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http://www.wrestlingobserver.com/

12/31/2003 5:13:00 PM

Wednesday update: New Year notes, Former SW tag champ Greer passes
away, MLW TV, Smackdown weekend notes; Lynn to ROH; Hogan and one of
greatest forgotten interviews

by Dave Meltzer

hsmeltzer{at}juno.com

None of the shows in Japan that just ended are available on PPV, or at
this point are planned to be available on PPV in the United States.
The Pride show will be out on DVD fairly soon and no word on the other
two shows, although it wouldn't shock me to see the K-1 show pop up
unadvertised on ESPN at some point.

There are two taped PPV's tonight, the six-hour Ultimate New Year's
Eve, which is now a PPV tradition, and the TNA show. As mentioned
before, if you're a new UFC fan, even if you're going out tonight, I'd
tape the show because you'll get to see all the stars and all the
biggest matches that are the history of the franchise in one night.

TNA's taped show tonight, another "Best of," is schedule around Sting
& A.J. Styles vs. Lex Luger & Jeff Jarrett. I've got to say it's
really sad on many levels that they think this is their best marquee
match of 2003. It's sad it's pushed this hard not only because of the
quality of the match, but what it says about a company admitting that
Lex Luger, who nobody cares about and wouldn't do a thing in the ring,
is still a bigger deal than its own talent. Also they have Raven vs.
Jeff Jarrett's match, which did tons more buys, as positioned as less
important. Other matches tonight are Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger
winning the NWA tag titles from AMW, as well as the results of the
2003 TNA Match of the Year awards.

--MLW starts on TV in Philadelphia on 1/19 at midnight. The Sunshine
Network show is being moved from Monday at 11 p.m., which I thought
was a super time slot, to Fridays at midnight. New footage will debut
in that time slot on 1/16. MLW's February shows are 2/13 in Fort
Lauderdale and 2/14 in Orlando. The six-sided ring debuts for a junior
heavyweight match on 2/13. Those appearing on the shows are Steve
Corino, C.W. Anderson, Simon diamond, Teddy Hart, Sonjay Dutt, Havana
Pitbulls, Low Ki, Raven, Sabu, Bobby Quance, Puma, Chad Collyer,
Stampede Bulldogs and more.

--Audie Hager, who wrestled as the Fabulous Danny Fargo, as well as
Fabulous Blond Dan Greer for Southwest Championship Wrestling as tag
champ with Eric Embry and well known in the Kentucky indie scene,
passed away last Friday at the age of 44 from cancer.

--If you want a look at just how big Akebono is, an article in the
Mainichi Daily News at
www.mdn.mainichi.co.jp/news/20031231p2a00m0dm010000c.html has a photo
fro the last press conference. Sapp, who is 6-4 and about 350 pounds,
is the tiny guy in the mask.

--Today's Albuquerque News-Bullletin at
www.news-bulletin.com/lavida/36593-12-31-03.html has an article
previewing the WWE's house show for a Smackdown house show. Major puff
piece, even claiming attendance at Mania III was "in excess of
100,000." Don't worry, 50 years from now it'll be 150,000. Line-up is
Cena vs. Show, Bashams vs. Guerreros vs. WGTT, Mysterio vs. Tajiri vs.
Kidman, Benoit vs. Palumbo in a submission rules match, Holly &
Bradshaw vs. A-Train & Rhyno, Ernest Miller vs. Noble (oh dear God, I
can smell an ultimate miscarriage of justice 1,500 miles away),
Rikishi & Scotty vs. Sakoda & Akio, Dawn Marie vs. Sable vs. Nidia in
a tiny teddy contest and Stamboli & Nunzio vs. Spanky & London.

--Jerry Lynn's return to ROH is on 1/29 in Glen Burnie, MD teaming
with SamoaJoe vs. the Briscoe Brothers with Jim Cornette in a tag team
title match. (thanks to Jonathan Barber)

--HWA TV tapings last night in Cincinnati: Big Al b Monty Fabulous,
Tsunami b Mike Slade, Mike Desire b Quinten Lee-DQ, Simply Spectacular
b Hussla, Cody Hawk b Matt Stryker in a 52:00 match, to set up a
rematch on Saturday in Batavia, OH. Next show is at the Red Barn Flea
Market in Batavia. HWA Awards for 2003 were Drew Johnson as Most
Improved, Quinten Lee as Rookie of the Year, T.J. Dalton& J.T. Stahr
as Tag Team of the Year, A.J. Sparx as Woman of the Year, Jaxon Breeze
as Manager of the Year, Nigel McGuiness vs. Hoss as Feud of the year,
Hoss vs. Nigel as Match of the year and Cody Hawk as Wrestler of the
Year.

--A 1990 painting of Hulk Hogan is featured in the new Leroy Neiman
coffee table book, "Five Decades" (thanks to Michael Kraus)

--New England Championship Wrestling on 1/10 in Framingham, MA at the
Civic League.

--Intense Wrestling on 1/3 in Cincinnati at the Intense Arena on 3509
Warsaw Avenue

--UIPW has the last wrestling show of the year, at least it claims as
such, starting tonight at 10 p.m. after a concert at the State Street
Tavern in Erie, PA with Jimmy Jacobs, appearing as well as a main
event of Jerry Lynn vs. Matt "M-Dogg 20" Cross.

--Australian writer Stephen Gibb is looking for anyone who would know
the whereabouts and how to contract Norman Fredrich Charles III. He's
doing research on the career of Charles' long-time tag team partner in
the Royal Kangaroos, the late John Boyle (Lord Jonathan Boyd). You
want to talk about a guy who could cut a promo that for some reason
isn't well remembered, John Boyd was up there with anyone.

--ACW Pro Wrestling on 1/24 in Charlotte at the West Charlotte Rec
Center


--- Internet Rex 2.29