Dirt Sheets

[spaldoni]

Edger is right, never a dull moment in WCCW. I really love the way you incorporate what's going on behind the scenes. This will be very interesting.

[gordi]

Well... All respect to you for once again taking some shit I stirred up and finding a way to turn it into a challenge to your booking creativity.

[SirEdger]

But, when you look at it, it's something that would've been completely possible behind the scenes in World Class back then, given how Fritz wanted his territory to be run and everything. Yes, it's a really fun challenge to undertake creatively but it's also fun to dive into the mindset of Fritz if that had actually happened. So, big kudos to Gene from me as well on this one!

[dawho5]

I like this response. It's the most constructive way to handle the situation and yes, it certainly does challenge you to scrap half of your feuds. Also, very much a reality-based decision if dirt sheets had been a factor at the time.

[spaldoni]

Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling News

A lot of mid year changes are happening in MACW. The biggest news was the departure of Hacksaw Jim Duggan. Duggan came in for a 3 month deal and the Crockett's wanted to make the most of him and they certainly did. It was reported that the Duggan/Dibiase program drew huge houses on the way to their Great American Bash steel cage match. The Crockett's wanted it stated that Duggan was not obligated to work past July 1st but he said he would do the job to Dibiase on July 2nd before he left. The Crockett's said Jim Duggan was the ultimate professional and is always welcomed back. 

The Great American Bash was a tremendous success as Memorial Stadium drew 30,000 fans. The Crockett's wished to thank all the other NWA promoters who sent in talent for the event. They wanted to also extend a special thank you to the AWA for letting them showcase their world title in a special attraction match. The event will be released on video cassette within the next few weeks. 

New wrestlers arriving on scene recently are Tommy Rich, Bad News Brown, Bull Gantner, The Great Gama, DJ Peterson, George Wells, Chris Youngblood and The Stampede Rush. Leaving are Harley Race, Bob Backlund, Pedro Morales, Jimmy Golden and Spike Huber. The Crockett's wish all of them the best of luck. They wanted to especially thank Harley Race and his outstanding run as Mid Atlantic Champion. 

As for the new guys coming in, Tommy Rich has already won the TV title. Bad News Brown will be in a high profile feud with King Kong Bundy. The Crockett's have high hopes for Bull Gantner who's coming off a strong WWF Run. They are going to give him the Dusty Rhodes rub and he's even slated to be in WCCW's War Games match. They are also pleased to be bringing in International stars like The Great Gama (Gama Singh) and Stampede Rush (Duke Myers and Kerry Brown). Be on the look out for DJ Peterson. The Crockett's were impressed with his energy and charisma. 

Chris Youngblood is returning and will team with his brother Mark as the Renegade Warriors. 

Art Crews winning the NWA National title was quite a shock and certainly caused some changes. First, he will be now known as Arthur W. Crews and still sport his bleach blonde crew cut. Ken Timbs will now be teaming with Master G George Wells as the Fabulous Blondes. Rumor has it there might be a tad of dissention in Riddle's Agency as Tom Prichard was the top guy but with Arthur winning the National Title along with Prichard losing the TV title (to Tommy Rich) he's seemed to have dropped down a notch. We'll see how this unfolds.  

Other changes were made with the Assassin's group as Tom Brandi will be heading to Portland. The Crockett's were very pleased with Brandi's progression and think Portland will be a great territory to continue his progression. The Cobra and Kazuo Yamazaki will be the Assassins and the Wildman Jack Armstrong will be wrestling as The Flame. 

Ted Dibiase is really getting into the Million Dollar Man gimmick and is taking it to a higher level as he will own the contracts of Rick Rude, Manny Fernandez and now King Kong Bundy. The idea here is that Dibiase is not really an actual hands on manager but that these are wise business investments. Behind the scenes him and his lawyers will make sure these men are granted opportunities. Dibiase will make sure his investments are well taken care of so he can reap the benefits. He will also use them as obstacles as well.

Big plans for JJ Dillon. The Crockett's were so pleased with Dillon's work during the 10,000 dollar King Kong Bundy angle that they have another new program lined up for him to get over. 

The Crockett's have been throwing around the idea of adding Mid Atlantic Tag Team Titles. They feel there is enough tag team competition to justify the titles. 

The Crockett's are working on the next big supercard, set for the Fall. One idea being pitched around is a Bunkhouse Battle Royal with the winner getting a US Title shot at Starrcade. However, this could change as another idea for Starrcade is a champion vs. champion main event between the US champion and Mid Atlantic Champion. 

[GeneJackson95]

WCCW News & Notes

Huge news out of Dallas this week as WCCW has been picked up by cable sports channel ESPN!  Ever since Dusty Rhodes made his way into the company he has pushed for WCCW step up and make some moves to become a bigger force within the wrestling world.  Apparently, this is a project Dusty has been working on for a while and as of this past Friday it's signed sealed and delivered.  This will mean a LOT more nationwide exposure for the promotion and the opportunity to become an even bigger force within the NWA.  

After the huge blowup a few months ago, Dusty was finally able to convince Fritz to bring Eddie Gilbert back into the company.  It's being said that Gilbert will be helping with booking but not will not have a huge role at least initially.  It's also been said that Gilbert is pushing to bring back the bar shows but not as a separate promotion as before with Wild West, just a monthly stop on the schedule.  Dusty is also pushing hard to increase the schedule and expand outside of Texas.  It remains to be seen how far Fritz will let him go with this....but so far he's been allowed to do far more than anyone expected him to.  Dusty is convinced the WARGAMES will be a huge success and that with the amount of star power WCCW has right now they could actually expand to a national touring promotion.  This remains to be seen but it's believed that the Great American Bash tour stop in Dallas will be a game changer for World Class and a chance for Dusty to show Fritz just how big they could be if he allowed it to happen.

[spaldoni]

Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling News

One thing about the world of wrestling is promoters must adjust and adapt with constant changes. The Crockett's sure know how to do that. Tom Prichard left last month on good terms. The Crockett's thought he got over well as TV champion and loved his chemistry with Rock Riddle. He wanted to go out on a high note and venture back into tag team wrestling. Portland gave him the opportunity and he took it. King Kong Bundy asked to be released. He was really disappointed that they split him and JJ Dillon up as he felt the 10,000 dollar challenge angle really got them over. Even though he was in the middle of a hot feud with Bad News Brown, Bundy was still depressed and vocal about this, so the Crockett's granted his release. Stampede Rush has also departed. They enjoyed their brief run in MACW but wanted to be a heel team. The Crockett's felt they had enough heel teams already and wanted to have Stampede Rush be a hard hitting baby face team. In the end, both sides parted on good terms. Jimmy Valiant ended his run. This had been the plan as Valiant was brought in to continue his feud with Paul Jones and help get Rip Oliver over as a baby face. A new tag team called High Octane will soon debut as a replacement for Hot Property. The Crockett's couldn't be more pleased with manager Rock Riddle and how he's really gotten over. They have high expectations on what he can do with National Champ Arthur W. Crews. Tony St. Clair has been paired with JJ Dillon. The Crockett's have full faith that JJ can pull this off and elevate St. Clair to main event level here in the States. The Awesome Twosome have won the US tag team championships. The Crockett's are hoping for a long term reign and feel they can main event in a lot of arenas. Get ready because Tommy Rich and Buzz Sawyer are heading for a big time feud! The Crockett's have praised Paul Orndorff and his Mid Atlantic title run. Orndorff has drawn huge gates on the cards he's main evented. His feud with Tiger Jeet Singh has sold out numerous venues. United States Champ Ted Dibiase has been a huge draw as well, not only at the live gates but when he appears on TV, the ratings surge. His Million Dollar Man gimmick has drawn tremendous heat in the Mid Atlantic region. The Crockett's are lining up top names to face him. He will headline against Jimmy Snuka through the Summer. Also a match has been signed between him and the legendary Mil Mascaras on September 27th. Finally, the NWA have huge plans for Starrcade and the seeds will be planted this Fall. Rumor of a Battle Bowl event is being talked about to help set up Starrcade. The Crockett's are planning a mega main event for their portion of Starrcade. Supposedly, this is going to be the biggest main event in MACW history. Stay tuned! 

[SirEdger]

BREAKING NEWS: LUTTE INTERNATIONALE FOLDING; MID-ATLANTIC  EXPANSION PLANS; WHAT THIS COULD MEAN FOR THE NWA WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

It was announced earlier today that Promotions Varoussac, the entity running operations for Lutte Internationale, has filed for bankruptcy and therefore, decided to regretfully close shop for Lutte Internationale. It is said that the territory had been hemorraghing money in the past couple of months and while they were able to draw good crowds on a regular basis, the move made by the World Wrestling Federation to run the Montreal Forum and Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto played a big factor into the demise of Lutte Internationale. The interesting situation will now be where the chips may fall when it comes to several key talents in the company; it is assumed that the ace of the territory Rick Martel could be headed to the AWA on a full-time basis if he can come to an agreement with Verne Gagne. The Rougeau Brothers will definitely be sought after talents as well. Mid-Atlantic is expected to seek some of Lutte's talents as well but they're keeping their options close to the vest at the moment.

As for Mid-Atlantic, promoter Jim Crockett is currently going through the process of officially rebranding the territory to Jim Crockett Promotions. The Crocketts are very pleased with the core roster they have in the likes of Ted Dibiase, Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude & Manny Fernandez as well new arrivals like the Honky Tonk Man and Bad News Brown among others. Jim Crockett is also considering running a couple of shows outside of the the Mid-Atlantic areas, possibly involving outside talents from those areas, a bit like Lutte did until they folded.

With the recent cease of operations in Lutte Internationale and Porto Rico, there is concern about what this could mean for the future of the once seemingly indestructible National Wrestling Alliance. As of right now, there are no intentions of changing anything; Kerry Von Erich remains the NWA World Heavyweight Champion and plans are headed towards a Kerry Von Erich vs Ted Dibiase showdown at Starrcade but time will tell, especially if Fritz Von Erich isn't thrilled with what the Crocketts have in mind for his son Kerry. The National Heavyweight Championship, once under the jurisdiction of Lutte Internationale, will now become an exclusive property of the Crocketts. Expect some changes in the midcard and possibly some important additions if Jim Crockett can scoop up a few names in the next couple of weeks.

[kevinmcfl]

Sorry to hear this.  Lutte was such a great read.

[GeneJackson95]

*****Breaking News*****

Word coming out of the UWF is that 'Cowboy' Bill Watts will be holding a press conference this Sunday hosted by Pro Wrestling Illustrated's Bill Apter to make a huge announcement about some drastic changes happening in the UWF and a new television show that will be airing soon!

[LowBlowPodcast]

You may want to check out Prime Time and MSG from 10/6 before reading this news...

 

WWF NEWS

-After a break in communication word is now coming out of the WWF at a rapid pace. The first piece of news is the acquisition of new talent from around the world. Perhaps the biggest being that of Jacques and Raymond… the Rougeau Brothers. With Lutte folding earlier last month, these two were tendering offers from major promotions but the WWF was able to come in and make a big play to sign them. There is also talk of the Road Warriors and Terry Funk being close to signing contracts with the WWF but with their Japanese commitments being paramount, there is no word on if those deals will be finalized.

 

-Paul Heyman, aka Paul E Dangerously is another name that came over from Lutte. He is a former photographer for wrestling magazines which led to his angle at SNME. He is being paired with the Nasty Boys after having a “New York” connection. He is very loud and arrogant to the crowd but is said to be very much a sponge in the back working with Jimmy Hart and Bobby Heenan to get all the information he can.

 

-Dr. D Dave Schultz is said to have gotten some heat for his issue with Hulk Hogan from SNME for “hitting him too hard” but Hogan was able to get things under control. This program isn’t said to be long term but if Dr. D can’t get under control it may be done before it even really gets started.

 

-Andre the Giant returned to the WWF to have a big feud with Ric Flair. He is said to have some miles on the road that have been really hankering him with regards to injuries and his back. No word on how long he will be able to keep up this pace.

 

-Right now Houston, Detroit, and Los Angeles are all in the running for WrestleMania III. The Astrodome, The Silverdome, and The LA Coliseum ae all up for grabs with LA being the favorite. The Marquee match everyone wants to see is Hogan and Flair which is likely where they will go… but how do they get there? The issue with Jack Tunney, Flair’s bounty on Hogan, and getting Hogan the title shot will all be prime pieces as they head into 1987.

 

-The WWF is currently working with Bill Watts and UWF on a couple of loan deals to help Watts get the UWF going but don’t expect it to be too long. Watts took Vince in a couple of years ago but Vince then jumped ship and revived the WWF. There is aid to be a talking relationship but as both companies continue to grow… that relationship could sour if they find themselves in each other’s backyard.

 

-The title win by Muta the other night in MSG really shook the crowd up. There is said to be a screwy finish to help create some buzz. The WWF is looking to go to Japan for a number of shows this month but nothing has been finalized with the JWA. With the JWA management up in the air those plans could fold. If so, expect Muta to be a big deal for those cards along with Flair, Hogan, and Andre.

 

-Prime Time has become the full fledged A show with the WWF with Wrestling Challenge and Superstars not getting the same type of work over the last couple of weeks. That should change in the coming months with all three shows getting attention and All-American getting whatever is left.

 

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

-The WWF continues to expand into new markets and with the addition of the Rougeau Brothers, the WWF will look to run some former Lutte spots as B-shows. Expect big things out of the tag team along with the Hart Foundation and Dino Bravo. These guys are all pushed big from Canada... the WWF will continue to expand to the north and make Toronto one of its major areas of focus. 

- With the big finish of Randy Savage and Barry Windham in the books... all eyes are on what the future will hold for Savage. Some think he will get a Hogan esq push with Savage going against monster types to build up his resume as someone who can go against anyone and come out on top.

-Negotiations have continued with Terry Funk and the Road Warriors but word is coming out that all of them are getting top-tier money from Japan and look to continue bookings there for the time being. 

-The WWF will be running a special show on Thanksgiving night... much like last year, it is a team concept thought up by the WWF booking committee of Pat Patterson and Vince McMahon. This could be a staple in the future as the WWF continues to look into the idea of Pay Per Views and expanding that market in 1987. 

-Paul Heyman aka Paul E Dangerously is said to be a constant bother in the back because he is trying to pick up every bit of information he can about the business. Some find it to be a great quality while others view him as a pest. Needless to say, he is making noise in his performances in the right direction.

-Expect Jack Manson, formerly Cactus Jack to be paired up with Bunkhouse Buck on somewhat of a full-time schedule in the coming weeks. He is said to be doing everything that is asked of him and making a good name for himself which could translate into a full-time gig.

-The Warrior showed up at television tapings the other day and had some heat with WWF officials after no-showing a couple of weeks ago... he and Sting are said to have had some serious words with one another before Warrior was asked to leave. 

-Hulk Hogan is said to be getting a lot of "love" in the back with WWF officials. He isn't happy he isn't champion nor getting shots at the title...obviously the big play is WrestleMania but with Hogan in a negational mood with his contract coming up before WrestleMania... he does hold all the cards as the one true draw in America. He could go to any promotion in the US and make serious money. He also has offers from Japan which led to Flair coming in in the first place. Right now Hogan has the cards to play and Flair has the title... the WWF has WrestleMania 3 coming up and the storyline to sell it out... but how do we get there and what happens? Do we live in a world where Flair beats Hogan and keeps the title if Hogan won't negotiate? Would he even sign up to do the job?  This writer doesn't think so and a majority of others feel the same way.