MLB

Thank you, @Perfectly Straightedge, for the ruling on Bigelow. I am certain it was a typo, but Bigelow-LT main evented WrestleMania 11, not 13. @Control21 you're entitled to your opinion and you made some valid points. We both laid out our arguments well. Everybody was civilized about this. Onita, on the other hand, might have some more words for Maeda trying to sabotage W*ING USA. For the hell of it, here is that '96 shoot between Bam Bam and Kimo:

On the flip side, I think Yankem DDS straight up for Scott Steiner is fair and @jeff5819 can keep Rikishi.

Cool, no hard feelings here. I was hestitant to part with Shinzaki, he's awesome. I can totally abide by however you guys want to arbitrate this claim. Shinzaki and the RnR Express is my final offer for Bigelow.

By the way, @Control21, did you think Jim Duggan for Booker T was fair? Booker T was TV champion pretty much all of '98 and became a world champion by 2000. You had nothing to say about Jake Roberts for Nash.

Yeah, I spoke up about the Nash deal. I get it. You're almost saying verbatim what I said concerning the integrity of the Untouchables. Although, I disagree with your evaluation of Bigelow in 1996. In defense of the RnR Express, they worked for WWF in 1998. Mike Awesome was ECW Champion, Bam Bam wasn't. Also, I realize PWI is a kayfabe magazine which makes a Japanese wrestler like Shinzaki reaching 50 even more impressive in 1995. To be clear, I think conversations like these is part of the fun.

I respect that, however a couple points. First of all, I'm W*ING/FMW. I don't have WWF or WCW type of wrestlers to offer and it would prelude me from almost everybody on the List unless I'm releasing my champion Hayabusa. Secondly, Bigelow was a year removed and totally out of the WWF for good by 1996. He got his ass kicked in Japan at a 1996 U-Japan event by Kimo Leopoldo in a match Bam Bam thought was going to be a work. Had a memorable run in ECW but did not win the world title. Yes, he had a big 1998 with the Goldberg program. After that, it was midcard hardcore stuff with Sandman and Big Vito. Three, Shinzaki had a huge 2001 and Bigelow was finished by 2000. Shinzaki was ranked 50th and Bigelow was 30th on PWI's 500 in 1995.

W*ING USA will toss in the Rock 'n' Roll Express along with Hakushi.

W*ING USA would like to use it's Untouchable Pick for September to acquire Bam Bam Bigelow and release Hakushi (Jinsei Shinzaki). If additional compensation is needed then let me know.

It is interesting how the promoter is often viewed by fans and wrestlers as a fantasy father in the Freudian sense. Why does TK need to be more authoritarian? What power does he have? Because we're not getting Omega vs. Punk? What is the problem? We're not gonna get Page/Punk II? We got Bucks/FTR III.

In the spirit of 1996, here's a match I watched this afternoon featuring a young John Zandig (as the Icon) taking on Doug Gilbert at NWA's Bloodfest. Note that Zandig looked absolutely jacked here while performing a kip up. Classic Cornette on the mic as the event was held in Kentucky. The show was produced by Heyman and ECW as a NWA affiliated event with Sabu, Taz, and Tommy Dreamer on the card:

Pop quiz: Who has worked the most shows for WWE in 2023? Answer:

Damian 666 arrested After what was described by police as a psychotic episode at a hotel around 330AM, Damian 666 has been released from a psychiatric hold by Los Angeles authorities. Police noted in their report that drug paraphernalia was recovered at the scene. Initially responding to an anonymous 911 call, police reported Damian became aggressive and had to be involuntarily restrained. W*ING USA has released Damian 666 until his legal status can be resolved, with his appearance before a judge scheduled for late September in a Los Angeles County Superior Court. Damian 666 is the second participant in the W*ING USA Turbo Violence tournament to have left abruptly after TAKA Michinoku quit the company. A replacement for Damian 666, who had advanced to the 2nd round, is expected to be chosen soon.

W*ING TV Season #1 - Episode #2 Preview: W*ING USA Owner Atsushi Onita is back! Coming off of a red hot '96 Tears, Onita will announce the inaugural W*ING USA Grand Champion Hayabusa's next challenger at Bloodstar! Onita will be joined by a surprise legend who intends to make Onita a very intriguing offer! A health update from the Sandman after Mr. Pogo's attack at '96 Tears! With the sudden departure of TAKA Michinoku immediately following '96 Tears, a mystery replacement wrestler has been selected who will face Dr. Wagner Jr. in a 1st round Turbo Violence tournament match! W*ING USA will hold it's first ever bikini contest to crown Miss. W*ING USA hosted by Kimona Wanalaya and Dave Meltzer! Cobra with his crew of "Real Nature Boy" Buddy Landel and "Double" CW Anderson show up at Universal Studios looking to confront Eric Bischoff! New Jack speaks! The main event will be a trios match with a wild card opportunity at stake to become the fourth team in W*ING USA's WarGames Trios Championship match at Bloodstar!

W*ING USA releases Mad Man Pondo and officially activates Terry Funk. W*ING USA releases Damian 666 and signs Dory Funk Jr. I will try to get Pondo and Damian back eventually but I am capped out and I've finalized Funk's expedited return plans.

Pro wrestling on a large scale has always been backed by legacy families like the McMahons, Khans, Crocketts, Carters, "Court" Bauers, etc. Ted Turner was the son of a billboard magnate. Otherwise, it is considered outlaw wrestling and derided as backyard.

The Khan family has been very generous to the wrestling business, let's be real. TK is not making money off AEW. Cornette bitches every week that TK is overpaying the boys. I keep reading how fans want TK to "crack down" but also delegate more and it seems like a catch 22.

Wait...you don't like Tony? I mean, I don't know what people want. I thought was Dixie was cool, I thought Herb Abrams was cool, so I should probably preface these statements. I think Rob Black is great. It's pro wrestling not church. Fans complain about bullying and then wonder where Bill Watts went. Tony is great for these times, seems like a cool bro to hang out with.

Agreed, Taylor rules. I totally get why Keith Lee was seen to have the higher ceiling in mainstream wrestling but Taylor's probably better at it. Yeah, Tony is great.

I'm with ya, Dale. Cornette has talked about back in the day Heyman thought everything was a work too. Maybe we're just wired like that. There are works that don't necessarily play out in the ring. You might argue "the money's in the match" but not necessarily. I think Perry is working like Pillman. There are "semi" worked/worked shoots where not everybody involved is smart.

The York Foundation was ahead of it's time.

I don't like to pick up wrestlers and drop them, however I did not realize Rhino underwent such a physical transformation between 1996 and his debut in ECW at the end of 1999. In 1997, Rhino was working for a catch promotion in Germany and looked considerably smaller than the monster he'd become in 2000. Rhino has much more of an amateur background than I previously knew of, wrestling for five years in school. The image I had of him goring everybody was too much of a stretch in 1996 for me. I am going to fast forward the careers of Corino and Zandig a bit but it doen't seem as drastic of a physical change.

W*ING USA releases Rhino and signs Mad Man Pondo.

Yes, I did infer a demotion based on that information and it's all conjecture on my part. Punk is pure speculation. However, it bears repeating that Big Steph did not want to sell the company. That was Vince's decision. I think the writing is on the wall for Hunter, but I'm only making discussion on a wrestling board.

@jeff5819 not sure if you caught it, but W*ING USA has signed a certain former editor for RAW magazine named Vic Venom. Venom is definitely going to have a lot to say about the WWF in the coming months, so look out for that!

That seems to be the gist of what transpired. WWE: Make Roman look good. Punk: Okay, no problem. WWE: Seriously...make. him. look. good. Punk: I got it the first time, make him look good. I know what I'm doing, I work here. WWE: Cool, just making sure you make him look good. Oh, and you're going over Reigns. Punk: