November 30, 1992
- New Japan threw everything at the wall this week at 2 shows. Genichiro Tenryu and Ultimo Dragon both debuted for the company, the New Road Warriors (Hawk and Kensuke Sasaki) debuted, the Steiner Brothers returned to the ring for the first time since Rick's injury, two title changes, and several other surprises, all of which builds up to the upcoming annual Jan. 4th Tokyo Dome show.
- Genichiro Tenryu, one of Japan's biggest stars, debuting for NJPW after spending his entire career in AJPW and SWS is obviously the biggest story and sets up a match with Riki Choshu for the Jan. 4th show. They also announced a dream match of Ultimo Dragon vs. Jushin Liger (though Dave says Dragon's ankle is in such bad shape that the match probably won't be as good as it would have been a year ago). The Steiners returned to drop the IWGP tag titles to Scott Norton and Tony Halme. Rick didn't do much and is still apparently hurting from the injury that's kept him out for the last couple months. The Steiners are expected to face the New Road Warriors at the 1/4 show, which will probably be their last Japan match for awhile, as they're expected to sign with WWF afterward. Also, IWGP champion Great Muta will be facing NWA champ Masa Chono in a unification match. And finally, there's nothing new on the Hulk Hogan front and at this point, it doesn't look like he'll be heading to NJPW anytime soon after all.
- With TV ratings as low as they've ever been, adding more TV seems foolish (doesn't that sound familiar...) but sure enough, WWF is planning a new Saturday show called Slam & Jam which will likely go head-to-head against WCW Saturday Night and therefore split the already record-low audiences. Slam & Jam is also the name of an upcoming music album WWF is releasing in England.
- The latest Saturday Night's Main Event was the lowest rated ever, down 31% from the previous SNME special. Dave predicts that this is probably the end of WWF getting network TV specials, and indeed it was for the next 14 years.
- Dave reviews Clash of the Champions. The Barry Windham turn was well done, but that was about it. He wishes someone had the guts to tell Bill Watts to stop pushing his awful son. Too Cold Scorpio debuted and stole the show with his 450 splash finisher. And most importantly, since he knows people are gonna ask, Dave thinks the hot ring girl in the bathing suit during the boxing match was Van Hammer's girlfriend.
- In EMLL, Black Magic (Norman Smiley) won the world heavyweight title in an upset, defeating Rayo de Jalisco in the finals of a tournament to win the vacated title.
- All Japan is interested in bringing in Earthquake when he finishes up with WWF. They're also still talking about bringing Dibiase back in to re-form his tag team with Stan Hansen but Dave doesn't think there's anything to it since he's still under contract to WWF for awhile.
- The Sheik still hasn't recovered from the injuries he suffered earlier in the year when he was severely burned in a match in FMW and has had to back out of the upcoming tours.
- Last week, GWF announced that the next show would be Dallas Cowboys night and invited fans to come to the show and meet some of the Cowboys players. Well, the show took place this week. Not one member of the Dallas Cowboys was there. Turns out nobody bothered to mention this to the Cowboys organization.
- Chris "Jereco" and Lance Storm faced each other at an indie show in Calgary and was reportedly a ****1/2 match.
- In Puerto Rico, a wrestler named Carl Styles (who has a glass eye in real life but the fans don't know that) was involved in an angle where another wrestler came out and scooped out Styles' eyeball with a stick, which will now lead to a feud where Styles faces the person who literally ripped his eye out.
- Several WWF stars made appearances at a Make-A-Wish benefit this week. Highlights were Yokozuna arriving in a rickshaw and Undertaker arriving in a hearse (who's idea was it to have Undertaker show up in a fucking hearse to an event for terminally ill kids?!)
- From what Dave is hearing, Ultimate Warrior is reportedly asking $8,000 from any promoter wanting to book him for indie shows. If that's the case, Dave says he's not going to get any bookings.
- Over in Eastern Championship Wrestling, that little Philadelphia indie company, The Sandman became ECW champion for the first time.
- Arn Anderson blew his knee out in a match with Erik Watts and will be out for a few weeks. Magnum T.A. was injured backstage at the Clash when he fell and broke his wrist and injured his hip.
- The Nasty Boys and Macho Man both appeared on episodes of Regis & Kathy Lee this week to promote Survivor Series.
- A guy named Eric Simms writes in to the letters section to let everyone know that he is doing massage work for those in the wrestling business.
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- As WWF champ, Bret Hart has been elevated to traveling first class on the planes, but no limo like previous champs have gotten thus far.
- Dutch Mantel writes in to let people know he's selling tapes of the public access show he does in Nashville.