July 05, 1993
- The Ebony Experience (Booker T and Stevie Ray from GWF) was scheduled to debut in WCW this week as a group called The Posse, but the debut was nixed at the last minute. Why, you ask? Well, the original idea was for the team to be managed by Col. Rob Parker. They would be brought in (by the white southerner) in chains and shackles. The idea was they would be escaped murderers but obviously, the visual invokes slavery. Sid Vicious is responsible for bringing the duo in because he was so impressed by them at the Kerry Von Erich memorial show that he convinced WCW to hire them. Booker T and Stevie Ray were all dressed up and ready to go on television when Eric Bischoff learned about the angle (no one had told him prior) and when he found out the extent of it, he nixed the whole thing immediately before they could go to the ring. When WCW President Bill Shaw learned of it, he was furious and wanted to know who's idea the gimmick was, but no one is taking the credit/blame. The tag team is still going to work for WCW, but now they're being called Chi-Town Heat (close) and will no longer have the prisoner/slave gimmick.
- Higher ups in WCW have cancelled any future showings of the Beach Blast mini-movie and the Search for Cactus Jack features. Basically, someone finally realized how awful and embarrassing they were.
- WCW seems to be building up a possible comeback for Dusty Rhodes to return as a top babyface. However, many in the company are denying that's the case because TBS won't allow their booker to be an active wrestler. Dave thinks a brief midcard comeback match or two might pique some interest, but a full time main event return for Dusty would be a huge mistake.
- Hulk Hogan worked his last scheduled American house shows for WWF this week (he had stuck around long enough to complete shows he had already been advertised for) and pretty much goofed off the whole time, chatting with fans at ringside instead of participating in the tag matches and seemed to just be over the whole thing. Hogan will work the upcoming European tour as well, then he's done. Meanwhile, WWF is cancelling a lot of upcoming house shows in an attempt to scale back on low-drawing shows and cut costs.
- WWF is moving their focus towards rebuilding television ratings. So expect more emphasis on exciting angles happening on Raw and the other syndicated shows. There's also going to be a renewed attempt to garner mainstream media attention.
- There's a big scandal in Japan involving Antonio Inoki, who is a member of the Japanese senate. A former secretary has accused him of massive tax evasion going back for years and she also claims that the story of Inoki freeing Japanese hostages from Iraq a couple of years ago isn't true. She says Inoki was simply in the right place at the right time and took credit for it, but he didn't actually have anything to do with it. Inoki has been in hiding since the story broke but made an appearance last week at a press conference, where he apparently decided to do a wrestling angle and punched a male secretary during a live television broadcast. Many have called for Inoki to resign from Japanese parliament in the wake of the allegations. This isn't the first time Inoki has been accused of financial impropriety. In 1971, he was charged with embezzlement and again in 1983, an embezzlement scandal around Inoki nearly put New Japan out of business.
- WCW injury report: WCW champion Big Van Vader is out, still recovering from a herniated disc in his back. He will work Beach Blast but nothing until then and probably be out for awhile after. NWA champion Barry Windham blew out his knee and may need major surgery that could keep him out for 6 months or more, but much like Vader, he intends to work Beach Blast on one leg. Paul Orndorff is suffering from a pulled groin.
- Roddy Piper made an appearance for AAA in Mexico this week, being shown in the crowd. Dave's not sure if he was just there for the show or if it's the start of an angle (nothing ever came of it, turns out he really was there just to enjoy the show).
- Scott Taylor (Scotty 2 Hotty) debuted in USWA and Dave compares him to a young Shawn Michaels. Also, Owen Hart, working as a heel and on loan from WWF, won the USWA heavyweight title and started a feud with Jerry Lawler which should eventually lead to Bret Hart showing up there.
- Tammy Sytch is finally managing someone in SMW, as Brian Lee is a heel now and has her as his manager. Funny enough, Lee is getting more cheers now than he did as a face.
- The ECW Summer Sizzler show a few weeks back drew a $10,500 gate which is more than most WCW shows have done lately and is even better than some of the smaller town WWF shows. Lots of people are still complaining about the woman who had her top removed in the ring. Tod Gordon is playing innocent and pretending he didn't know it was going to happen.
- The Nasty Boys have been officially released by WWF.
- Sensational Sherri gave her notice and will be finishing up in September. She's planning to enroll in beauty college and that's why the Sherri/Luna Vachon feud was quietly done away with.
- Dave attended a WWF house show in Oakland and gives his thoughts: Both members of the Smoking Gunns are very green but "the blond haired one has a hell of a lot of potential and works really hard." Undertaker/Giant Gonzales was one of the worst matches he's seen in years ("not Undertaker's fault") and gets negative-4-stars.
- Linda McMahon was quoted in a recent newspaper interview, addressing rumors of her new position, saying that it was "almost laughable" that she took over the WWF President position from Vince in order to deflect negative publicity or due to the federal investigation. "If you're a good manager or a good administrator, you take a look at the company and decide if you are running all the departments in the most efficient way. Sometimes there are steps you need to take to make it better. It has absolutely nothing to do with any kind of investigation." Mmmmhmm...
- Expect some dispute to arise at some point over the NWA championship. With Bill Watts out of WCW, but still in a position of power in the NWA, there's likely to be conflict. The NWA wants the champion to defend the title in other promotions. So far, WCW has ignored any requests to get the champion (currently Barry Windham) to work other shows. If a compromise isn't worked out, it's likely NWA will not allow WCW to use the name. Or WCW might decide to just cut ties with the NWA altogether, which might be for the best since having 2 world champions is ludicrous (maybe they should have just turned the NWA title into the WCW Universal Championship. Just spray paint the Big Gold Belt solid red and be done with it).