August 26, 1991
- Steroids are back in the news big time again. Superstar Billy Graham is planning to file a lawsuit against WWF and Vince McMahon, as well as planning to make a public announcement which sources say will include very damaging evidence regarding steroids in the company and by Hulk Hogan in particular. Entertainment Tonight has been working on a steroid story and it's expected Graham will reveal whatever he plans to on that episode, which also features Bruno Sammartino and Ken Patera. McMahon has responded to Graham's lawsuit calling it "media blackmail" and "extortion" and says that Graham is asking for over a million dollars to settle it out of court, which would set a dangerous precedent for other disgruntled wrestlers to sue. McMahon says he brought Graham back to the WWF twice after he was already washed up as a wrestler and tried to make him an announcer and that he also says he paid for Graham's first hip operation. Graham is also suing Dr. Zahorian.
- If Graham's big reveal is damaging enough, and sources say that it is, the question is how it will affect WWF's licensing and merchandising deals. In order to ward off negative publicity, WWF has announced that it has selected independent company Comprehensive Drug Testing Inc. in Los Angeles to handle their new drug testing policy.
- A Pittsburgh newspaper has an interview with Bruno's son David Sammartino who also spent time wrestling in WWF. He openly admits to using steroids and says that wrestlers even used to shoot each other up. He says he never was in the room when Hogan took them, but it was no secret that Hogan was also a big user like everyone else. David says Vince never told him to take steroids, but he never had to. He was already on them before he got to WWF.
- Still no clear picture of what's going to happen with Ric Flair. It looks as though he's scheduled to work house shows with Piper at first, but Hogan has been recording promos where he mentions Flair as well. If they hold off on Hogan vs. Flair at first, then it will likely headline Wrestlemania. If they jump straight into that storyline as soon as Flair comes in, they'll probably blow it off before then and something else will headline Mania.
- WCW's next Clash of the Champions is in two weeks and if it doesn't do well in the ratings, TBS is considering dropping any future Clash events. Given the lineup and the general disinterest in WCW these days, Dave predicts it will be the lowest rated Clash ever.
- A Chamber of Horrors match has been confirmed for Halloween Havoc. Dave doesn't know what it is, but it may be the Plexiglas maze match he heard about (oh, if only).
- An incident took place back in 1987 where Midnight Express member Stan Lane punched a fan in the face, causing serious injuries and broken bones, because he thought the fan threw something at him. The fan sued and finally, just last week, the case was settled out of court for $400,000 by the insurance company for Jim Crockett Promotions.
- Jesse Ventura will be doing announcing on a new show called Grudge Match, which is a combination of American Gladiators and People's Court (the fuck?). The concept is they take normal people who are mad at each other and put them in a ring with oversized gloves and ridiculous weapons. The studio audience picks the winner. Meanwhile, WCW has reached out to Ventura a couple of times to bring him in as an announcer but nothing has ever come of it.
- Cactus Jack became the first wrestler to appear on Howard Stern's radio show in New York. Stern had Fred The Elephant Boy on and Fred, who is a huge wrestling fan, brought Cactus with him and they did a short bit.
- After hinting that Ric Flair would be appearing at one of his shows in Philly, Joel Goodhart is bringing in Kevin Sullivan instead. Flair appearing there was unlikely to happen even if he wasn't going to WWF.
- Several bill collectors are after Herb Abrams after the disastrous UWF Beach Brawl show (and yet, this company somehow limped along for another 5 years before going out of business. They're like the original TNA).
- The Genius is back in WWF, now working as a manager for the Beverly Brothers. He was likely hired back as a favor to Randy Savage.
- At recent WWF tapings, there were some noticeable changes among wrestlers' physiques. Hercules looked flabby and Hulk Hogan wore his t-shirt most of the match and has lost a lot of muscle (which pretty much confirms he's off steroids now but also means he was still on them until very recently). Even Sid, LOD and Ultimate Warrior all looked smaller. Not steroid-related, but Undertaker now has a grim reaper tattoo on his forearm.
- Jesse Ventura has a small part in the new Denzel Washington movie Ricochet.
- Ric Flair's attorney has said they will take legal action against WCW for wrongful termination in regards to Flair's firing. Meanwhile, WCW is now claiming they have legal ownership of Ric Flair's belt, saying that it is one of the pieces of property that TBS purchased when they bought Jim Crockett Promotions in 1988. This would turn into a much bigger story soon...
- Speaking of, Jim Herd did an interview denying that he offered Ric Flair the position as booker to come back to WCW, saying, "It wouldn't surprise me if this story is coming from him. You're talking about a guy that's never told the truth in his life. He wanted to go and we helped him."
- Nikita Koloff's contract is up at the end of the month and it doesn't look like he will be re-signing. Big Daddy Dink and Kevin Sullivan are also out in a couple of weeks. Dallas Page is done as a manager but will stay on as an announcer.
- WCW has brought in a guy named Van Hammer, using a heavy metal rocker gimmick. He's big and imposing and looks impressive, but he's only had a few matches ever and is very green. That didn't stop WCW from signing him to a guaranteed $75,000 a year contract.