Hello, everyone, and welcome to The People's Wrestling Website. Not only is this one hell of a busy day, TPWW itself is having some nasty server problems, so don't blame me if this report seems a tad on the short side. Let's get on with it.
Last night, as always, the WWF put on their weekly installment of WWF SmackDown!. We saw the main-event for King Of The Ring beginning to take shape (My guess is we'll see a Fatal Four-Way, hopefully under elimination rules), a continuation of the brewing feud between Hardcore Holly and Chris Benoit, and much more. I felt the show was VERY entertaining last night, as almost nothing really seemed to drag on. Excellent effort as usual by the WWF creative team.
Following up on SmackDown!, the show did a 6.4 overnight rating and a 10 share, meaning that ten percent of all national televisions on at that time were tuned to UPN. Excellent news for the WWF, because they just keep rolling as of late.
Following up on what Triple A spoke about yesterday, The Rock has indeed been offered two different movie roles. According to Mike Samuda of WrestleManiacs, one of them is an as-of-yet untitled high-budget science fiction film, and the other is a PREQUEL to "The Mummy", which reportedly would focus more on The Scorpion King, The Rock's supporting role in "The Mummy Returns". I have to admit, this is more than a little intriguing. Most film shoots take anywhere from four to eleven months, with some going VERY long (Lord Of The Rings is taking twenty-four), and some very SHORT (Wing Commander, released in March 1999, was filmed in a month in Luxembourg). It puts the WWF in a precarious position as well, given The Rock's incredible popularity.
Curt Hennig is reportedly gauging interest for a return to the WWF. I don't know about this one. Curt has been reported many times to be a disruptive influence backstage, and that's exactly what the WWF locker room DOESN'T need: an egotistical veteran who looks out only for himself. Granted, I'd love to see Hennig back in the WWF, but only if he can, so to speak, know his role in the company.
Moving onto WCW news...Lex Luger is apparently in very, very deep trouble with WCW. Vince Russo appeared on WCW Live! last night, and said that he was unable to talk about his status with the company due to legal issues. As you may recall, Luger and Elizabeth were sent home from the Thunder tapings following a dispute over the angle they were to be working on the show. If Luger is released, I can't imagine seeing him in the WWF...
The injuries Konnan and Juventud Guerrera suffered at last week's Thunder tapings are less serious then what intially thought. At first it was believed Konnan suffered a broken elbow but an X-ray revealed no break. Dave Meltzer reports his arm was too swollen for an MRI, which won't take place until the swelling is down. The belief at this point is that he's got a partially torn tricep that won't require surgery so his down time won't be lengthy. Juventud has bruised ribs and won't be involved in anything physical for a couple weeks. Guerrera is one of the brightest young talents that WCW has left, so let's hope he can return sooner rather than later.
In her latest online note, Kimberly attempted to tell her side of the Tammy Lynn Sytch/WCW saga, stating that she had nothing to do with Sytch being reported to the front office for supposedly being in possession of a vial.
The Torch Hotline reports that management has told the Nitro Girls that they have to learn to take bumps at the Power Plant before the company will attempt to make them stars. Oh God, we don't need more of this...
In another note, Wade Keller of the Torch believes that the "surprise" from Russo and Bischoff will be the debut of the "Fight Club" faction with fighters such as Mark Coleman and others. I sincerely doubt that...
WCW is now promising Goldberg v. Tank Abbott and Vince Russo v. Ric Flair in a steel cage for Monday's Nitro. Sounds like a deliberate attempt to stack the show, but I'm not sure about Russo in a cage. Something inside me tells me he's not going to give a Shane or Vince McMahon-style performance.
Disco Inferno and Kanyon are now sitting in on production meetings for WCW. One of their duties is to help lay out matches for the shows. Kanyon I can understand, but Disco Inferno? There's something wrong with that picture...
In the big ECW news for today, there reportedly is a HUGE situation brewing over tonight's episode of ECW on TNN. According to reports, Paul Heyman taped a shoot interview regarding TNN's treatment of ECW, with some very nasty jabs. ECWWrestling.com is promoting the show as the most unpredictable ever. Adding more fuel to the fire is TNN's request to change the show and remove the interview, and Heyman's subsequent refusal. There has been a meeting of TNN executives and lawyers regarding this, possibly attempting to determine whether or not Heyman's comments can be construed as slander. Wherever this goes, it seems like the relationship between ECW and TNN is deteriorating faster than ever.
Here's what you can expect for ECW on TNN tonight:
- Kid Kash vs. Grimes
- Mikey Whipwreck vs. Tony Mamaluke
- The Sandman vs. Rhino (TV Title)
- Paul Heyman shoot interview
- Appearances by: Justin Credible, Francine, Rob Van Dam, Jerry Lynn,
Scotty Anton, Tommy Dreamer, Cyrus, Jack Victory, Steve Corino, Simon
Diamond, Swinger, and more.
Sorry to cut this report so short, but I'm busy beyond belief. Enjoy ECW on TNN, the weekend shows, RAW, Nitro, and whatever else you watch between today and Wednesday, and I'll see you then. Have a great day, everybody.
Tim Brechlin
Tim@tpww.net