every man's fantasy and they sarcastically acted like it was news to them. Howard also asked if the women's breasts ever popped out. Lita said hers did one time, and it was the only time she thought she didn't need to tape it in her outfit. -A reminder that Vince McMahon will be the special guest on Byte This! this afternoon at WWF.com at 4pm ET. -WWF.com has published an article asking "Where's Foley?", which you can view by clicking http://www.wwf.com/news/headlines/1069639 -Smackdown did a 4.9 overnight broadcast rating, with an 8.0 share. Source// 1Wrestling, Ultimo ====================================================================== News from WCW//======================================================= -Scott Steiner was supposed to appear in Forsyth District Court yesterday to face charges of simple assault stemming from an incident during the January 11 Nitro in Winston-Salem, NC. Steiner's court date has been pushed back a third time and is now scheduled for Wednesday, September 19. -WCW.com has published an article on Shawn Stasiak and how he has been presented with a perfect opportunity, and to view the article, click http://www.wcw.com/news/0719/01.html -WWF.com has published an article on Nick Patrick vs. Earl Hebner at InVasion, which you can view by clicking http://www.wwf.com/news/headlines/1069400 -Lance Storm has updated his commentary "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly", which you can view by clicking http://www.stormwrestling.com/commentary/default.asp?aID=1117 Source// LWN, Ultimo ====================================================================== News from the rest of pro-wrestling//================================= -According to 1wrestling, the following matches have been added to the 8/9 Brian Pillman 2001 Memorial Show: *Diamond Dallas Page vs. Booker T vs. Kanyon *Mark Henry vs. Hugh Morrus *Justin Credible and Raven vs. Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn *Steve Corino vs. David Flair for the NWA Title *Billy Kidman vs. Jerry Lynn vs. X-Pac Source// 1Wrestling ====================================================================== Article//============================================================= Jim Ross Conference Call Notes Here are the highlights of the Jim Ross Conference Call that was held Thursday afternoon: When asked about the ECW trademark issues, JR said he wasn't versed on the legal aspects, but he said the bankruptcy court doesn't have a problem with it and they realize the angle is fictitious. The WWF are interested in the ECW property and tape libaray . He was not surprised by the ECW fan support once they were added to the Invasion angle. He said WCW had eroded their fan base before they went out of business and even though the ECW fan base was much smaller than WCW, they were more loyal to that brand. He said they changed the invasion angle around based on the TV ratings and Vince McMahon's gut feelings and that adding ECW made the story better He said the WWF overestimated what they had in WCW in not just talent but in the brand itself. There was nothing tangible for audience. He said that they have had serious talks with Goldberg, Flair and Sting but its up to ecomonics and motivation. For Sting, he has a family and other projects Goldberg feels that he should be paid the money owed him by Time Warner before he does anything else. He said that Flair was a legend and should be treated as such. However his old WCW contract is structured differently than WWF contracts. He said that Flair knows we're interested and we would welcome him with open arms. He is very pleased that the TV ratings have come up since the Invasion angle started and more people are buying tickets to the live shows. He's also happy that the protagonists and antagonists in the angle are clearly defined now. He hopes that talent will take the opportunities given them. Commenting on the Buff Bagwell situation, JR said they had meeting in Atlanta about a week ago dealing with problems developing around Buff. Ross said that Buff had a negative aura around him that was part his fault and part the fault of others. Talent had lost confidence in him because of his bad attitude and Buff realized he made some mistakes in the ring and in the locker room. They mutually agreed that he should leave for awhile and maybe he can come back. If he had stayed, Ross said that he would have burnt a bridge in the locker room. He talked about Vince's vision not always being 100% but that he has great track record. For example, the Dudleys are now bigger stars going back to ECW than when the WWF got them the first time. He talked about a packed roster and how the WCW and ECW guys have to jump up and play. There are big opportunities for talent if they grab it. There will be no more new guys introduced until they get the others over. He said that down the road the plan is still for both WCW/ECW and WWF to have their own shows. When asked about talent cuts by Buck Woodward of 1wrestling.com, JR said the site had been duped. He said that he is constantly looking at contracts everyday because they are all different., depending on who's will be up in 90 days. He said they are always looking to manage the roster better and that if the creative staff says they have nothing for a guy, then JR evaluates from there. He doesn't know who he will do the commentary with on Sunday. It could be Michael Cole and himself but he feels that is not the ideal situation. He talked about Paul Wight and how the creative staff is having more confidence in him. He seems to be comfortable with Billy Gunn and JR says their tag team has connected for some "perverse reason". JR feels that when Show sees what he can do he would be great and that he has to realize his potential. He was a WCW guy that wasn't ready for prime time. JR put over Angle as the next top guy. He said that Benoit and Y2J both contributed tremendously. E & C are both ready to be individual stars. He compared Jeff Hardy to Shawn Micheals and said that Matt would be a great heel. He applauded the APA, who hung in there and got more popular because of their vignettes. They have sold a lot of merchandise but JR feels they need to get to the next level. Commenting on Chyna, JR said that she had different goals and was more focused on being successful on TV and in the movies. He said that the WWF couldn't meet her needs in these areas. He didn't say she'd never work in the WWF again, but she wants to go off into TV and movies in LA. He said they haven't decided what to do with the Women's title yet. He mentioned having a tournament eventually. JR said that locker room moral was getting better but that it is tough because it is territorial by nature. Even in the old days of the territories, JR said that when a new booker would come in with his guys, there was always tension. He said that the WWF and WCW guys working and travelling together has eased them into building relationships with each other. He said he'd be lying to say everything was fine but it is getting better. He said the first combined house show in Tacoma was uncomfortable. He said the WCW guys except for Buff, have great attitudes. He said the idea of WCW RAW was on the drawing board but that they have gone back to square one. They ultimately want to have two shows with one on cable and one on network TV. JR said he felt badly about the Lawler issue and that it was a waste of talent not to be using Lawler. He said it was up to Lawler to sort out his personal issues first . JR feels that he will be back some day. On the return of Mick Foley to the mix, JR said he and Vince met with Foley last week. Mick has been overwhelmed by the promotion of his book and shooting Robot Wars for TNN in England. They want him back in the mix but Foley also wants to do alot more writing. JR felt that he should have a recurring role on TV because he was one of the most entertaining guys on the roster. When asked about the status of Shawn Michaels, JR said that he is still on the roster and under contract but they haven't developed anything for Shawn yet. He would like to see a recurring character for Michaels as well. He mentioned that the Montreal show at the Molsen Center in Montreal has been moved to Oct 16 so they can tape Smackdown there. When asked about the Rock's return, JR joked that he will start out on the ring crew and then he might get a chance driving the truck. He said his PPV return would be at SummerSlam and that advertising material announcing that is already out. How he will be reintroduced is not in stone but Vince has the ideas in his head. JR speculated that Rock could be back on TV the last week of July or first week of August. He said that it was important that the WCW guys perform well on Sunday. He want the fans to get their money's worth. He said that they have to be careful how we package the matches based on the talent's strengths and limitations. He also said the new agents have really helped as well. He says that Sunday's PPV will have10 or 11 matches. He also talked about former WCW wrestler Mike Sanders doing a voice over test with M Cole and Coachman. He did very well and they are going to send him to Stamford to fine tune his talent. He also said that Al Snow will do Sunday Night Heat for the next while. JR also talked about being influenced by Gordon Solie as broadcaster. He taught JR the lesson that you could add legtimacy to the product by attitude. He said that Cowboy Bill Watts because of his authentic reality based product, also helped him fine tune his talent. He said that he was still a fan and that he has fun out there. He also said that the less he knows going into a match, the better he likes it. Finally, there was a question asking if the ECW icon Sandman would be showing up in the WWF. JR said that there had been no talk recently but he did realize the name value Sandman has with ECW fans. He said that maybe down the road as the story evolves and judging by how the fans react that you could see Sandman back. He also said that he has been talking to Scott Steiner. JR said he was injured right now but that he expected him to come into the WCW after that. JR said that he likes the non predictable nature of the business right now rather than booking a card six months in advance. He finished by saying that Sunday's PPV could be great or could be a train wreck. Source// The Law ====================================================================== Article//============================================================= Vile Thoughts - by The Vile Before getting on to the WWF, I just have to say my faith in humanity has been restored. There are just some events in your life you never forget: Your first kiss, the birth of your children, and of course the event I want to talk about: It defintely ranks up there with them. Darryl being cut from Tough Enough. I had hoped this no-talent, monosyllabic, arrogant, inbred, abortion would get cut this week, but I thought his size might cut him a break. As Vince would say, "NO CHANCE!!" The only thing I regret is that I heard about it, and didn't see it. Now I have to see the replay, because if it's anything like the Weakest Brit..er..link, then at the end of the show, Darryl would be whining his ass off about how he deserved to win, and that everyone had it out for him because they were jealous. One last thing Darryl: DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOUR SLOB ASS ON THE WAY OUT!!! As for Invasion, it's finally here. Although I would have preferred to see this about 10-12 years ago when the greats were still somewhat in their primes, and not retired. Oh well, we'll still see some interesting matchups I hope. The success depends on the ECW guys, because the WCW guys look like the proverbial "deer in the headlights." Of course, all of the hullabaloo is over the "RETURN OF THE RATTLESNAKE!!" Is it just me, or is it a little early to be throwing a party. First off, it was one of the most contrived things I've ever seen. I know, it's wrestling, but come on, Austin looked like Superman returning from the dead, or Batman after Bane broke his back. How do you end up stunning between 80-90% of the coalition, and not get a mark on you? I could have sworn I saw Tommy Dreamer ask him "Uh, Steve, which way would you like me to hold my head when you stun me?" The last time I saw something as blatant as this was well...last week, when Chan Ho Park grooved a BP fastball to Cal Ripken in the All-Star Game so he could be a "hero" and knock it over the fence. Fred Blassie could have went yard on that pitch. My question is: Will it last? Will we finally see the trash-talking Austin that we love? Or will he revert to Puss 3:16's weekly "I'm the WWF champion, and I deserve respect." Or could he maybe be doing this to lure the WWF in, and then join the coalition? I think we'll actually see option one. And that's for this reason: The WWF can't possibly win the main event. If it does, it makes the ECW and WCW look like jabronis. If you wanna think about WCW that way, fine, but not ECW. They have to win, and it has to be devious. But how, you ask? Simple: Watch for the Olympic sometimes Zero to turn Hero, and turn his back on the ungrateful WWF. Angle's mean streak on Monday was awesome, and all he got for it was the red- headed stepchild treatment because everyone was tounging Austin. The Zero gets his revenge at Invasion. Until next week, here's hoping that Invasion lives up to it's billing. If not, there's gonna be trouble. ====================================================================== 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 ====================================================================== 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 ====================================================================== ======================================================================