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 >  ________ __    __   __|   | _________________  No part of this publication may
 > |   _   \\  \/\/  //   _   | Part 1 of 1        be reproduced without written
 > |  |_)   |\  /\  /|  ( _|  | SATURDAY                permission from Stephanie
 > |    ___/  \/  \/  \ ______| April 25, 1998          Ujhelyi & Pro Wrestling Digest.
 > |___|    w e e k e n d e r   �����������������  (C) Copyright 1998 PWD
 > 
 > ____________________________________________________________
 > ===================
 > INSIDE THIS ISSUE
 > -------------------
 >      HEADLINE NEWS: Wrestling Tights
 >      IN OTHER NEWS: WCW Thunder Report, WCW Worldwide Report, Lucha Libre.
 >      VIEWPOINTS: From the Bitch World Order.
 > 
 > =====================
 >    WRESTLING TIGHTS
 > ----------------------
 >      FREE FLAIR MOVEMENT UNDERWAY: Bob Ryder of 1Wrestling.com reported on
 > Friday that the WCW lawsuit against Ric Flair prompted a grass roots effort
 > by Internet fans to send WCW and its sponsors a message that they don't
 > approve of the treatment he has received at the hands of WCW management. The
 > Internet revolt, which spread rapidly, appears to be organized by a fan
 > under the e-mail address Fan98@iname.com. Fans attending Thunder on
 > Wednesday night broke out into "We want Flair" chants at several points
 > during the show. There has been no comment from WCW officials regarding the
 > situation. Check out the "Free Ric Flair" website at
 > http://www.jdub.com/ricflair.
 >        BUFF GOES UNDER THE KNIFE: 1wrestling.com reported on Friday
 > that Marcus "Buff" Bagwell was expected to have the vertebrae in his neck
 > fused on Friday. His surgery, however, has been postponed until Monday
 > according to other sources. On Wednesday Thunder, medical attendants took
 > Bagwell from
 > the ring on a stretcher after jamming his neck against Rick Steiner's back
 > as Steiner was attempting a "Bulldog" from the top rope. The news initially
 > looked promising, but doctors who examined Bagwell on Thursday found damage
 > to several vertebrae and recommended surgery. He is expected to be out of
 > action for nine months to a year, according to sources at WCW. Fans wanting
 > to send "Get Well Wishes" can write to: Post Office Box 7, Bloomingdale GA
 > 31302.
 >      1WRESTLING.COM IS NOW FREE SITE: Bob Ryder recently announced his
 > service, 1Wrestling.com, is now a free service open to everyone. Currently,
 > the only area under password protection is Talk Central and it will
 > eventually also
 > be free. "This is a move that we've considered for quite some time, and
 > we're happy to finally be able to do it. We'll still have some special
 > events on a Pay-Per-View or Pay-Per-Listen basis, but the overwhelming
 > majority of the site will be free," he said. Ryder said the costs for the
 > site are now being absorbed through its advertising. Premium members will
 > no longer be charged for the site and those who purchased Silver or Gold
 > plans will be refunded the balance of their memberships on a pro rated
 > basis within the next four to six weeks. Don't forget to check out
 > http:1wrestling.com. It is definitely worth the effort!
 >            MARKS, WATCH OUT? A&E TO TELL 'THE UNREAL STORY OF PRO
 > WRESTLING': According to www.wrestlemaniacs.com, the Chicago Tribune reports
 > that "The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling," an A&E Network special at
 > 7 p.m. Sunday, spends only a bit of its two hours conceding that this
 > "sport" is actually fake-fighting. Instead, it takes an affectionate look.
 > Noting that Lincoln wrestled in 300-plus matches, the special weaves more
 > than a century of grappling history into the argument that pro wrestling
 > requires extraordinary athletic ability in the "entertainment performance"
 > to make simulated violence look believable. The show's premier will be
 > running opposite the WWF Unforgiven PPV on Sunday (8-10pm EST), but you can
 > catch a replay later on that night at midnight to 2am. Another airing is
 > scheduled for May 1st at 9-11pm and a replay at 1-3am. The Entertainment
 > Tonight feature on WCW has been rescheduled for April 28th. SOURCE:
 > http://www.wrestlemaniacs.com
 >      WHERE ARE THEY NOW? A recent article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press
 > lists
 > the current activities of several well known former AWA wrestlers:
 >      * JESSE ``The Body'' VENTURA - Now the mayor of Brooklyn Park, he
 > plans to run for governor this year on Ross Perot's Reform Party ticket;
 >      * NICK BOCKWINKEL - A former AWA world champion, he now sells life
 > insurance in Minnetonka but plans to move to Las Vegas;
 >      * GREG GAGNE - After retiring from the ring in 1992, he worked for
 > a few years behind the scenes at WCW and is now a car salesman in
 > Bloomington.
 >      * KEN PATERA - Still an active wrestler, he operates Patera's Fitness
 > Emporium in St. Paul and still trains beginners;
 >      * LARRY HENNIG - ``The Axe,'' as he was called, has been selling
 > real estate in Elk River;
 >      * KILLER KOWALSKI- In addition to being active in Spring Lake Park
 > community affairs, he carried the Olympic torch through Minnesota en route
 > to the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta;
 >      * SHEIK ADNAN-AL KASSIE - His Minneopolis deli closed three years
 > ago and he still wrestles on local cards near his home in Minnetonka;
 >      * BARON VON RASCHKE - He sold real estate and substitute taught for
 > a while, before moving to Lake George Minn., where he opened a souvenir
 > shop called the Wigwam;
 >      * JIM BRUNZELL -  In addition to still wrestling in Minnesota and
 > Wisconsin, he sells novelty for a Detroit Lakes-based company;
 >      * KENNY JAY - When he isn't still in the ring, ``The Sodbuster,''
 > who once fought Muhammad Ali, operates a family-owned landscaping company in
 > Bloomington. SOURCE: http://www.wrestlemaniacs.com
 > 
 > ========================================================================
 > WCW THUNDER REPORT by Indigo <dnl@nb.net, http://1indigo.simplenet.com>
 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------
 >       We are coming off the best Nitro to my recollection. We saw
 > Goldberg defeat U.S. Champion Raven, and Hulk Hogan defeat World Champion
 > Randy Savage. Let me remind all of you that this week's Thunder was on
 > Wednesday Night, due to the NBA Playoffs.
 >      Hollywood Hogan graced us at the onset of Thunder. Hogan displayed the
 > World Belt with pride, followed by his lackeys Eric Bischoff and the
 > Disciple. The Disciple had the "honor" of spraypainting "nWo" on the World
 > Belt.
 >      Hogan said that everyone is scared of him. He stated now that the
 > belt is back with him, there is a new rule around the wrestling world. He
 > said that if any wrestler in WCW puts their hands on Bischoff, they will
 > have to answer to him, and the rest of the nWo. Hogan also said Savage has
 > retired officially from the wrestling world.
 >      Our first match of the night featured the TV Title on the line, as
 > Booker T defended against the Disco Inferno. This was a fast-moving, high-
 > adreneline pumping match. Both men showed great athleticism. At one point,
 > the Disco looked to almost pull off a win until Booker T gained the edge
 > with a missile dropkick for the pinfall.
 >      A quick programming note: This week's Nitro will be split up. The
 > first part will be shown at 12:30-1:30 AM late Monday Night on TNT and then
 > the second part to be shown at 6 PM-8 PM on Tuesday Night on TNT.
 >      The Barbarian faced off against Prince Iaukea. We last saw the
 > Barbarian on Monday's show and was the most intense we have ever seen him,
 > much like he is acting tonight. Prince Iaukea was fighting for all that he
 > was worth, but the Barbarian had alot of fight, also. The Prince had a match
 > at the PPV last Sunday, losing to Cruiserweight Champ Chris Jericho. He also
 > lost Wednesday when Barbarian nailed him with the Barbarian Kick and got the
 > pinfall victory.
 >      Buff Bagwell and Scott Norton were led to the ring by Vincent for
 > tag team action. Their opponents were Lex Luger and Rick Steiner. This was
 > an explosive match. In the end, Scott Steiner came down and hit Rick with a
 > chair when the ref wasn't looking, and Scott pinned Rick to get the win.
 >      We return to video of Buff Bagwell in the ring needing medical
 > attention badly. Buff was conscious but was not moving his body much. We
 > saw a video of Rick Steiner performing a bulldog off the top rope and saw
 > Buff Bagwell's neck snap. The fans and members of Raven's Flock were all
 > stunned. Bobby Heenan visited ringside, and upon returning to the announcing
 > booth and stated that it is a cervical (neck) injury, and they have to wait
 > for the ambulance to come. You could even see that the announcers were
 > really stunned. Buff was down in the ring as we went to a
 > commercial break.
 >      We return to paramedics strapping Bagwell into a stretcher,
 > immobilizing the body to prevent any movement or any more damage.
 > Tony Schiavone informed us that the doctor on hand passed word that  Buff
 > had regained minimal feeling in his arms and legs, which is a good sign
 > somewhat.
 >      Cpt. Courageous fought Horace Boulder, the new Flock member that
 > showed up last Sunday at Spring Stampede, in what was quickly interrupted
 > by Diamond
 > Dallas Page, who served Diamond Cutters to both men, + the ref. DDP picked
 > up the mic, and said he wanted Raven, and he wanted him now. Raven obliged
 > and made his way out of the entrance way before retreating. DDP talked about
 > Raven's family, and Raven was tempted, but retreated again.
 >      The Macho Man Randy Savage, still walking, made his way to the
 > entrance way for an interview session with Tony Schiavone. Savage said that
 > he is
 > 1,000,000 percent OK, and that Hogan is total scum. Savage also said Bret
 > Hart is nuclear scum, and a loser, like all the losers that suck up to
 > Hollywood Hogan. He said that he is sick and tired of hearing Bret whine
 > about how he is always screwed. He said that Bret was the best conman to
 > walk the face of this earth, and that he is totally overpaid,
 > overpublicized, and the biggest mark on earth. He added Bret Hart now has
 > the #1 spot on his personal hit list.
 >      Goldberg, the US Champion, had a title defense against... Mike
 > Enos? Since when did Mike Enos jump up to number one contendor for the US
 > Championship? Well... Goldberg made quick work of Enos, as he hit him with
 > the Jackhammer and scored the victory pinfall.
 >      Sting took on Scott Steiner in the main event of the night. During the
 > match, we received word from the hospital that Buff is moving around pretty
 > well, and that is great news. Buff most likely received a Stinger which
 > temporarily parilyzed him for a few minutes. Sting was ready to win the
 > match cleanly, but the nWo came out and beat on Sting. Rick Steiner went
 > after his brother, and the Giant came out and cleared the ring. That was it
 > for this week's Thunder.
 > 
 > =================================================
 > WCW WORLDWIDE REPORT by Doug Corti, WWF news editor
 > <JADCORTI@ARTSPAS.watstar.uwaterloo.ca>
 > -------------------------------------------------
 >      MATCH 1: SHIMMA NOBUNAGA vs. ULTIMO DRAGON: In this one, the pupil
 > got a
 > lesson from the teacher. Dragon controlled most of the match with a solid
 > ground game, but Shiima got in some aerial moves. Dragon got the victory
 > after a running Liger Bomb (!) and then he knocked Shimma out with the
 > Dragon sleeper.
 >      INTERVIEW: Tony Schiavone promises to interview one of the greatest
 > talents in wrestling. He brings out the Anvil.
 >      MATCH 2: ROADBLOCK vs. JEFF BRADLEY. The ~ICON! The ~LORD of the
 > Worldwide Cult! On my F'N TV! If you have no idea what I am talking about,
 > come to rec.sport.pro-wrestling.moderated on Sunday or Monday. Block
 > powerslams
 > Bradley, then goes on the apron to roll back into the ring for the win.
 >      MATCH 3: CHRIS ADAMS vs. BUDDY LEE PARKER. Solid enough for
 > Worldwide, even though Adams is really starting to slow down at his age.
 > The announcers
 > discussed Parker's work with at the Power Plant. Buddy tries some nice
 > moves, but misses one off the top rope. From there, Adams knocks down Parker
 > with a series of kicks, and then nails him with the Superkick.
 >      MATCH 4: DOC DEAN vs. GEDO (w/ Sonny Onoo). Dean controls the
 > match, but
 > eventually runs into a boot. Doc is then nailed with a front
 > suplex, then Gedo gets 3 by rolling up Dean out of a camel clutch position.
 >      MATCH 5: HIGH VOLTAGE vs. WAYNE BLOOM & MIKE ENOS. Decent enough
 > back and forth match. The blonde member of Voltage spent most of the match
 > as the
 > "face-in-peril". The hot tag is made after a collision with Bloom. The
 > dark-haired guy comes in, but gets in trouble. The problem is that Bloom has
 > the referee distracted, and that allows Voltage to double team and hit the
 > Voltmeter.
 >      INTERVIEW: Schiavone talks to Chris Benoit.
 >      MATCH 6: GLACIER vs. THE GIANT. At least this was quick. Just under a
 > minute. The Chokeslam ends the misery.
 >      This was a decent show for Worldwide.
 >      Next week: Booker T, Fit Finley (WOO-HOO!), 'Diamond' Dallas Page
 > (ehhh...) & Brian Adams (D'OH!)
 > 
 > ==========================================================
 > LUCHA LIBRE news report by Superpsicosis <psicosisnews@hotmail.com>
 > --------------------------------------------------------------------
 >      AAA TV TAPING (4/16 Arena Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico):
 >      <> MATCH 1: "Los Payasos" COCO NEGRO/COCO ROJO/COCO AMARILLO/COCO NEGRO
 > over "Los Vipers" MANIACO/HYSERIA/ELECTROSHOCK/AAA PSICOSIS. First
 > fall was mostly brawling. At one point in the match, Psicosis & Hysteria go
 > to the locker rooms and come back out with a sheet of wood and some chairs.
 > They lay out the wood on top of four chairs in the ring. They get Coco
 > Negro in the ring and lay him out on top of the wood. Psicosis climbs on
 > the top turnbuckle and leaps on to Coco Negro with a senton and he goes
 > through the makeshift table. Psicosis pretty much missed Coco Negro and he
 > broke the makeshift table. Then they beat him up with a chair until they get
 > Disqualified. During the second fall, "Los Payasos" hit the Vipers with
 > plastic soda bottles. One of the Payasos has a chair and he hits both
 > Psicosis & Hysteria in the butt. Later Cibernetico runs in with a chair, and
 > all the Payasos get nailed with it. He stands on the edge of the ring. Then
 > Perro Aguayo Jr. comes out and low-blows Cibernetico. In the confusion the
 > Payasos pin Hysteria and Maniaco for the win.
 >      <> MATCH 2: PERRO AGUAYO JR./HEAVY METAL/EL NOVILLERO over SANGRE
 > CHICANA/ABISMO NEGRO/CHARLY MANSON by DQ. First fall ends with Perro Jr.
 > pinning Abismo after his stomp. Heavy makes Sangre submit. El Novillero
 > looked kind of impressive in the second fall. However, Abismo hit everybody
 > with a chair. Abismo then did a sort of frog splash on to El Novillero to
 > pin him. Sangre pins Perro Jr. to take the second fall. Cibernetico watched
 > the third fall from ringside. Manson grabs Perro Jr. and takes him over to
 > Ciber who kicks him. They hold Oscar down in the ring, and Abismo springs
 > off the top turnbuckle and nails him with a chair. Heavy and Perro Jr. are
 > standing outside the ring. They grab El Novillero and throw him over the
 > rope on to Heavy and Perro Jr. The ref then raises the tecnicos hands and
 > awards them the match via over the top rope DQ? Kickboxer attacks Heavy from
 > behind, and some AAA people break it up.
 >      <> MATCH 3: PENTAGON/OCTAGON/PERRO AGUAYO over CIBERNETICO/FUERZA
 > GUERRERA/AAA MOSCO by DQ. Los Payasos escorted the tecnicos to the ring to
 > look out for the Vipers. All through out the match, the Vipers appeared in
 > the crowd or in the aisle. Maniaco and Psicosis distract Los Payasos while
 > the other Vipers storm the ring and attack the tecnicos. Rudos get DQ'ed. A
 > big brawl ensues with Heavy Metal and Perro Aguayo Jr. coming out to help.
 >      EMLL TV TAPING (4/7/98 in Arena Coliseo, Mexico City, Mexico)
 >      <> MATCH 1: REY BUCANERO/VIOLENCIA/ULTIMO GUERRERO over MASCARA
 > MAGICA/OLIMPICO/FANTASMA.
 >      <> MATCH 2: LA FIERA/NEGRO CASAS/FELINO over SCORPIO JR./KARLOFF
 > LAGARDE
 > JR./SATANICO. Lagarde has Felino pinned two times and pulls him up. The ref
 > warned him not to do it again. He did, so he disqualified him.
 >      EMLL TV TAPING (4/10/98 Arena Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico)
 >      <> MATCH 3: DR. O'BORMAN JR./HIJO DEL GLADIADOR/HIJO DE ANGEL
 > BLANCO over ULTRAMAN/SOLAR II/NINJA DE FUEGO. Ultraman did a tope on
 > O'Borman to the
 > outside. He looks like he got injured. He hit his head on O'Borman's
 > shoulder and he didn't get up for a while until the doctors took him away.
 >      <> MATCH 4: DR. WAGNER JR./GRAN MARKUS/APOLO DANTES over
 > HEADHUNTERS I &
 > II/BRAZO DE PLATA. A brawl with the rudos in control. A lot of fighting
 > outside the ring. At one point, Wagner and Apolo throw one of the Headhunter
 > over the top rope. Wagner and Apolo then suplex the other Headhunter. Then
 > Markus with a senton on HH and then splashes him on the mat to pin him.
 > Wagner makes brazo submit to take first fall. HH in the ring clotheslines
 > Apollo and Wagner over the top rope to the floor. Then he starts to move
 > like he's gonna fly but stops as Wagner and Apollo move. But he gets on the
 > edge of the ring and does a mini plancha on to them on the floor. They all
 > get up eventually and stand next to the ring. Then the other Headhunter
 > flies over the top rope and lands on them taking them down. While the refs
 > are occupied, Wagner low blows Brazo with his shoulder and pins him to take
 > match in 2 falls.
 >      <> MATCH 5: RAYO DE JALISCO/ATLANTIS/SUPER PORKY'S over THE
 > STEEL/MASCARA ANO 2000/CIEN CARAS. Steel with a plancha on to Rayo Jr. to
 > take the first fall. During the second fall, Atlantis climbed on turnbuckle
 > and drop kicked Cien Caras and went for pin. Then Porky bumped Mascara down
 > and Atlantis
 > pinned him to take the fall. In the third fall, Steel rips Rayo Jr.'s mask
 > off like he's done for the last couple of times. Except this time he had
 > another mask under it. As Steel celebrates Rayo Jr. gets up and fouls Steel
 > and pins him for the fall and match.
 > 
 > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 > IN-HOUSE ADVERTISEMENT: Pro Wrestling Digest is looking
 > for someone to write WWF AUDIO SHOW reports. Interested
 > parties should e-mail PWDeditor@postbox.co.nz with a
 > sample report and details.
 > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
 > 
 > ===========================================================
 > FROM THE BITCH WORLD ORDER of the Taskmistress Liz Michael
 > -----------------------------------------------------------
 >      Sorry I've been gone. For a series of complicated personal and PWD
 > administrative reasons, I haven't had a column for a while. Being the
 > showstopper, the Icon, and the maineventer of PWD, I hope you didn't miss me
 > too much. There is so much to talk about this may get to be a rather
 > extended column. I suppose I'll start with my Unforgiven preview.
 >      SHAWN GONE. Biggest news is probably Shawn Michaels is gone
 > possibly for as long as 6 to 7 months. So now the WWF gets to see how they
 > can do without
 > their showstopper, Icon, and maineventer. Given that they had their first
 > victory over Nitro a couple of weeks ago, things are looking up for the WWF.
 >      STEVE AUSTIN (ch) vs. DUDE LOVE - WWF CHAMPIONSHIP: One of the things I
 > didn't expect, after the Cactus Jack "retirement" was a heel Dude Love. That
 > one they got me on. Count on Austin's title going nowhere, but something
 > weird happening. Vince alludes to something earthshattering happening.
 > There's even a hint of McMahon's interference in the match.
 >      Most shocking potential surprise: Rick Flair getting involved in this
 > somehow. More on that later.
 >      HUNTER HEARST HELMSLEY (ch) vs. OWEN HART - EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP:
 > Chyna in a cage above the ring. Actual title could go either way. I do
 > expect Chyna to somehow manage to get involved. Most shocking potential
 > surpise: Chyna
 > breaks open cage with her bare hands. You gotta love this girl.
 >      SABLE vs. LUNA - EVENING GOWN MATCH: Sable was the surprise of
 > Wrestlemania, putting in a stellar performance, and carrying Mero, Dustin,
 > and Luna. I am very pleasantly surprised Sable knows how to wrestle. I'm
 > actually getting a little tired of Luna, and would like this better if
 > there was something like a Women's title to fight over. But a catfight is a
 > catfight I suppose. Bad news is that Sable has an injured foot. It's not
 > going to stop the match, but it is going to limit Sable's mobility, so this
 > match goes down a few
 > notches, since Luna couldn't carry a cup of coffee. Expect no nudity. I know
 > they're teasing it, but I'll eat my Stetson if it happens.
 >      THE UNDERTAKER vs. KANE: Inferno Match. How about a little fire,
 > Undertaker? I for one was disappointed that there was no cemetary match as
 > sold. Possible twist: Vader interference. Best possible scenario: the Fatman
 > gets well done. Could be one of those good stiff matches, and if they ignore
 > the fire element for most of the match, this may turn out pretty good....but
 > do expect a screwy ending.
 >      THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS (ch) vs. LOD 2000 - TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP:
 > Again. LOD, modded up, with Sunny. Is something wrong with this picture?
 > Yeah, I think
 > so, too. This is why I think Sunny's turning on Hawk and Animal and joining
 > DX. Which could set up a Chyna defection from DX later on. I've heard the
 > prospect of a Chyna-Road Warriors partnership. Chyna is a Road Warrior type
 > of woman. Sunny isn't. There aren't a lot of places left for this to go, so
 > this is what I expect. May not happen but it makes the most sense.
 >      THE NATION OF DOMINATION vs. FAAROOQ, KEN SHAMROCK & STEVE
 > BLACKMAN: six-man tag. They are drawing this out a tad too long. Better
 > booking would have
 > been to make the Rock defend the IC title against Simmons. This seems to be
 > where they are headed with this, so I wish they'd go there. It's fine for
 > the heel to effect the pussy title defense, but don't have the company
 > supporting him with non-factor matches like this.
 >      In fact, that is the whole part of this storyline that really bugs
 > the $%*! out of me. That Rocky is having the WWF do his dirty work for him
 > and help
 > him get screwjob defenses. This is something you should let the heel or his
 > stable do. The Shamrock reversal at Wrestlemania was a travesty. You don't
 > book that way. Not unless there's a heel referee angle, which there isn't,
 > or a heel owner angle, which there isn't in this storyline. Makes no sense.
 >      DOUBLE J sings with SAWYER BROWN. I thought Jeff Jarrett was
 > exposed as a Milli Vanilli-type fraud who couldn't sing. What are they
 > going to sing,
 > "Girl You Know It's True"? I really don't know what to expect out of this.
 > It probably sets up something. Du-uuuhhh!
 >      Overall Unforgiven evaluation.....will probably be mediocre...won't
 > suck
 > outright. Have no intention of buying it. Couldn't be any worse than
 > Wrestlemania 14.
 >      FLAIR FOR THE WWF GOLD???????????? I won't repeat the news you all
 > know about the Flair-Bischoff contract dispute and lawsuit. Let me just
 > give you the Taskmistress' wrinkle on it. I'm not a lawyer. But I am an
 > entrepreneur.
 >      Is the WWF's fan dream possible....that Ric Flair may be headed to
 > Vinnieland possibly either in an NWA angle, or as a 'tradition champion" to
 > counter Austin. And could he appear in Greensboro, or the following night on
 > RAW?
 >      I can't say that I expect him to appear this weekend. But it's not
 > beyond the realm of possibility. Here's what I think. The very fact that
 > Bischoff is going to court to me immediately signals the WWF's involvement
 > somehow. The very fact that no contract has been signed, only a letter of
 > intent to an extension of an old contract, means that the very existence of
 > a contract
 > is a matter up for debate. That being the case, Flair might reasonably
 > interpret that he has in effect been fired by WCW, and if he and McMahon
 > agree to take the risk, Flair could show up....in fact, there is little
 > preventing McMahon from "selling" Flair a front row seat.
 >      Factors to consider: WCW has taken down all references to Flair in
 > their
 > promotion. That was a WCW action. It's very nebulous legal ground to say
 > you're shelving, but not firing, an employee. Moreover, it is established
 > reality that a man can do anything he wants as long as he is willing to pay
 > the penalty. If McMahon and Flair decide to risk the legal penalty, nothing
 > restrains Flair from physically showing up at WWF events. Bischoff cannot
 > send troops into Greensboro to stop Flair from showing there.
 >      Additional factors: In the letter of intent, apparently additional
 > title
 > reigns and guaranteed victories over certain people were specified. It is
 > possible that Bischoff reneged on this, and if he did, frankly, Bischoff
 > breaches the contract. Another factor. Ric Flair is mentioned BY NAME in WWF
 > programming, but NOT in WCW programming any longer. Another: McMahon just
 > put out $4 million to use Mike Tyson for a few weeks. You think he would
 > flinch at $2 million at risk to get Flair? Especially with WCW crowds
 > chanting his name?
 >      Additionally, one might argue that now is not the time for Flair to
 > legally "go it alone": have a Flair vs. Time Warner court battle. But
 > wouldn't it make sense to up the ante: turn a Flair vs. Time Warner legal
 > battle into a WWF/Flair vs. Time Warner legal battle? Yes, this would be a
 > high roller strategy. But there is so much to be gained by Flair and
 > McMahon doing business now it makes sense for them to do it. Especially
 > with Bischoff bragging about how he is "going to bankrupt Flair". That
 > REALLY is the way to build up your wrestling stables' confidence in you.
 >      VAL VENIS IS COMING: You've probably seen the cheesy ads with Sean
 > Morely (The Steel in Lucha Libre) being extremely sexually suggestive. How
 > will Val Venis do? If you're expecting Morely to be a great technical
 > wrestler, forget it. But Sean Morely has a knack for doing stuff to get
 > heel heat. He was most masterful at this in Lucha Libre, where he plays a
 > white North American in a shiny steel mask who constantly berated the
 > country and the people of Mexico.
 > Envision the Colonel Adnan/Iron Sheik gimmicks multiplied by 20. That's what
 > Morely did in Mexico, briefly holding the Heavyweight Chamoionship, and
 > lauding it over the Mexican fans. I therefore expect Val Venis to be REAL
 > big. He is really good at making fans mad at him.
 >      WCW: That Bischoff put the Heavyweight strap back on Hogan tells me
 > that Hogan runs the company, and that Hogan will get whatever he wants no
 > matter how
 > bad it makes WCW look. Probably would not have happened without the Randy
 > Savage injury. This probably foreshadows a Hogan-Bret Hart match where Bret
 > wins the title. Bischoff is messing up nearly every part of WCW almost as if
 > it's by design. Should Nitro ratings start taking a beating to RAW with any
 > regularity, and should this Flair incident get nasty and result in a few
 > defections by wrestlers, look for Bischoff to get axed. Eric Bischoff
 > basically lucked out with one fantastic angle, the NWO. His luck is
 > beginning to run out.
 > 
 > __________________________________________________________
 >                         ___
 >  ________ __    __   __|   |  Available by e-mail three times a week,
 > |   _   \\  \/\/  //   _   |  COMING SOON: The PWD web site.
 > |  |_)   |\  /\  /|  ( _|  |
 > |    ___/  \/  \/  \ ______|  EDITORIAL: sujhelyi@valunet.com
 > |___| PRO WRESTLING DIGEST    CIRCULATION: diablo@cryptic.org
 > 
 >      <> EDITOR/PUBLISHER: Stephanie Ujhelyi <sujhelyi@valunet.com>
 >      <> WEEKENDER EDITOR: Elizabeth Michael <maryflash@juno.com>
 >      <> CIRCULATION DIRECTOR: Rob Williams <diablo@cryptic.org>
 >      <> WCW NEWS EDITOR: Michael Tyler <mat2mtt@atlas.vcu.edu>
 >      <> WWF NEWS EDITOR: Doug Corti <JADCORTI@ARTSU1.uwaterloo.ca>
 >      <> VIEWPOINTS EDITOR: Patrick Emond <thehbk@pop3.sprint.ca>
 >      <> PWD WEBMASTER: Indigo <dnl@nb.net>
 >      <> CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Jeff Boman, Jeff Bradley, Tim Krysko,
 >       Mike Munshaw, Hugh Glen and Sterling Sonia.
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 


--
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