Freddy's WWF News and Rumors
 
 
 

News and Rumors for Tuesday, May 18

  Alright, I'm not feeling like myself today and am also in sort of a bad mood. As a result, I'll skip all the sweet-talk for today
and just get into the report...

    The main focus of the WWF as Over the Edge draws nearer is playing out the whole Austin-Undertaker-McMahon angle
with the secondary result being a semi-interesting storyline pitting the rest of the members of the Corporate Ministry against The
Union. Everything involved in this entire ordeal will culminate at the PPV and on a larger note at the RAW the next night, as
Undertaker has promised that he will make Austin the "ultimate sacrifice" to his yet-to-be-revealed higher power. I do not
know where things are headed as far as this is concerned, but you can bet they will become ever so clearer as everything pans
out this weekend.

  Anyways, if you missed any of the action from last night, the rest of which focussed on some of the WWF's lesser storylines,
such as the Intercontinental title scene with Jeff Jarrett, Blue Blazer, Godfather and Val Venis, as well as the ever lasting
D-Generation X soap opera, you can check out the RAW Report now. Those that are more WCW-inclined can direct
themselves to the NITRO Report. It is interesting to note that WCW is gradually steering towards more involvement from their
women, which conveys that they believe the WWF's secret for success lies within the woman. Just a thought.

  The Neilsen ratings were released just a short time ago and the numbers tell an interesting story. Obviously RAW won out
again, on the basis of a strong 6.4 composite, with a first hour of 5.6 and a second hour of 7.1. NITRO started off great,
scoring a 3.9 in the unopposed first hour and a 3.5 in the second hour. However, as has been the case as of late, things tailed
off bad as the final 60 minutes could only manage a 2.6 rating. The numbers average out to a 3.1 head-to-head score against
RAW. Sunday Night Heat, true to form, continued with their consistent ways by producing a 4.1 score for their one hour
timeslot. Next week, Heat comes to us live just an hour before the start of "Over the Edge".

   This past Sunday, fans in the US were offered the choice of tuning into what turned out to be an eventful ECW PPV in
Hardcore Heaven. Over in the UK, the WWF presented No Mercy, which drew mixed reactions from the fans. Let's talk
about No Mercy first, as the major criticism from the fans was that the event didn't especially seem like a PPV, but rather just
an over-hyped, glorified house show. Furthermore, many of the WWF's big draws (The Rock, Big Show, Shamrock, Road
Dogg) did not make the show as they were still in the US taking part in house shows. No Mercy also did little to advance
current storylines and in general, was composed of matches just thrown together for the hell of it. A couple interesting things did
pop up though...

  For one, the man known as Gillberg returned to the WWF (with his lightweight belt) for what was billed as his last contractual
obligation as he took on Tiger Ali Singh. If you don't remember, Gillberg was one of the three or four wrestlers released a
month or so back for various reasons and as of now, the WWF has no further plans to incorporate him into. At one point
during the No Mercy broadcast, Jim Ross accidentally refers to him as Goldberg, but the quick thinking guy that Ross is, he did
bail himself out with some shots at Goldberg.

  Along with the lightweight belt, the European title also made a final appearance as champ Shane McMahon put the belt up for
grabs one last time as he battled X-Pac. The outcome of the match was one that we have grown accustomed to seeing, as
Shane managed to pull out the victory with a big assist from Chyna and Triple H. As it stands now, the belt is GONE for good
and probably will not be brought back unless a "bulldog" enters the WWF picture...(more on this later).

  The much hyped Tori-Sable took a massive plunge as the weeks went by. First the match was hinted at as being where the
loser gets her top ripped off. After some unknown reasons, the stipulation was dropped and the match was turned into a
regular evening gown match. Soon after, a change in plans was once again made as it was turned into a regular women's title
match. Perhaps, the biggest let-down occured during the PPV itself, as Sable made it be known that she would be unable to
compete due to a "chest cold". As it turned out, bodyguard Nicole Bass took her place by destroying Tori. This is all evidence
that all is not well where the WWF and Sable are concerned...and I'll get into that a bit later.

  The WWF twice made reference to former employee The British Bulldog during the telecast of No Mercy. Mankind
dedicated his match to the Bulldog and the King and JR also touched on a bit of a tribute to the former European champion.
Now why would the WWF do this is what many people are asking. If the rumors are to be believed, the WWF and the
Bulldog have already begun talking about a possible return once the latter recovers from his serious back/spinal injury. If things
can materialize and the Bulldog does return to the WWF for one last stint, then chances are the European belt will be brought
back. We also have to keep in mind that the tribute could just be the WWF showing some class act as they pay respect to a
one-time great of their promotion.

  Shifting over to the developments from ECW's Hardcore Heaven, three big names took center stage before, during and after
the event. In one match Chris Candido was made to job out in huge fashion to Taz. I suppose it is safe to say that Candido and
most likely Tammy Sytch are not in the plans of Paul Heyman and crew, and thoughts immediately switch to the hot rumors of
the duo appearing in WCW. Unless, both Candido and Sytch are flat out released from their contracts, they will not be able to
negotiate with WCW, let alone sign with them. However, no doubt that the chances of either of them appearing on NITRO
increased after the PPV concluded. As far as I know, both have about four years left on a five-year contract. I hate to admit it,
but I'd take a WCW-led tandem of Tammy and Gorgeous George over what the WWF is offering in Sable and Debra.
Wouldn't you?

  The ECW PPV also revealed a lot about the future of Shane Douglas, however things have taken a wild turn and now it
appears that he may just quit wrestling altogether. We do know that he is out of ECW and as of this writing has not come to
terms with the WWF. Douglas was scripted to appear on the PPV, but due to miscommunications between himself and Paul
Heyman, he never showed up. There are two sides of the story in every debate and this one is no different. Douglas maintains
that he was not offered a plane ticket or related plans regarding the PPV and that he made up his mind that he is no longer
needed in ECW. Heyman claims that Douglas was purposely not answering his calls and basically was not going to show at the
ECW PPV, despite him asking. You can call it a case of each guy wanting the other to cave in and/or back down first. Douglas
has released a few public statements regarding the matter and still claims to be an ECW employee. Paul Heyman retaliated with
the following comment: "I wish Mr. Troy Martin (Douglas' real name) the best of luck in his future endeavors". I suppose we
can safely conclude that on the basis of that statement, Shane's stay in ECW is indeed over. You can view Shane Douglas'
comments (some of which contain a lot of profanity) here. [Thanks to Dave Scherer for contributing].

  Now what I am about to say is strictly what I have heard from people on the inside of the situation. It may or may not be true,
so take it as you will. As the story goes, Douglas had made up his mind that he would be jumping ship to the WWF and had his
agent contact the WWF in order to work out a contract. Apparently, the details of the deal were not what Douglas and his
agent were really looking for, so a last ditch effort to patch things over with ECW was made. At that time, Heyman was not
willing to hear Shane out and the rest is history. To Shane's benefit, he is NOT under ECW contract and was NOT obliged to
appear at their PPV, although he insists that he was willing to job to Justin Credible. Anyways, I'll keep everyone posted on this
ongoing saga.

  Leave it to ECW to have a bigtime backup plan in motion in case things went sour (as they did) with Shane Douglas. The
spot on the card against Justin Credible was filled by none other than "Sycho" Sid Eudy. Details are still sketchy, but I suspect
Sid and ECW have ironed out their differences and Meltzer says that the two parties have worked out yet another temporary
contract on Friday. It's highly ironic how everyone was going nuts about Sid possibly re-appearing in one of the Big 2, and
along comes little ECW, who many thought had burned their bridges with Sid, to scoop the big man up. I guess the rumors of
him showing up in WWF or WCW are gonna have to stop now, aren't they?

  Mic Foley is most likely going under the knife as soon as Over the Edge concludes and will be sidelined for the better part of
a month. However, as is always the case with a guy as determined as Foley, he may be able to return as quickly as King of the
Ring. At first, it was originally expected that Mic would get the surgery done after Backlash, but the WWF needed him for the
"Union" storyline.

  Speaking of "Over the Edge", here is the latest, tentative card to pan out this Sunday:

     "Stone Cold" Steve Austin VS. The Undertaker - WWF World Title Match [Special Refs: Shane & Vince
     McMahon]
     Triple H VS. The Rock
     The Union (Big Show, Mankind, Shamrock, Test) VS. Corporate Ministry (Acolytes, Viscera, Big Bossman)
     Kane & X-Pac VS. D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry - WWF Tag Title Match
     Godfather VS. Blue Blazer - WWF Intercontinental Title Match
     Val Venis & Nicole Bass VS. Jeff Jarrett & Debra - Mixed Tag Match
     Al Snow VS. Hardcore Holly - WWF Hardcore Title Match
     Road Dogg VS. Badd Ass Billy Gunn

  More on Over the Edge, the big rumor that has come to the forefront as of late is one which suggests that Vince McMahon is
in "cahoots" with son Shane McMahon and is setting up the ulimate destruction of the Texas Rattlesnake. It would also explain
the "higher power" references as Vince would naturally be the one sending orders all along. I don't know, something about it
just doesn't sit well with me and I'm also a bit uncertain as to if it will happen. All it does is get everything back to square one,
McMahon hating Austin, and the whole "no chance in hell" theme starts all over again. Blah.

  Speaking of Austin, there are unfounded rumors that state that him and The Rock have legitimate heat for one another
backstage. This is not true, folks. From what I hear, there may be some slight anomisity, stemming from the competitive nature
of both individuals, but nothing that suggests backstage confrontations of the such. These athletes strive to be the best they can
be and aim to out-do their rivals, but they are by no strech of the imagination, enemies. Just thought I'd clear that up, because
people are emailing me asking if Rock and Austin got into a backstage scuffle at a recent RAW. Which as I just said is not true.

  One person who is causing backstage problems is Sable. According to reliable sources, Sable caused quite a commotion last
week after being made to job the title to Debra. The WWF made her drop the title as a form of punishment for her relative
indifference towards her wrestling career as of late and right now have no plans to let her win the title back. Debra was chosen
as the lady to snatch the title away, as she is the only one capable of matching Sable's drawing power and is logically the only
threat that Sable has right now. However, given that Debra's wrestling skills are even more limited than Sable's, it is expected
that she will drop the title to a more qualified woman in the near future. I've said this before and it's so important that I might as
well say it again. The WWF will almost surely NOT release Sable, despite what look like attempts on her part to get fired. She
is an incredible ratings grabber and merchandise seller and simply put in the words of Tubby Schivanone "puts asses in the
seats".

  Speaking of the ladies, Ryan Shamrock is back and as mentioned several weeks back has aligned herself with PMS. I don't
know about anyone else, but she looked really out of place on RAW (I caught this match) with Jacky and PMS, though she
took one wicked bump courtesy of Tori. I've heard that Ryan will be used sparingly from now on in and unfortunately be
gradually phased out. To her advantage, she has been received well and hopefully will stick around on the basis of her
popularity. Hey, I just remembered something... what ever happened in regards to Goldust's "revelation" that he was going to
announce??? I don't believe it was ever made mention of again and interestingly, Goldust has not been relatively absent in
current storylines.

  Mark Madden of the WCW hotline reports that after Steve Austin's divorce went through, he is now socially involved with
Debra. Since it's coming from a WCW employee, I won't believe it until I get some REAL confirmation...

  Nothing new in the Chris Jericho saga. Last I heard, he was quoted as telling his friend Don Callis (formerly Jackyl in the
WWF) that the WWF is "ahead" in terms of acquiring his services. There is also some speculation that Eric Bischoff has given
up re-signing Jericho for the time being and will wait until his contract nears its latter stages before putting a new offer on the
table. I highly doubt that, but let's just say this is going to be an incredible bidding war between the two promotions as they gun
for arguably the biggest free agent in wrestling history.

  The WWF has apparently lost a key member amongst their booking committee in Ed Ferrara. Ferrara was a non-TV booker
who has played a big role in the WWF's creative department and is partly responsible for the WWF's success as of late.
Although he has given his two week notice of termination, WWF officials are still hoping they can convince him to change his
mind. As of this time, he is not jumping ship to WCW, but rather based his decision on incredible stress and fatigue. WWF
loyalists need not worry, as it is unlikely that his departure will affect the WWF too significantly.

  Mr. and Mrs. Beaver Cleavage, Headbanger Mosh and bodybuilder/model Marianna Komlos, respectively, are all s et to
debut on the TV in the coming weeks. It is being speculated that they will shoot a couple more vignettes (three at the most)
after which they will be introduced on RAW. Komlos, has already given indications that she will immediately chase after the
women's title upon her debut. Perhaps early June is a viable target date to see them on screen.

  Onto some WCW news and notes of interest. Goldberg is one angry man right now and has done little to hide his
displeasures at how he is being treated in WCW. The main cause of the problems is that Goldberg wants to re-work his
existing contract, even though he just signed it not too long ago. Goldberg is upset that he gets paid less than stars such as
Nash, Hogan, Savage, DDP and Piper, despite being the bigger star and working a tougher schedule. WCW management
disagreed with Golberg and have informed him that they wish to stick it through this existing deal, which does not sit well with
him. Furthermore, it didn't help matters when WCW asked him to work despite his current knee injury at the hands of Bret
Hart. There is also unconfirmed rumors which say that Goldberg is in virtual seclusion right now and is refusing to answer any of
WCW's messages. Before it starts, let's squash the rumor which is bound to start...NO HE IS NOT COMING TO THE
WWF, even though Goldberg claims that he has "quit" WCW.

  Quitting brings me to Bret Hart. As most probably already know by now, Kevin Nash took Goldberg's spot on the "Tonight
Show" and basically challenged Bret Hart to a fight on the show later on this month. Hart was expected to respond to the
challenge either last night or tonight (can't remember). Ultimately, this is a last ditch effort in attempting to get Bret Hart "over"
with the WCW fans. It doesn't hurt WCW either that they are getting free publicity on NBC...

  Sunday Night Heat makes its big debut in Canada on May 30 as CTV Sportsnet picks up the show in a 7PM timeslot. This is
HUGE news for Canadian wrestling fans as Heat has grown to an incredibly important show in terms of storyline and angle
development. CTV Sportsnet also is picking up WWF Livewire.

  This is the BEST rumor I have heard in a long time and full credit for it goes out to Wrecker and The Gr8 1. This is by no
means a given to happen, but it is great and worthy of being posted. The Blue Blazer has recently re-surfaced and appears to
be leading up to nothing significant. Additionally, the Blazer (Owen Hart) has been heard talking a lot about "role models" and
"heroes" and stuff like that. People immediately jumped at the Hulk Hogan-to-WWF rumors, but who was the OTHER
wrestler that claimed to always be a "role model"??? Bret "Hitman" Hart. Would it not be amazing if the Blazer was finally
unmasked later this year and it was revealed to the millions and millions of fans to be The Hitman himself? I mean Bret is
Owen's brother, after all. Farfetched, yet damn interesting. Big props to Wrecker and The Gr8 1 for thinking up an
unbelievable scenario.

  Questions, comments and clarifications can be sent to [email protected]