DirtSheets.com

[LowBlowPodcast]

One of the fun additions to these games to help spice up your promotions is the dirt sheets. You can post rumors or stories about your promotion to help build the hype for a show, angle, or worker.

[LowBlowPodcast]

Coming out of RAGE...

- Lots of turmoil surrounding the hiring of Ric Flair. He and Eric Bischoff have had a very troubled past. On one had, Flair said he was ready to retire but it was Triple H who came in at the last moment to get him to sign. There is still no word on if he has signed the contract though. There is talk that he's looking to move somewhere else after preliminary talks with Bischoff. Why would he even look into the offer you ask... well it was the money. The financial backers of RAGE have put a lot of money into the talent. Ric Flair was said to be a very high priority due to his name and history in Dallas, New Orleans, Houston, and Atlanta. There is hope to get one more run with Flair... if he agrees to the contract.

- Stone Cold Steve Austin was another one who had serious issues with Bischoff but it is said that Eric has bent over backwards to try and get back in his good graces. Bischoff worked directly with Jim Ross... who he also had issues with... to get Austin on the books. The paycheck didn't hurt... he is scheduled to be the highest paid worker in RAGE and for good measure he is also getting "Hogan esq" numbers in terms of merchandise. Austin is however still on the mend from neck surgery. There is hope that he will return to the ring in 2000 but it doesn't look likely.

-The final two men who had serious issue with Eric Bischoff were Benoit and Malenko. This situation was helped by Triple H who really vouched for these two after their brief run in the WWF. Additionally, Bischoff held a private meeting with them and I am told that the names Hall, Nash, and Hogan were brought up as being the big issues in the past... that is no longer an issue in this promotion.

- It looks as though RAGE is going to tape their television from Dallas each week. Bischoff said that this will be a financially smart move to help build the product and fan base. Being in TNT also helps the product with national viewing. Bischoff is still connected with Turner Execs and is trying to negotiate with Time Warner for PPV distribution. We're told they may be looking to hold a PPV as soon as September 5th.

- There is a booking committee in RAGE that consists of Jim Ross, Dusty Rhodes, and Triple H with Bischoff as a consultant. Flair was also offered to be the head booker if he were to accept but many around Flair says he just wants to be done or go somewhere where he can be on tv and nothing else.

[Chachins]

Pacific Northwest Wrestling is rumored to be structured similar to the old WWF.  Vince McMahon is the first and last voice in everything.  It is reported he intends to work with his talent closely and welcomes their input, but retains the ultimate say in how things are going to play out.

It is also rumored that he will resume with the evil Mr. McMahon character on screen.  There will be a press conference in the next few days coming out of Seattle, the presumed home base of PNW, and the inaugural show will be announced, and word is that Vince may or may not be in character for that.  Thus, there is some speculation that what is presented at the press conference may be dubious information geared to get the fans thinking in a certain way.

It is additionally rumored that he will have a major accouncement regarding that inaugural show which will completely shock everyone and could lead to a record turnout.  There was a lot of snickering from so-called industry experts at McMahon holding his very first show, which will be featured as a television special throughout networks in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada (and may be available elsewhere) in Keyarena, but supposedly, McMahon is guaranteeing a sellout crowd.  This could also be more brand positioning and perception creating on his part.

[jpchicago23]

Rumors are swirling out of the Midwest in regards to Sid’s status with the company. I’m hearing that he was not able to come to terms on a contract and will be replaced in the upcoming tournament to crown a first ever GTW champion. Keep a lookout for a few possible names to take his spot. I’m hearing Finlay is a strong candidate 

[SirEdger]

Things are well under way for Can-Am Pro's first events in the next couple of days. There has recently been a series of meetings between officials from both Can-Am Pro and Pro Wrestling Outlaws and the end result has been a working relationship being established between both promotions. The most interesting part of this agreement come with the notion that Pro Wrestling Outlaws is willing to let Can-Am Pro hold supercard events in Philadelphia, with those shows becoming joint events. But Can-Am Pro hasn't decided to wait for shows in Philadelphia to put their working agreement to the test; it's been reported that Negro Casas will be working the first Can-Am Pro TV tapings over the weekend in Mississauga, ON and it's been confirmed that Can-Am Pro will hold an event at Brooks Stadium in Paducah, Kentucky on August 5th with several wrestlers from Pro Wrestling Outlaws working the event. It is said that one of those matches will feature a match in the PWO title tournament but it is yet to be officially confirmed. More on this story as we get updates.

[LowBlowPodcast]

Notes from RAGE, 

There is a very positive environment at the rage television taping this week. They feel as though homing the show in Dallas will be good to build up the market while the company continues to build its identity.

A a lot of people noted the happiness in regards to Eric bischoff and how he managed the backstage area along with the show while Triple H was almost his right hand and putting things together. Dusty Rhodes and Jim Ross were very influential in helping formulate how the first show went.

Some some wonder if the show was enough with only three matches and two big angles however TNT seems to be happy with the preliminary reports and is waiting on more feedback in regards to changes in the future. It would not be surprising to see four matches take place in an hour but with that those matches will not nearly be as long as they were this week.

A a lot of people were praising Viscera and The godfather for their primetime main event contest. They were told to go all out and cause some carnage which they did. Look for both men to do well in the coming weeks.

The The ultimate survival gimmick is one that is going to hopefully be a staple for RAGE as they approach their pay-per-view shows and special gimmick matches. 

The voting for Triple H and the undertaker was supposedly legitimate however in comparison to the other people that were listed, Scott Steiner, Mark Henry, Chris Benoit ( who got third), and Dean malenko, it was clearly a two-horse race.

Still no word on Steve Austin and Ric flair joining RAGE. The word on Austin is that he is asking for a lot of money and it may be back ended into his merchandise deal. There's no doubt that he will be the top merchandise seller for rage and Jim Ross is trying to negotiate a way for him to make WWF style money in a non WWF environment. Ric flair still has animosity towards Eric bischoff but again Triple H is trying to be the middleman in that situation. Lots of people have said that Bishop has reached out and tried to help the situation but flare seems to really hold a grudge and doesn't seem to want to let it go although the market for flare may not be very high as no one has reached out for his services.

[icemandave]

Notes from PWI

Several wrestlers have raised concerns that PWI has yet to hold it's first event, despite promises to launch at the beginning of August.  However insiders within the company have revealed that everything is on track, and the "apparent" delays in launching were always planned due to the need to fly so many stars in from different countries and ensure their work visa's are viable.  Most of the talent has now arrived in Australia, and it is expected that their debut taping for television is due to occur very shortly.

This belief has been strengthened with the press-release earlier today advertising the debut event "Gauntlet for Gold".  PWI have promised to crown their first world champion by having all previous "recognised" world champions compete in one match.  It will be interesting to see who is crowned the first champ when bookers have announced their first title match will include the biggest star in the world, The Rock, as well as men known for not wanting to do the job when needed, namely Kevin Nash.  One interesting person who won't be competing in that match is Kurt Angle.  Angle, whom many believe is the best wrestler in the world already, has never won a World Title to date, and so does not qualify for the match.  While still relatively new to the sport, Angle is known to be very confident about his own ability.  It is very surprising that the company have left him out of a multi-man match claiming to include the best ever wrestlers.

It is expected that Jim Cornette will be the primary booker for the company, as well as having an on-screen managerial role.  Cornette has a lot of talent at his disposal, but it will be interesting to see if his views of booking will gel with some members of his roster, most notably Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.  It is no secret that these men hold animosity towards Cornette for how he treated their friends, Triple H and Shawn Michaels, after they had left WWF in 1996.  Time will tell if Nash and Hall can toe the company line, or if they will be stirring trouble backstage soon.

[jpchicago23]

Word behind the scenes at GTW is that there are many creative differences between Sapolskys vision and Jarretts. Rumor is that Sapolsky wants to spotlight a lot of the Indy talent and help groom the future while Jarrett wants to cater to the southern style. It’s even being rumored that Gabe doesn’t want to book older talents like Dundee in his part of the territory in fear that the crowd won’t accept him. Likewise Jarrett feels that some of the younger talent will not translate to the traditional southern crowds of Memphis and Louisville. This is something to keep an eye on going forward to see if a compromise can be made or if it will implode from within. 

[SirEdger]

-Dr. Wagner Jr has suffered a Lumbosacral Sprain during his match in the debut show for Can-Am Pro and we're told he'll be missing the bulk TV tapings in Mississauga on August 2nd but he should be cleared to return to action next weekend.

-Speaking of TV tapings, word going around is that Can-Am Pro officials will alternate between bulk tapings of multiple episodes and taping one episode per night, with plenty of time between airings to edit shows and incorporate clips from other shows. Those cards would also feature exclusive matches for people in attendance that wouldn't be taped for TV or VHS releases.

-The booking committee in Can-Am Pro consists of Bullet Bob Armstrong, Ted Dibiase and Rick Martel but there seems to already be some tensions, particularly between Martel and Armstrong. Martel is pushing for the promotion to hire Jacques Rougeau to boost ticket sales for events in Quebec but Bullet Bob argues that this would be a short-sighted move at the moment, considering that they also plan to run a bit everywhere possible. Plus, other Can-Am Pro officials are said to be working on developing their working relationship with Pro Wrestling OUTLAW with talent loans and more joint shows in the future. A first loan is allegedly in the works already.

-Finally, Genichiro Tenryu's time in Can-Am Pro is said to be almost done already. It isn't said to be any ill will between both parties but Tenryu had expressed the wish to spend more time in Japan but with the Can-Am Pro current schedule, it isn't said to be feasible. Can-Am officials are currently working on a solution to satisfy Tenryu and rumor has it that Can-Am Pro's working relationship with OUTLAW  might come into play. Tenryu is scheduled to work the first TV tapings in Mississauga, being involved in a 5-Way Dance to crown the first Can-Am TV Champion.

[El Dragon]

- The early reports out of PWO is they were overall pretty happy with how the first show went. There was some worry having so few favorites from the Philly area would limit the crowd, which is part of the reason they felt the need to push to bigger matches on the card, specifically Liger/Mysterio. The decision to run that match so early into the promotion was determined to be a must to try to keep people invested with the first show, and not lose new fans before they can properly develop. 

 

- The power structure of the promotion seems to be in a weird state. Steamboat is the on screen "authority", but is actually somewhat detached from the actual running of the company. His main involvement was helping get ins to the Charlotte territory, and help in signing the Hardys, who Steamboat is somewhat taking under his wing. The main people behind the promotion seem to be Negro Casas, Jushin Liger, and Sabu, which is an odd bunch. Akira Taue is part owner, but at the moment he is more focused on setting things up on the Japanese front, and Negro Casas has helped bring in El Hijo Del Santo to try to set up there situation in Mexico. It's widely accepted in the locker room though that Casas, Liger, and Sabu will be travelling with the company no matter where they are "Touring" at the time.

 

- Speaking of the touring element, we have officially gotten word that Taue and Liger have officially set up the first tour, starting on September 21st. The tour is expected to last 6 weeks, and the company is trying to get as many talents they can for the tour to give the promotion a good start in the territory. 

 

- The promotion has also been very quick to try to get on good terms with it's neighbors. Negro Casas specifically seemed to take over negotiations with Cam-Am Pro, and they have apparently gone very well, with it looking like a long term partners. They also have gotten off to good start Grind Time, who the leadership views as a promotion incredibly similar to them, and have came to the mindset that they are much better off making friends then making enemies. 

[Chachins]

Word out of Seattle is that a lot of the talent were a little shell shocked to hear that there would be a $0 gate for the Pacific Northwest Wrestling kickoff show.  Apparently a lot of the talent have contracts involving a portion of gate receipts.  Nobody is jumping ship, according to sources, but a little rumbling has begun, wondering if Vince McMahon is being overconfident.  Some have even stated it almost feels like the feeling surrounding the first Wrestlemania where it was largely considered a make or break show for the WWF at the time.

Preliminary reports have suggested that the tone of PNW is going to reflect the "attitude" era of the last days of the WWF, but with more of an emphasis on the in-ring product than staged vignettes.  McMahon's vision is to take the drama and personality that was exhibited with a lot of the interview segments and vignettes and have the talent translate that to their matches.  He stated that in a number of cases, the art of storytelling in the ring was sacrificed for shock value while the talents tried to tell the entire story through backstage shenanigans. While there will still be a number of backstage segments, they will have a more realistic tone, rather than octagenarians giving birth to hands.

While the PNW shows will primarily be live, the first few are going to be taped and aired later, as Vince wants to have full control over the outset of the programming to set the tone his way.  He has a support staff and a number of big names helping with booking and creative, but as is his way, Vince is still judge, jury, and executioner for any and all ideas.  He retains final say over everything that goes on.

 

[jpchicago23]

Word out of GTW is that Jerry Jarrett is irate that guys like Punk, Danielson and even Corino were selected to take part in the Heavyweight tournament over guys like Bill Dundee, Tracey Smothers and Brian Christopher. Jarrett feels as if the southern portion of the territory is being forgotten and is letting it be know that he will run his towns the way he sees fit. 

[Chachins]

As the other fledgling promotions begin to air shows and reveal information as to who they have signed and what talents they will be pushing, there is still an air of mystery over who will be the flag bearers for Pacific Northwest Wrestling.  It is said that Vince McMahon was emphasizing talented individuals rather than known main event stars.  Expect more upper mid card type names to be pushed, as Vince has a long and star studded history of creating superstars from midcard talents.  

It is also rumored he has signed a number of his own former WWF stars as well as several of the upper mid card types from the former WCW, and there is some talk of a possible long term angle that would push the WCW guys against the WWF guys.  Nothing is set in stone, but the germ of an idea is there.  It is said McMahon smiled broadly when it was bought up at a recent booking meeting, and he assigned a couple of his most trusted writers to flesh out an outline of how it might go.

[Chachins]

The reports out of PNW are that while Vince McMahon was a little disappointed in the turnout for the free inaugural PNW show (9,791, a little over half capacity for Keyarena in Seattle), the reviews and fan reactions from the show have been phenomenal and the McMahon marketing machine is going full bore advertising upcoming house shows throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and British Columbia.  The schedule is going to feature 2-3 touring house shows a week, culminating in a Sunday show each week, which will be the flagship televised show that will feature storyline progressions to push towards a potential late September or early October pay-per-view event in which we are to see our first champions crowned.  That show is to be televised throughout the entire region on network affiliates, a major coup for McMahon, who is providing the footage at a low cost to the networks with advertising deals in place that favor the networks.  Fiscal responsibility is less important to McMahon at this point than establishing a strong brand and regional marketing.  He is said to be footing the bill almost exclusively, and is willing to operate at a break-even pace or even a small loss in order to get a foothold.  He feels confident in his abilities to turn PNW into a major profitable endeavour without suffering too great a loss to begin with.

It is said Vince wants to attack this old school style, building up characters through the weekly show while the house shows will be pure wrestling, used to test out new characters, solidify storylines through in-ring actions, and establish brand dominance and loyalty in the region, with an eye to slowly branching out and extending the PNW reach in the not too distant future, while maintaining the Northwest as the identity associated with the brand.

 

 

[jpchicago23]

Word out of GTW is that the financial backer for the company has hired Harley Race as its president of operations. Feeling is that Sapolsky and Jarrett have completely different visions and Harley is being brought in to make sure each vision is presented with the best interest of the company in mind. Expect a press conference before the end of the week from Harley Race discussing the future of the company and his role. 
 

Also out of GTW Cm Punk and Colt Cabana are said to be disgusted at how they were treated in Memphis. They now refuse to work the southern loop going forward stating that their value has been decreased. 
 

A stable is said to be formed with younger southern talents called The New South. Rumored names are Jimmy Rave, David Young, and The Hot Shots(Cassidy Riley and Derrick King). The crew is said to be formed with the intention on working their way to the top of the scene the right way by earning it. Last week, Bill Dundee said they were undercard talent which Punk and Cabana took exception to but the New South seem to be eager to earn their place and have used that as motivation. 

[Chachins]

The original plan in PNW was to position Chris Jericho as the top face and Kane as the top heel with the introductory segment from the inaugural show.  However, the reaction Kane received has caused Vince McMahon to rethink this strategy, and Kane is now to be booked as an edgy face, playing the foil for the Mr. McMahon character.  While the storyline and tone are going to be completely unique, the story arc will be similar to that of Stone Cold Steve Austin and Mr. McMahon in the old WWF.  If Kane continues to stay over, word is Vince thinks this storyline could reach well into the spring, spanning several pay-per-view events, culminating in a blowoff at a major event to be held sometime in March or April.  Sound familiar?  Stay tuned.

As an addendum, the booking team has still been instructed to push Chris Jericho as the top draw for PNW, and Vince has ordered them to ensure that he does not lose any luster despite this recent development.

[Chachins]

A lot of scuttlebutt has been going around in wrestling circles about the lack of titles, title plans, or anything involving a championship in Pacific Northwest Wrestling.  Many of the rumors are claiming it is because of a lack of direction, and say that comes from the top.  The truth, according to backstage sources, is far from that.

Vince McMahon is not planning on having any concrete championships or titles awarded until the major show in the spring.  His goal is to create rivalries and create characters that the fans care about and get into, and have feuds that are personal, have a story, and are not just about a prop.  He wants to build each of his talents to a point that once a title tournament occurs, each wrestler will have a strong backstory and history (albeit a short one) with PNW and it will make every single match and competitor must-see tv.  He does not want to randomly rush a belt onto someone and use it as a prop for storyline and plans to make the storylines and characters compelling enough to create interest and grow the brand.  He wants each title to have meaning and be earned over time.

So the lack of titles or championships is not a lack of direction.  It's the method to the madness of a mad genius.