Dirt Sheets

[SirEdger]

That's something I'm gonna follow with attention. Can't wait to see where this is going!

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

-WWF officials have been talking within the inner circle on officially signing Andre the Giant to a written contract. The terms of the contract would allow Andre to still work independent dates in coordination with his WWF schedule and still maintain some of his Japanese dates as well. This would be huge news for the WWF as a whole but bad news for some individuals within. One being Big John Studd who has been in the doghouse with Andre for quite some time. It is said that one of Andre's claims was that Studd not call himself big or refer to himself as a Giant with Andre on the card. Studd wasn't too happy about this, but one has to wonder if this is the sign of the times for the big man. Another man who has been in hot water as of late is Hercules Hernandez. A lot of talk has gone around about him being unsafe in the ring and someone who could really hurt someone in the future. Tony Atlas is currently feeling the effects of their matches and has complained as of late.

 

- The WWF is planning to go all out on the December 30th show from Madison Square Garden. It is said to be one of the biggest cards of the year and will set the stage for what the WWF hopes to be an answer to Starrcade in 1985. Madison Square Garden is the likely home for the event when it does come around so the WWF is using this as a feeler for how the crowd will react to a jam packed 3-hour card.

 

- The Big Fred Ottman project may not pan out as he is just not getting over enough. With the rub from Hulk Hogan and Andre, Big Fred just hasn't connected with the crowd and there is not very much patience within the WWF right now for new characters.

 

- Tito Santana made his full time debut a couple of days ago. He finished his dates with the AWA and is now with the WWF full time. There are a lot of people within the WWF who are VERY excited about Tito as a guy who can carry pretty much anyone on the card and be a main stream babyface.

 

- While many in the WWF feel that shows are transitions, the show on the 30th of December is going to be more of a period. Even with the show in the Meadowlands on the 29th, there will be a match in which Sgt. Slaughter will take on Krusher Kruschev in which the loser will leave America. On the 30th, Hogan or Bockwinkel will have to leave the WWF for one year. The Briscoes and Funks feud is said to be the final showdown and neither of the four are in the immediate plans for the youthful WWF push. Not to mention rumors of Studd leaving and Gino Hernandez possibly picking up bookings in the NWA... this could be a very big turn around for the WWF in which they move from 1984 to 1985 with some bright young faces.

 

- Bruno Sammartino is worried about his son getting over. David is going to be a weekly competitor on television and there is already talk of bringing Bruno out of retirement to have him team with David on house shows. The likely feud would be with Jimmy Hart or Bobby Heenan to set up a big feud for Bruno, so that is said to be in the works as we speak.

 

- Hulk Hogan was scheduled to be in Japan for the past month but was "injured" in the first contest. He spent the rest of the time on vacation and returned to the states just yesterday and will be back on the road with the WWF tomorrow as they head to Montreal.

 

- This weekend's shows in Canada for the WWF will be its last in cooperation with Lutte International. Vince McMahon was said to be very happy with how the relationship has blossomed, even going as far to open the door if things with the NWA don't work out. These friendly feelings may turn hostile down the line though as the WWF returns to Canada in February with television tapings and then two huge shows from the Forum on Saturday and the Maple Leaf Gardens on Sunday. This could spell trouble for Lutte if they don't have the power to match up with the WWF on these dates or they may be best served to let them run free on those weeks.

 

- Look for the WWF to work more with Giant Baba and All Japan Pro Wrestling over the next couple of months. Some excursions for young wrestlers like the Hart Foundation and the Killer Bees to get some more experience. Gino Hernandez and Randy Savage have also commented on wanting to go to Japan, so this may be the time for them to go outside of Gaijin tours.

[Thunderlips]

 

After just running special shows for several years, All Japan will be back up and running on a full time basis starting on Jan 1st. Besides the normal gaijin talent that comes in for tours, Baba will be looking for more foreigners who are willing to be a semi regular or regular for All Japan. Baba and his wife, Matoko, are willing to really open up the purse strings and pay big money for big named talents. Baba has had a rivalry with Antonio Inoki ever since they wrestled for JPW in the late 60's. with New Japan sort of influx currently, Baba feels like if they can grab a true stranglehold in Japan, that it could force Inoki to either sell or ask for a merger.

 

Even before matches have officially begun, there was an announcement made that they had signed the following talent to full time deals.

Black Cat ( been with New Japan since 1981)

European wrestler David Taylor (father Eric held the British Heavy-Middleweight title for the 14 years 1953–67)

Masaharu Funaki​ ( Been training in the New Japan Dojo since 1984)

The Kelly Twins (Pat & Mike) Brothers who have won titles in a half dozen different territories

Tatsutoshi Goto​ ( Been in the New Japan Dojo system since 1982)

 

Baba also wants to establish a 225 lb & under Junior title. With 12 wrestlers on the roster that fits that description, it will be a good way to showcase some talent and give wrestlers a permanent spot on the card. There is a wrestler that is currently partaking in the New Japan Dojo system by the name of Keiichi Yamada that the company would love to get their hands on. He's not as highly thought of like other young boys like Masahiro Chono and Kenji Muto, but he's still considered to be a solid performer for someone with his experience.

[Thunderlips]

 

After just running special shows for several years, All Japan will be back up and running on a full time basis starting on Jan 1st. Besides the normal gaijin talent that comes in for tours, Baba will be looking for more foreigners who are willing to be a semi regular or regular for All Japan. Baba and his wife, Matoko, are willing to really open up the purse strings and pay big money for big named talents. Baba has had a rivalry with Antonio Inoki ever since they wrestled for JPW in the late 60's. with New Japan sort of influx currently, Baba feels like if they can grab a true stranglehold in Japan, that it could force Inoki to either sell or ask for a merger.

 

Even before matches have officially begun, there was an announcement made that they had signed the following talent to full time deals.

Black Cat ( been with New Japan since 1981)

European wrestler David Taylor (father Eric held the British Heavy-Middleweight title for the 14 years 1953–67)

Masaharu Funaki​ ( Been training in the New Japan Dojo since 1984)

The Kelly Twins (Pat & Mike) Brothers who have won titles in a half dozen different territories

Tatsutoshi Goto​ ( Been in the New Japan Dojo system since 1982)

 

Baba also wants to establish a 225 lb & under Junior title. With 12 wrestlers on the roster that fits that description, it will be a good way to showcase some talent and give wrestlers a permanent spot on the card. There is a wrestler that is currently partaking in the New Japan Dojo system by the name of Keiichi Yamada that the company would love to get their hands on. He's not as highly thought of like other young boys like Masahiro Chono and Kenji Muto, but he's still considered to be a solid performer for someone with his experience.

[Thunderlips]

 

After just running special shows for several years, All Japan will be back up and running on a full time basis starting on Jan 1st. Besides the normal gaijin talent that comes in for tours, Baba will be looking for more foreigners who are willing to be a semi regular or regular for All Japan. Baba and his wife, Matoko, are willing to really open up the purse strings and pay big money for big named talents. Baba has had a rivalry with Antonio Inoki ever since they wrestled for JPW in the late 60's. with New Japan sort of influx currently, Baba feels like if they can grab a true stranglehold in Japan, that it could force Inoki to either sell or ask for a merger.

 

Even before matches have officially begun, there was an announcement made that they had signed the following talent to full time deals.

Black Cat ( been with New Japan since 1981)

European wrestler David Taylor (father Eric held the British Heavy-Middleweight title for the 14 years 1953–67)

Masaharu Funaki​ ( Been training in the New Japan Dojo since 1984)

The Kelly Twins (Pat & Mike) Brothers who have won titles in a half dozen different territories

Tatsutoshi Goto​ ( Been in the New Japan Dojo system since 1982)

 

Baba also wants to establish a 225 lb & under Junior title. With 12 wrestlers on the roster that fits that description, it will be a good way to showcase some talent and give wrestlers a permanent spot on the card. There is a wrestler that is currently partaking in the New Japan Dojo system by the name of Keiichi Yamada that the company would love to get their hands on. He's not as highly thought of like other young boys like Masahiro Chono and Kenji Muto, but he's still considered to be a solid performer for someone with his experience.

[Stennick]

CCW NEWS

 

-Big news coming out of Alabama in the new year. David Woods, the son of famous Alabama businessman Charles Woods, and the current CEO of Woods Communication Corporation. David is in serious talks with multiple investors to purchase the territory in the Southeast.

-With the Woods family owning a television station its said they have a great relationship with the CBS network. Rumors are quietly spinning out of control that David Woods would be able to land a national television.

-It is not known at this time but is highly unlikely that David has any experience with the inner workings of pro wrestling. Either running its business or booking its shows. They speculate that if the WCC does purchase the territory they may treat it like any other business. That means bringing in someone to run the day to day activity.

-In other news there is a group of bodybuilders turned pro wrestlers being shopped up and down the east side of the country. Two of them are said to have a great look and massive size but virtually no skill at this point which probably means New York will snatch them up any day now.

[rainmakerrtv]

-In other news there is a group of bodybuilders turned pro wrestlers being shopped up and down the east side of the country. Two of them are said to have a great look and massive size but virtually no skill at this point which probably means New York will snatch them up any day now.

 

 

Tee hee.

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

 

-The WWF cancelled tonight's house shows due to travel issues... some think it is because of the guys coming back from Japan... regardless they are back on the road tomorrow with the entire roster in tow.

 

- Speaking of Japan, Giant Baba has broadened the All Japan schedule for 85 and that may pull some of the WWF stars away for longer than anticipated. Some names on that list include the British Bulldogs who will be doing three tours and missing almost 4-5 months over the course of the year. Dory Funk Jr and Nick Bockwinkel are also rumored to be taking part in more tours which may disrupt their WWF schedules.

[SirEdger]

The most recent issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated takes a look at the recent partnership between Lutte Internationale & Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling, which allowed Lutte Internationale to officially join the ranks of the National Wrestling Alliance. Lutte promoter Frank Valois shared his thoughts in a candid interview. Here are the highlights:

 

On taking over Big Time Wrestling and moving it to Montreal

 

 

It definitely was something that happened very fast and I think the fact that Gino Brito's father, Jack Britton, promoted in the area back in his heyday helped me a lot making the acquisition of the Detroit territory because Jack Britton had a tremendous reputation in the business and they knew that Gino would be involved in some capacity so in the end, it facilitated the business move. And also, the fact that I brought with me most of the guys who worked in Detroit played a huge factor as well. All I had left to do was to bring back home local heroes and here we are today.

 

On his working relationship with World Wrestling Federation & Vince McMahon

 

 

Vince and I have a great working relationship. Some would say that our working relationship was made out of necessity and to a certain extent, I agree. I wanted some more exposure and Vince could give me that; Vince wanted his foot in the door in Canada and I could give him that. Vince is smart enough to not make a business deal if in the end, this won't help him and I think the same way. Even though it recently ended with a double-shot weekend, I'll always be thankful to Vince McMahon for allowing us to shine south of the border.

 

On the reasons why he joined the National Wrestling Alliance

 

 

It ultimately came down to a different business perception from WWF. I saw where Vince wants to take his product and it's not exactly how I see ours going forward. Prior to our affiliation with the NWA, I had met the Crockett family several times and we got along very well and we realized that we wanted to promote the same brand of wrestling so things kinda went organically. Even though we cover Eastern Canada, I don't necessarily have the finances & means that Vince McMahon has in WWF to compete in a long-term basis with him. So having Lutte Internationale now being an NWA member now ensures the financial security for our territory for the future. When I spoke to Vince about that in November, he was completely understanding and wished me the best of luck. He told me that should things not work out with the NWA, the door would always be open to working together again, as our joint shows in Montreal & Toronto drew great houses.

 

Could a dream Rick Martel vs Ric Flair match be on the way?

 

 

Ah, the million dollar question! Of course, it is very attractive for fans all around the world to think about a possible match between these 2 great champions. There's also the clash of personnalities between an honourable & humble man against a champion living the rich & famous lifestyle and not afraid to show it in front of the world. But it's also much more than that. You look at the NWA stars like Tully Blanchard, Magnum TA & Barry Windham among others and I'm not scared to book any of my roster vs any of their roster because I know that the fans will be the winners in the end. This is what it comes down to.

 

On what to expect from Starrcade on Christmas night

 

 

This is a really exciting time for professional wrestling, especially for us. This is the biggest stage we've ever been a part of and the Rougeau Brothers have the chance of walking out of Greensboro the NWA World Tag Team Champions. This would be the biggest championship win since the legendary Yvon Robert in the 50s. Plus, having the opportunity of seeing Rick Martel settle his score with Samu at Starrcade is also something that will be very gratifying because fans in the Carolinas will get the chance to witness a product much complementary and similar to what they see in Mid-Atlantic. We've already started bringing some Mid-Atlantic talents in our touring loops and the response has been overwhelmingly positive and we're looking forward to do much of the same in 1985, including some championship matches in the process. You never get a second chance at making a first good impression and we won't disappoint!

[agentofenton]

 

Mid Atlantic and Lutte International are officially partners in the NWA. That's real good news for the NWA and it's affiliates. With all the major happenings around the world right now, strong relationships inside the NWA are needed. Already there has been some sharing of talents and major TV time given to each promotion for the other. Mid Atlantic has put some Lutte TV on their World Wide Wrestling nationally syndicated show. Lutte has shown from MACW matches on their television recently as well. The rumor mill is spilling over about a possible Rick Martel vs Ric Flair main event program, but as I can report right now, it's still only rumors.....for now.

 

Starrcade is just days away, and the card looks real strong. There will be nine matches total on this card, and with the HUGE two-ring battle royal, $100,000 purse to the winner, we will have more than 50 NWA wrestlers on this card. Not only that, but the two main event attractions are also inter-promotional matches with BOTH sets of World Championships up for grabs. The NWA World Tag Team championships will be on the line with MACWs Fantastics © defending against Lutte's Rougeau Brothers. And the World Championship is a rematch from a recent MACW Omni show. This was an easy choice for the NWA match makers. The rivalry between Backlund and Flair wasn't settled in MACW, so the Board of Directors sanctioned one last battle between the two men inside a steel cage. We hear the promoters had a real good meeting about booking this match, and everyone was in favor of bringing in "Smokin" Joe Frazier as the special guest official. It will add more mainstream acceptance to the battle and add an element that wasn't in their previous encounters. There hasn't been much mention of the referee on the WTBS programming, but local advertisements in Greensboro and the local TV ads in all the closed circuit locations has heavily mentioned this to the fans.

 

The end of this calendar year brings about some questions for the roster in MACW. We know that in the past, after these major closed circuit shows that some of the roster gets moved around, and with some heavily hyped rookies out there, anything is possible as to who might show up after Starrcade. There has been rumor's flying around that a current champion is secretly discussing retirement. Who that could be, is anyone's guess at this point. What could that mean going forward? Will this create a change in future plans for the promotion? We will dig into this more and report on this issue next time.

 

New Japan Pro Wrestling has reached out to the NWA, and Mid Atlantic to bring some of the talent to the Land of the Rising Sun. Locker room rumors have indicated that some of the talent has already been booked as far out as March already, with future dates into the summer being discussed already.

 

Starrcade 1984 is quickly growing near. What will the future hold for 1985? We don't know that yet, but it has tremendous potential. We will be back shortly after Starrcade to report on that show and the new year's news. Until then, goodbye everyone!

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

 

​- In a rare occurrence... the WWF didn't run a house show loop after their television tapings. The tv tapings themselves were very short on Christmas day. They were only around 3 hours and said to be very quick to get the wrestlers home and give them time to spend with their families until they get back on the road tomorrow in New Jersey and then the big show on Sunday from Madison Square Garden.

 

- There is word out of the tapings that Brutus Beefcake got hurt during the tapings and may not be able to wrestle on Sunday. No word on who will replace him if he needs it.

 

​- The WWF has already put together some plans for post-new years including the Briscoes and Dory Funk heading out to tour with the NWA possibly. They are possibly phasing out of the feud to use Terry in more of a prominent role.

 

- Sgt. Slaughter is said to be very unhappy with his position in the WWF once again. He may be pushed to the main event, but with Hogan, Savage, and Andre on the card, he just doesn't have what it takes to leap over them.

 

- Gino Hernandez is said to be in negotiations with some Mexican promotions to do 2 to 3 week tours. If Hernandez takes the IC title with him, it could serve well for his "Intercontinental" title reign.

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

- You are hearing it here first... there is talk of Vince McMahon putting on a closed circuit special event in the spring time. With the success of the Brawl to End it All, McMahon is looking to continue to capitalize on that momentum and put together a big event. Word has it that the Philadelphia Spectrum, Los Angeles Sports Arena, UIC Pavilion in Chicago, Boston Garden, or Madison Square Garden are in the running for the major show.

 

- Reports are coming out that Bobby Heenan's family will be doing some shifting. John Studd and Hercules have both left the promotion and some have said that Heenan may be bringing in a tag team to make up for their loss while focusing all of his attention to King Kong Bundy and a major run at Hulk Hogan.

 

​- Gino Hernandez has supposedly be given a 30-day suspension by the WWF in order to "get cleaned up" and in that time he has already talked about breaching his contract and working with other promotions. The contract is a handshake deal with McMahon to not work in any other rival promotions, but we will see if Hernandez will comply.

 

​- There were some rumors that Stan Hansen would be brought in to work with Hogan for a major program but those fell through. Hansen's asking price was too much and he has got various Japanese tours not he books.

 

- The surprise of Greg Valentine shocked many in Lutte and the NWA when he showed up for the WWF. Some have said there was a huge pay off for him to be there. This ruffled a lot of feathers including some "old timers" like the Funks, Briscos, and Bockwinkel who all left the promotion when they heard about the tomfoolery. Bockwinkel was of course scheduled to leave, but made it a point to let McMahon know how upset he was before packing his bags.

[SirEdger]

NWA Lutte Internationale News

 

-As 1985 rang in, NWA Lutte Internationale saw some serious shakeups in their roster for the first week of the year. Obviously, the biggest one was the arrival of Nick Bockwinkel in the final show of the year as The Sheepherders' surprise tag team partner on December 31. Speculation is that while Bockwinkel wasn't supposed to debut before January 1st, following Greg Valentine's surprise debut in WWF at the Brawl to End It All at Madison Square Garden, Frank Valois went ahead and booked Bockwinkel (who was leaving WWF the night before) for the next day. While Frank Valois doesn't hold any grudge against WWF right now for their move, he is said to be disappointed that Valentine jumped ship 48 hours before the agreed date of January 1st to WWF. Nick Bockwinkel is scheduled to work with the top names in the NWA and in Montreal and will run a "Luxury Gun for Hire" gimmick but will highly likely be paired with Sherri Martel as his valet, not necessarily with an official affiliation to her Sensationals - the newly rechristened Hot Stuff Inc.

 

-The other major debut was Terry Taylor, coming from USWA, replacing Eddie Gilbert, who fulfilled his final commitments to the AWA before leaving for Texas. Taylor will pretty much fill in Eddie Gilbert's spot in The Sensationals, who'll see a decent amount of change in the stable...

 

-2 other newcomers are set to debut in NWA Lutte Internationale soon as Rip Oliver & Bob Sweetan are coming from the AWA while Leo Burke & Doug Somers will be headed to Minneapolis. This move is said to be somewhat linked to numerous backstage incidents involving Doug Somers, who has been particularly tough to hang around backstage and got into several confrontations with members of the roster. This could partly be the reason why Somers & Robinson had dropped the NWA International Tag Team Championship to Rick Martel & Gino Brito a few months ago. The hope is that Doug Somers will be better surrounded in the AWA with their veteran corps. In the meantime, Rip Oliver & Bob Sweetan will still work as a tag team and could be added to The Sensationals as well.

 

-Speaking of the AWA, despite the NWA affiliation, Lutte Internationale still wants to maintain open working relationships with as many territories as possible. Given their already good relationship together allowing Rick Martel to work the Canadian stops of the AWA touring loop, that's how they've been able to send Leo Burke & Doug Somers to Minneapolis. Frank Valois also contacted Verne Gagne recently about extending their talent trade deal and Verne Gagne has expressed his interest into sending Pat Tanaka & Paul Diamond (aka Badd Company) work a couple of NWA Lutte's weekend loops soon and it might happen as soon the end of January. Discussions are also open to set up an undisclosed dream match for both promotions' fans but nothing has surfaced on the matter yet

 

-The feedback from fans about Mid-Atlantic stars working the Lutte Internationale shows has been overwhelmingly positive and Lutte officials are hopeful to bring some major NWA stars to work their loops throughout 1985. Frank Valois is currently negotiating with the Crocketts to have the likes of Magnum TA & The Windhams coming in to defend their championships for some dates but nothing has been confirmed yet. Could prove to be a bit complex in the Windhams' case since they'll be representing Mid-Atlantic at the IWGP Tag Festival in February. More on that as details unfold.

 

-Speaking of the IWGP Tag Festival, Lutte Internationale will be sending the Wild Samoans, the Sheepherders & The Caribbean Connection to take part in the tag team tournament to crown the first IWGP Tag Team Championship. This won't be the only occasion that NWA Lutte will see global exposure as newcomer Sting will be working the Young Lions Cup in March and New Japan has already approached Lutte to have the NWA International Heavyweight Championship defended during the Festival of Champions in May and June.

 

-And finally, the Johnny Rougeau Memorial Cup will return for a 2nd year but will take place this time somewhere in the month of May. For this year's edition, Frank Valois has extended the invitation to All-Japan, New Japan & CMLL to enter the tournament. NWA Lutte officials are currently working on retooling the format to allow every territory to send enough talents to match last year's tournament.

[Grimmas]

Flair and Martel was a hot feud in Toronto in late 1983. Would love to see that feud reignited.

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

- Lots of controversy surrounding the British Bulldogs right now. Dynamite may or may have not walked out of the company after recent shows but Davey Boy was able to bring him back in. They are really trying to find employment somewhere else right now, but it seems like their asking price is too much.

 

- The backlash of the Greg Valentine/Nick Bockwinkel situation has caused a lot of turmoil within the WWF and the Canadian production teams. The WWF will be heading to Canada in the beginning of February for taping and two big live events so we'll see how this changes things.

 

-There is talk of the WWF holding two big events in the coming months. Something around the beginning of February and then a bigger show at the end of the March. Both are said to be very hyped within the company and look to kick 1985 off on the right foot.

 

- Roddy Piper's recent comments towards Hulk Hogan have caused a lot of heat on television and it is said to be going in the right direction for the two of them to face off in a big contest. Hogan is currently not scheduled for television but we will see how he responds in the coming weeks.

 

-Expect Andre the Giant to fulfill commitments to the USWA, NWA, AWA, Japan, and possibly Mexico over the year. Andre said his word is his bond and he will continue to take those dates while working with the WWF. Vince McMahon has said this may be the final year for Andre to go out on the road but in the end, Andre may be the one who has the final say and the WWF doesn't want to lose that kind of a commodity.

[LowBlowPodcast]

WWF NEWS

-Word out of the WWF right now is that Sam Houston's time may be coming to an end. He was brought in as a favor for Jake Roberts but Houston isn't what the WWF is looking for, hence the arrival of Blackjack Mulligan. Mulligan fits the mold if you will and he has also been linked to the "machines" team that has been on house shows but yet to appear on television.

 

-The call for the machines come from Japan as they have been prominent in New Japan and the WWF has decided to keep the gimmick going.

 

-There is talk of about big card after this weekend's King of the Ring. The WWF will be hosting a televised event in cooperation with NBC called "The Main Event" and on that card, there is talk of a Piper vs Hogan or Orton vs Hogan World Title contest with Piper being involved in some way. This is being used as a way to promote "WrestleMania" which will be held on March the 31st, 1985, the next time the WWF tours the North East. No word on what "WrestleMania" is going to be yet, but there has already been talks of using Antonio Inoki on the show along with some other very big names.

 

-The WWF is looking to bolster their tag team division in the coming months. With the Russians firmly at the top and the Bulldogs right behind them. Look for some more additions to the ranks as seen with the rise of the Youngbloods and the arrival of the Machines.

 

-Speaking of tag teams, there is talk that Gino Hernandez may be headed back to the WWF after his time in Mexico is done... no word on if Chris Adams will be with him or not.

 

- The Barbarian suffered an injury this week on the road, not sure if he will be good to go for the King of the Ring or if there will be a last minute replacement.

[gordi]

Inoki at WrestleMania! Looking forward to reading about that.

[SirEdger]

NWA Lutte Internationale News

 

-The biggest news coming from the recent live events is the crowning of Terry Funk as the new NWA International Heavyweight Champion on the March 1st event in Sherbrooke. This move is said to be a return of favor to Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling for giving The Rougeau Brothers an NWA World Tag Team Championship run. There's no word out yet as to how long Funk will reign as NWA International Heavyweight Champion but there isn't any plan to have him drop the title quickly. The negotiations to make this happen were said to have gone quite smoothly but Lutte Internationale had a back up plan with Billy Robinson winning the title if discussions with Terry Funk had fallen through. So, it looks like Rick Martel dropping the title was the plan all along, especially since he & Gino Brito won the NWA International Tag Team Championships. Frank Valois wants Martel to focus on that in the meantime, to give him a break from the rigorous schedule.

 

-The 2nd annual Johnny Rougeau Memorial Cup is coming at the beginning of May and promoter Frank Valois wants to promote it across the United States and it's the reason behind his decision to hold a weekend of live events in the United States in the first weekend of April. The first event will take place in Los Angeles on April 5 with Terry Funk headlining the card in an NWA International Heavyweight Title defense. The following show will take place the next night in Orlando, Florida with Nick Bockwinkel facing Bob Backlund in the main event. Finally, the April 7th show will take place closer to their stomping grounds in Brattleboro, Vermont with a Gauntlet Match for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship as the main event. The April 5 show will be a matinee event while the 2 other shows will take place at the usual starting time of 8 PM.

 

-Speaking of the Johnny Rougeau Memorial Cup, the dates will be announced soon but we already know it will take place at the Montreal Forum like last year on the span of 3 nights. Other than Lutte Internationale, invitations will be extended to Mid-Atlantic, the AWA, USWA, Continental, New Japan & CMLL to participate. The spots originally planned for the WWF in the tournament will be filled by freelancers yet to be determined. Each territory will have 4 wrestlers, like last year, representing them in the tournament. As mentioned before, the only WWF star allowed to participate will be Andre the Giant because of his freelancing status

 

-Frank Valois is hopeful to bring in the Rock N' Roll Express for a series of shows in the month of April and is working on reshuffling his schedule to allow them to be brought in. Right now, they're mostly engaged with the USWA on a permanent basis but negotiations seem to be also going well.

 

-On a more disappointing side, it seems like Fatu is struggling to get over, even if being paired with his cousin Samu in the Creatchman Family. There is now talks of sending him in another territory to allow him to shine on his own.

 

-Finally, NWA Lutte Internationale have set two dates for their 2 biggest events of 1985: August 16th and November 30th, both Saturday nights. Frank Valois wants those to be some sort of complements to Mid-Atlantic's Great American Bash and Starrcade events, in which he wants to feature stars of both territories and maybe 1 or 2 special guests. The locations haven't been disclosed yet.

[agentofenton]

Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling News & Notes

 

The Crockett family are pleased with the partnership with Lutte Internationale. The talent exchanges have been accepted by both talents and the fans. Talks of doing another combined show are already underway. There is also some discussion about running the Great American Bash tour north of the border as well. The Crockett's have been doing some intense research for venues for this summer tour. All ideas are in the early stages of planning, but they want to make this a really memorable tour. Last year was the first ever Summer Games event, and we hear something like that could be a special attraction to the arena shows, if the stadium venues are added to the tour.

 

Speaking of working relationships, MACW is also working closely with New Japan Pro Wrestling to bring some talents over on tours. In February, The Windham's and The Grappler's were sent for the tag team tournament. In March, youngsters 2 Cold Scorpio and Owen Hart on participating in a Young Lion's Cup.

 

This year MACW is going to keep on the four major shows to be televised live. The idea is to run a show live on WTBS in March with Clash of the Champions. The other three shows this year will be on closed circuit like was done last year. The Clash special is a try-out for maybe a potential series of live events on the cable station.

 

A few roster changes are ongoing, bringing in some fresher talent, and letting other talents get over in other territories.

 

More news and notes to come as we get closer to Clash of the Champions.

[gordi]

Some very intriguing news from overseas for those who are fans of Japanese Pro Wrestling:

 

Antonio Inoki, who is arguably the biggest name and the biggest draw in all of Japanese wrestling, has been seen in several locations in Tokyo talking with Akira Maeda.

 

Maeda left NJPW in 1984 to form a "Shoot Style" promotion, called the Universal Wrestling Federation, with Fujiwara, Sayama (the original Tiger Mask), and others. Rumor has it that Maeda and Sayama have been feuding over the direction of the UWF. It's also been rumored in the past that Maeda refused to work a potential big-money program with Inoki, so the two of them being seen in discussion now is big news indeed.

 

Furthermore, it has been reported by reliable sources that Shohei "Giant" Baba (the other major superstar of Japanese wrestling, and the founder of NJPW's rival promotion, All Japan Pro Wrestling) has been meeting with the current NJPW booker, "gordi."

 

It's impossible to confirm what these men have been talking about, but it seems safe to say that these covert meetings could have a profound impact on the entire puroresu scene.

[GeneJackson95]

CCW NEWS

 

Continental Championship Wrestling kicked off March 4th with tv tapings, TV Station owner David Woods bought in as a partner with Ron Fuller to bring back the Southeastern Territory, it was decided that it would be named Continental Championship Wrestling to give it a bigger feel. After the first set of tapings, there has been an adjustment made. The matches for television will be taped every two weeks in various locations with backstage interviews taped on location with Charlie Platt, however the host segments and commentary will be recorded in the studio in Dothan with Gordon Solie and Joe Pedicino as a way to both make travel easier on Solie and Pedicino and to make it easier for them to push storylines on tv, that might be spoilers to the live crowd.

 

There's also been talk that Fuller/CCW has entered into an agreement with Bill Watts and Fritz Von Erich to join the UWF, and Watts is scheduled to appeared at the March 18th tapings in Birmingham, either live or via video tape to discuss CCW joining the UWF.

 

[kevinmcfl]

The UWF officially welcomes the CCW into their wrestling family.

[SirEdger]

Love that partnership between you two. Everyone seems to be getting their ducks in row to be as competitive as they can. Looking very much forward to your work together, guys!

[gordi]

Tatsumi Fujinami's regular partner, Kengo Kimura, has been sidelined with a shoulder injury. Fujinami and Kimura had been set to face Canek and Dos Caras for the IWGP Tag Team belts at the Young Lions Cup tour-ending show on March 23rd, at the Fukuoka Sports Center.

 

Their place in that match has been taken by Antoinio Inoki and a "Mystery Partner." As previously reported in these pages, Inoki has recently been seen around Tokyo in talks with "Shoot Style" pioneer Akira Maeda. There are also rumours that Blade Runner Sting, a muscular youngster working out of Montreal, could be the mystery partner, as he will be staying in Japan for 3 ore months after participating in the Young Lions Cup.

 

Speaking of the YLC, the final match will be between two recent NJPW dojo graduates: Shinya Hashimoto and Keiji Mutoh. Will these young boys some day step up to fill the giant boots of Inoki and Fujinami? Only time will tell!

 

Finally, after Rick Steiner and Naoki Sano vs Masakatsu Funaki and Steven Regal broke down into chaos at their last big show, Inoki promised to appoint a special guest referee who could keep order for the rematch. Word out of Japan has it that former Karl Gotch Cup winner Yoshiaki Fujiwara has agreed to fill that role.

 

[Boon]

East Tennessee (Wright/Thatcher)

 

- After their mini revival last summer, Smoky Mountain Wrestling looks to be making a return to the Tri-Cities area (Johnson City, Kingsport and lesser so Bristol), West Virginia and Knoxville which will be their base. Its believed Ron Wright and Les Thatcher have found the funding to re-launch, and negotiations are on going with local promoters and arena's. In line with the promotion re-opening Les Thatcher will be opening a wrestling school to help fill out cards with younger talent.

 

- The promotion is still in negotiations with several lead announcers as Rick Stewart is now back working with David Woods in Alabama promotion. They have even reached out to commentating duo Lance Russell and Dave Brown of Memphis fame, although unlikely it shows ambition from the Knoxville promotion. To keep cost's low, its expected Ron Wright and Les Thatcher will be the announcers for TV. Bill Mercer is also another name flowing about. Television will be taped on Saturday mornings at the Knoxville Civic Ballroom.

- The territory loop will be Friday nights in Johnson City, TV tapings Saturday mornings in Knoxville, Kingsports Saturday night and the weekly big show back in Knoxville at the Civic Auditorium on Mondays, with a double header of smaller shows on Sunday in Hazard and Harlan Kentucky. The rest of the week will be filled out with spots shows. TV will not be on the road like last time, as this was felt to be one of the main cash issue.

- The roster is similar to the roster we last saw with the exception Tom Pritchard and Johnny Rich who have both moved on, so expect to see the likes of Ron Starr, The Flame, Don Bass and Dirty Rhodes, The Wild Hoggs with some new faces added into the mix.

- We will have more updates as the week progress's towards the big return in Knoxville a week Monday.