November 11, 1991
- Gene Anderson, founding member of the Minnesota Wrecking Crew tag team died. The team (Gene and Ole Anderson) dominated tag team wrestling in the 70s. The issue leads off with one of Dave's patented long obituaries.
- The buyrate for Halloween Havoc isn't great, with early numbers looking to be the lowest of all time for a major PPV from either WWF or WCW. In fairness, it went head-to-head with Game 7 of the World Series and the Giants/Redskins game. Cable company Request TV complained to WCW about the excessive blood (8 people bled) and weren't happy with how awful the Chamber of Horrors match was.
- Hogan/Flair matches continued on house shows and business for those shows is good, but not record-breaking or anything like one might expect.
- Down in GWF, there's concern over finances and the company is starting to cut costs. Joe Pedicino has said that ESPN renewed them for 1992 and that they would be on PPV by March. They will be restructuring contracts and flying in less workers for shows.
- Speaking of GWF, one of their wrestlers named The Handsome Stranger has quit the company and has joined WCW.** That Handsome Stranger is better known these days as Marcus Bagwell. Overall, not great news on the GWF front right now, even though Pedicino is trying to make it sound like everything is fine.
- In the middle of the issue here, there's a 3 page story written by someone else about Florida trying to regulate pro wrestling. It details pretty much the entire hearing that was held in the State Capital Building. TL;DR - several people gave statements (including Dave Meltzer himself) on everything from steroids to false advertisements to retirement funds to blading. Everyone who appeared made the arguments that the business needs to be regulated for the well-being of the wrestlers. It was also stated that we're probably only scratching the surface of the steroid story and it will probably be a major issue in years to come (ain't that the truth).
- Jim Cornette has opened up a new promotion called Smokey Mountain Wrestling along with a few other wrestlers and just taped their first show.
- The big news in Japan is that a wrestler vs. boxer match has been signed between wrestler Nobuhiko Takada and boxer Trevor Berbick. Most people know Berbick as the guy who ended Muhammad Ali's career, defeating Ali in his final fight in 1981.
- WATCH: Nobuhiko Takada vs Trevor Berbick - Dec. 22, 1991
- Art Barr's effort to get his wrestling license reinstated in Oregon was turned down. Off to Mexico with you, Rapey!
- Herb Abrams is apparently threatening to sue half the world over things that have been written about him in various papers and wrestling newsletters, including a teenage kid who writes a wrestling newsletter out of his bedroom. Basically, he's a snake and everyone sees it.
- The WBF will be producing 2 television shows for their bodybuilders. The first is called Body Works and will focus on the lives (or "fantasy lives" as Dave says) of the 14 WBF bodybuilders. The other show, called BodyStars, will have the WBF bodybuilders doing workouts with celebrities and "Penthouse Playmates" (combining 2 magazines there, Dave) and will be a glorified T&A show. Body Works never happened, but BodyStars did! Enjoy this glimpse inside Vince's mind:
- WATCH: BodyStars promo
- Randy Savage is apparently barely 200 pounds anymore and has been working many matches in a shirt. Figure out why.
- Hulk Hogan's next movie called "Ugh" may be going straight to video after the flop of Suburban Commando. Okay, so help me out here. I didn't make up the name, Dave actually calls it "Ugh." Furthermore, I can't find ANY movie that Hogan did around this time. The next one he came out with was Mr. Nanny, in 1993 (and he filmed that in 1992). So what's the story here? All throughout these 1991 Observers, Dave talks about Hogan filming a new movie. Was it just never released or something I wonder? Google is failing me completely. I'm halfway through writing 1992 now and haven't found any new info on it.
- There is interest in England hosting one of the big WWF PPVs sometime in in 1992, but given the time difference and costs of doing a show like this overseas (WM6 in Toronto was a logistical nightmare because it was in a foreign country and they swore never to do it again), it's probably not going to happen (let's revisit your thoughts on that when Summerslam 92 rolls around, Dave.)
- The hearing regarding Flair's championship belt won't be taking place, because Flair and WCW have reached an out-of-court settlement. Dave isn't sure all the details yet, but part of it is that the National Wrestling Alliance will be paying Flair the $50,200 he requested.
- In his first wrestling matches in WCW, Dallas Page was surprisingly good, already better than several other WCW wrestlers, Dave says.
- So I haven't been addressing it, but in several of the last issues, Meltzer has just been ripping Van Hammer a new one. Apparently this guy was the original Eva Marie, all look and absolutely zero talent. Dave fucking hates him and it's pretty funny. He doesn't particularly care for Bill Kazmaier either.