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http://www.wrestlingobserver.com

10/8/2003 2:22:00 PM

Wednesday news update: TNA preview, No Mercy changes, Grudge match
tailor made for WWE TV tonight, "Wrestling with Shadows," Flair DVD,
RVD and DX on big-time sports events, Wahoo on ESPN2 and much more

by Dave Meltzer

dave{at}wrestlingobserver.com

We're looking for your thoughts on tonight's NWA TNA PPV show, so you
can leave a thumbs up, thumbs down or thumbs in the middle along with
a best and worst match to dave{at}wrestlingobserver.com.

Tonight's TNA line-up:

*A.J. Styles vs. Dusty Rhodes for the NWA title. There really is a
story here that could be fun, but Dusty may be too old to pull it off
right. From a viewer standpoint, the most important person may be Mike
Tenay in how well he can get the story over.
*Raven vs. either Slash or Sinn - Raven needs to do a major
pulverization (is that even a word?) here
*Michael Shane vs. Chris Sabin with the X title against the Super X
trophy - This should be a good match
*Chris Harris & James Storm vs. Kid Kash & Abyss with Terry Taylor as
ref
*Frankie Kazarian vs. Christopher Daniels - I've seen a few matches
between those two and they've been very good. I'm looking forward to
this.
*D-Lo Brown & Chris Vaughn vs. Ryan Wilson & Kevin Northcutt - Yes,
D-Lo is now "down" to being involved in the security guards feud.
*Simon Diamond & Johnny Swinger & Glenn Gilbert vs. Konnan & B.G.
James & Ron Killings in a 3 out of 5 fall elimination match. Usually
these style matches don't work well because they rush the falls so
much they lost impact. And I'm not sure the opposite, seeing a long
match here, is a better idea.
They'll also probably start the hype for the 11/30 show, although I'm
not sure they should really push that too hard until after 10/22

--A couple of additions have been made to the No Mercy show a week
from Sunday in Baltimore. The Vince vs. Stephanie match will now have
Vince putting up his job as Chairman of the Board against Stephanie's
job as GM of Smackdown. In addition, Sable will manage Vince, and
Linda will manage Stephanie. Yes, Linda is back in the picture. She
has remarkable recuperative powers. Also the Brock Lesnar vs.
Undertaker title match is now a chain match. Good luck to them because
that's a hard match to pull off in modern style.

--The first TV match with Bob Holly vs. Matt Cappotelli takes place at
the OVW tapings in Louisville. Even though Cappotelli is not ready,
when Holly returns to WWE, they have a tailor made short-term TV
program handed to them on a silver platter if they just take advantage
of what people already know. It won't have the impact it would have
had months ago, but if there are any plans with Holly other than
burying him, it can really get him over as a heel.

--For those in Toronto, there will be a free screening tonight at 8:30
p.m. of the famous movie "Wrestling with Shadows" at Bambu by the Lake
at 245 Queens Quay West at Pier 4. Paul Jay, who produced and directed
the movie, will be there doing a Q&A, so if you want to know more
about that movie, or about what went down in 1997, its a good
opportunity. And if you've never seen that movie, it's highly
recommended.

--Just think, I used to make fun of the Japanese for who they've
elected to political office. I'll bet Billy Graham never realized in
the 70s that he'd be a training partner for one Governor, and a mentor
for another.

--Randy Savage got a brutal review for his CD in yesterday's New York
Post. Dan Quilante wrote that the record, "defies the laws of physics
by blowing and sucking at the same time" and said his elocution is a
slow, thick-tongued lisp.

--Ch. 9 in Germany is looking for pro wrestling content for its 2004
schedule. Any promoters who are wishing to license their TV shows for
German television should e-mail Oliver Copp at copp{at}tnm7.com to open
up negotiations.

--You can pre-order the Ultimate Ric Flair collection DVD for just
$26.95, which is well under the retail price of $34.98, at
store.wrestlingobserver.com. This will be more than ten hours long.
While a lot of what has been reported on what will be on the DVD is
just rumors, it is confirmed it will feature Flair NWA and WCW matches
against the likes of Harley Race, Terry Funk, Sting and Ricky
Steamboat.

--German Stampede Wrestling on 10/18 in Olsberg, Germany features A.J.
Styles vs. Michael Kovac and American Dragon vs. Ahmed Chaer. Chris
Hero from IWA is also booked on the show.

--Wisconsin Organized Wrestling returns to the WOW Arena in South
Milwaukee on Saturday night for an 8 p.m. show headlined by a
three-way for the tag title with Urban Heat, Excessive Force and Big
Daddy Dews & Enforcer, plus they have a book vs. chain match. I wonder
how that one works.

--Kid Kash will be working for Gateway Championship Wrestling on shows
10/24 in Overland, MO and 10/25 in DeSoto, MO

--WWE has a job opening for a TV Producer, to produce vignettes and
packages, write and edit vignettes and packages, produce and direct
the crew in doing vignettes. The applicant must have a basic knowledge
of computer animation and graphics, excellent editing skill, good
writing skill, and some film knowledge preferred. You need 2-5 years
of producing experience, 2 years of promotional producing helps, and,
and this is a big one, knowledge of the product. If interested, send a
resume to WWE, Attn: Human Resources TV, 120 Hamilton Ave. Stamford,
CT 06902.

--Besides Hogan being shown on MNF, late in the game, Ronde Barber of
the Bucs was running back an interception and did a one-armed RVD
thumbs to the back of his jersey deal. Later, on the sidelines, he did
the same thing. (thanks to Jason Keiffer)

--In a similar vein, some members of the Oakland A's were upset Monday
night with Derek Lowe, saying he was making obscene gestures toward
them when he struck out Terrence Long to end the game. Miguel Tejada
went into a rage and said he's going to be paid back at some point for
this, and was apparently crying hysterically. Lowe apologized
afterwards. Most of the sports reports I've seen on it didn't
recognize it as the Hall & Nash crotch chop. Radio host Dale Arnold in
Boston (who is an avid reader of the newsletter) reported on his show
yesterday that it was originated in WWF by DX and hasn't been done in
about five years (well, actually Justin Credible did it far more
recently than that, but that's more an indictment of how well people
remember that non-push). (thanks to Ettore Santarelli)

--WWE announced a big trade. Ref Nick Patrick is headed to Smackdown
to become the head ref (which means he's responsible for all ref
assignments), while Mike Chioda comes to Raw. This started this week,
as a few people noticed Chioda on Raw. WWE.com has a story on this
today.

--HWA announced that Cody Hawk suffered a serious neck injury at
Sunday's TV taping. The incident will air on the company's TV show,
which will include a PSA on the dangers of pro wrestling. (Saturday
night at midnight on UPN-44 in Dayton).

--Old clips of Wahoo McDaniel as a 60s football player aired on ESPN 2
yesterday as a showcase of "lost" AFL (what the AFC was known as in
the 60s before the full-fledged merger) tapes. When they showed the
clip, Steve Sabol noted that here is a guy who knows something about
entertainment, as he was a pro wrestler, and showed McDaniel when he
was a linebacker with the Jets. They interviewed McDaniel who noted
that his wearing "Wahoo" as his only name on his jersey was okay with
Sonny Werblin (Jets owner at the time) because he knew football was
about entertaining the first fans. (thanks to Mike Sempervive)

--InDemand will start running a show called "Wrestling: 1950s" on
Sunday night at 7 p.m. They will also be airing the UFC Spectacle to
Sport special later this month. (thanks to Ivan Adams)

--Pro Wrestling Guerilla has announced a show for 11/15 at the
Westside Jewish Community Center in Los Angeles. Bouts include Jardi
Frantz vs. MDogg 20, Hardkore Kidd vs. Samoa Joe, Adam Pearce vs. Colt
Cabana, and Frankie Kazarian defending his PWG title against American
Dragon Bryan Danielson

--Midwest Championship Wrestling on 10/18 at the College of Lake
County in Grayslake, IL headlined by Eric Priest vs. Acid, plus Colt
Cabana appears

--I saw a newspaper clip on Nikita Koloff doing a special church
appearance in the Carolinas this weekend that billed him as a former
WWF champion


--- Internet Rex 2.29