September 11, 1995
- In a huge shocker, Lex Luger struck a deal with WCW that was so hush-hush that even wrestlers in both WWF and WCW were shocked when Luger showed up on the first episode of WCW Monday Nitro. It's still not clear how everything happened as of press time. Luger had been a focal point of the latest WWF TV tapings, main eventing the show. It's not known if that match will even air now but Dave figures WWF will just scrap it and never acknowledge Luger again. Luger and Bischoff are claiming that Luger was working for WWF without a contract and thus was free to leave at a moment's notice. Why Vince McMahon would push someone without a contract is weird enough. The latest Dave had heard from WWF sources was that Luger was still under contract until October but that obviously wasn't the case.
- Luger had been in negotiations with WCW previously, but the negotiations fell apart over money because WCW was only offering him $1000 per night with no guarantee. But a backstage brawl between Vader and Paul Orndorff changed things (more on that in a bit). The promotion needed a big jolt to kick off their first show, and with Vader possibly getting fired, WCW re-opened negotiations with Luger. Vader was a big part of WCW's plans going forward and it's possible Luger will replace him if Vader is canned. Speaking of...
- Vader and Paul Orndorff got into a backstage fight at the Disney tapings a few days ago. It started as an argument over Vader arriving late and escalated until they were face to face, screaming at each other and then Vader shoved Orndorff to the ground. Orndorff got up and tried to tackle Vader and then wrestlers pulled them apart. During the pull-apart, Orndorff landed a perfect punch that knocked Vader silly. While Vader was on the ground on his back, Orndorff began kicking him in the face. Luckily, he was wearing sandals, so it could have been way worse, but Vader's face was completely busted up. After they were separated and Vader recovered, he went and found Orndorff and the fight started again and this time, both men came out bloody and black eyed. In the end though, Orndorff was widely seen to have come out the winner, with many people impressed that he managed to basically beat up a guy who outweighs him by 200 pounds. Since then, Vader is said to be apologetic and Orndorff has said he has no problem with Vader coming back. Still, Vader has been cast as the bad guy since many think he started it, and WCW is considering firing him over it. Orndorff is on the booking committee and is therefore somewhat of a supervisor and he did nothing to diffuse it, and Dave thinks both should be reprimanded. Vader is under contract through 1998 or 1999 and has a huge guaranteed contract of around $750,000 per year, so needless to say, he wants to keep his job and if he went to WWF, he wouldn't get nearly as good a deal. Vader wasn't acknowledged at all on the first Nitro.
- The Roadie is now using the name Jesse James Armstrong and worked in USWA this week.
- Speaking of USWA, Dave says current USWA champion Billy Jack Haynes has to be a strong candidate for Most Improved Wrestler of the Year and says he's considerably better now, at 42-years-old, than he was in his "prime" during the mid-80s as a major national star.
- The latest ECW TV episode was almost entirely dedicated to the final Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko match and Dave says it was probably the best wrestling TV show this year (Hardcore TV episode 123 on the WWE Network for those who want to see it). It was very emotional and treated like a special moment and in the end, Guerrero gave a speech saying, "Art, I hope I made you proud" because the storyline (and the truth) is that it was Art Barr's idea for them to go to ECW and become stars in the U.S. Dave also says Joey Styles is bar far the best announcer in the business this year.
- The Eliminators are expected to start with ECW soon and Dave says expect them to be given a different gimmick.
- In response to the letter in last week's issue accusing ECW of not paying their t-shirt guy, Paul Heyman had this response: "Jason Petaccio has a 100% rock-solid valid claim in that he is owed money. I agree with him. I'm even on his side. The only problem is that he's owed the money not by Paul Heyman, Tod Gordon, HHG or ECW but by Global Distributions. On June 9 at Drexel University, I sat down in front of Taz, Tommy Dreamer, Gabe Sapolsky, Rob Feinstein and Jason's brothers and said to him to file suit and I will testify for you. I even offered him the name of two attorneys in Pennsylvania who would take the case on a contingency (no money up front, lawyers get paid only upon collection of the award) basis. The offer still stands. I will be more than happy to testify for Jason. He's owed the money by Global Distributions, which is one step from legal proceedings with me. I've told him to file a lawsuit and to call me as a witness and I will testify for him."
- There have been rumors all week that Time Warner is negotiating to purchase the Turner empire. What that would mean for WCW is unsure. Probably nothing at first, but if WCW continues to lose money at the rate they have been over the last few years, they might not get as much leeway as they have in the past. WCW has survived this long because Ted Turner was okay with losing millions of dollars but Time Warner is unlikely to be as forgiving.
- Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko debuted in WCW against each other at the latest tapings and, as expected, stole the show even though almost nobody knew who they were.
- The Too Cold Scorpio/WCW negotiations have fallen apart and that won't be happening. Meanwhile, there's talk of bringing in Jerry Lynn.
- Hulk Hogan is expected to film a movie called Super Agent Club, starting next month.
- Tatanka has been suspended. No word on why other than it's apparently not drug related (this ends up becoming a bit of a bigger story).
- Dave wonders why the Bob Backlund for President angle has seemingly been dropped with no explanation.
- Lots of people writing in who were at the Guerrero/Malenko final ECW show and say it was the best moment in the history of ECW and that the emotion in the building was unlike anything ever before in wrestling and that afterwards, both men (but especially Eddie) were moved to tears by the response they got and many of the fans openly admit to crying as well.