This week, we look back at an issue of Inside Wrestling that went to press in late January of 1988 that sold for $1.75 in the U.S. and $2.50 in Canada. (If fact, in response to WWF Magazine’s price hike, Inside Wrestling goes out of its way to say, “Still only $1.75”.) With a cover featuring “The Million Dollar Man,” we’re also teased with stories about The Road Warriors vs. Warlord & Barbarian, The Midnight Rockers vs. The Midnight Express, and Fritz Von Erich. So let’s make like Hawk and rush our way through this.
First, let’s get right to The Ratings, with the WWF ratings beginning to align with the tournament we’d go on to see at WrestleMania IV. (Also, if you compare these ratings to May or June of 1987, you can see the WWF greatly improved what was becoming a weak roster thanks to new guys coming in throughout the summer and fall, with the WWF striking gold on several acquisitions.)
Next up, Sincerely Yours, featuring letters from fans.
Matt from New Jersey says Luger made the worst decision of his career when he quit the Four Horsemen, and it probably cost him the Bunkhouse Stampede. (It probably hurt him more that he wasn’t the booker.) Jennifer from Pennsylvania takes exception to a February article asking the Rock ‘n Roll Express to split up because she loves them both and wants the press to leave them alone. “Just let them wrestle!”
Mike from Illinois is upset about an article by David Rosenbaum that claims a battle royal victory for Jake Roberts was tainted after Ted DiBiase paid two men to quit the match. He points out that this wasn’t Jake’s fault, and Jake is afraid of no man and deserves more credit. Curtis from California says there should be an annual “Night of Champions” featuring 20 champions from around the world, including the WWF champ, NWA champ, and AWA champ. He says fans might even pay $100 for ringside seats! And finally, Brooks of Ontario says the WWF is treating their wrestlers like cattle and using them simply to sell a product.
Next, Stu Saks’s Notebook, where Stu complains about how difficult it is to bring two wrestlers together on the phone for the “One on One” column and how sometimes the magazine has to settle for guys lower down the rankings than fans might like. Even then, the wrestlers will argue about who has to pay for the call, who gets to speak first, what time the call will be, and who gets to be in the room when it happens. In the case of this month’s conversation between Tommy Rich and Austin Idol, the magazine even had to pay for Rich’s number to be changed the next day so Rich wouldn’t continue to be harassed by Idol, his former tag team partner!
Next, Behind the Dressing Room Door with David Rosenbaum. “Is Brett Hart the best wrestler in the World Wrestling Federation?” he asks. He then muses that the Jumping Bomb Angels might be better. Either way, he says, they’re all better than Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant and put on a great show in the January Royal Rumble that neither Hogan nor Andre wrestled in. “What a shock it must have been for those Hulkamaniacs to watch the Jumping Bomb Angels display aerial techniques that put even The British Bulldogs to shame.” David then explains the rules of the Royal Rumble match and mentions that Brett lasted for 36 minutes. (It was more like 25 minutes. The match itself was only 33 minutes!)
On the Road Again with Craig Peters: he says Calgary is a great wrestling town, and it already has produced the British Bulldogs, The Hart Foundation, and The Honky Tonk Man. Today, there’s a new crop of talent lighting up the company. Men like Jason the Terrible, Brian Pillman, Steve DiSalvo, and Owen Hart. He says Calgary referee Jurgen Hermann told him that you have to be skilled to work there because there’s a strict enforcement of rules thanks to a card system. A yellow card is a warning. Another yellow card is another warning. Then you can get a red card, which indicates a disqualification. Finally, a black card is a suspension. (This system is flawless!) The bottom line? If you want to know wrestling’s future, keep an eye on Calgary.
Next up, Names Makin’ News with Bill Apter:
Dusty Rhodes won the Bunkhouse Stampede for the third consecutive year when Luger got tied up with the Four Horsemen, and they were all eliminated. Also, Larry Zbyszko defeated Barry Windham for the Western States title when groggy referee Dick Kroll counted the three. Meanwhile, the Iron Sheik is trying to return to the WWF. Afa and Rocky Johnson are feuding in Puerto Rico. And while Jim Duggan won the Royal Rumble, everyone is talking about the One Man Gang, who eliminated B. Brian Blair, Jake Roberts, Hillbilly Jim, Don Muraco, and Dino Bravo before “a controversial finish in which replays show Duggan held down the rope.” Elsewhere, Tom Zenk has signed with the AWA and has his sights set on Curt Hennig’s title, but AWA president Stanley Blackburn says Zenk must first prove himself worthy of a title shot championship opportunity. Meanwhile, CWA officials have ruled that the Midnight Rockers cannot hold both the CWA and AWA tag team championships, so the Rockers have surrendered the CWA belts. (We’ll have more about the Rockers and the AWA tag straps shortly.) In other AWA news, the Nasty Boys have signed on and should be top contenders. And finally, Terry Taylor has signed with the CWA and seems “close to the edge.”
Next, The Insider with Eddie Ellner: He says wrestling used to be special, but now there’s too much content on TV, and not all of it’s good. He says we now have to watch people like George Steele, who used to be good but is now an embarrassment. He’s also upset that Bobby Heenan skipped the Royal Rumble to appear on the David Letterman show, saying wrestling is no longer the priority for these people.
We move on to On Assignment by Liz Hunter where she catches up with Terry Taylor. He seems crazy and doesn’t seem to know what he’s doing. (Well, Liz, so long as he doesn’t start strutting around and crowing like a rooster, he should be fine.) “The last time I spoke with Terry was a few days before Eddie Gilbert’s wedding. Four days before that, Taylor threw Gilbert a bachelor party they’re still talking about. Taylor, anxious to feed me the details of the marathon debauchery, called me at home. I sensed I was speaking with a man about to become unhinged.”
Where are they Now catches up with four wrestling personalities…
And where are they in 2022? Bill Miller died in 1997 at 69 years old. Sweet Daddy Siki is 81 and hosts karaoke weekly at a bar in Toronto. Sunshine, now 60 and going by the name “Valerie,” lives in Tampa with her husband. (To be fair, Valerie is her real name.) Buddy Colt, who had Parkinson’s disease and dementia in his later years, died in 2021 at 85 years old.
Capsule Profile gives a rundown of UWF champion Dr. Death Steve Williams’s career along with a pinup picture. We’re told Williams wants a unification match with NWA champion Ric Flair so wrestling can finally have one champ. (In fact, Williams had already left for Japan by this time this was published, and his UWF championship was retired while he was overseas.)
News From the Wrestling Capitals runs down some house show results sent in by fans.
Next, Matt Brock’s Plain Speaking: Matt has discovered a newcomer in Texas named Jason Sterling and says guys like him will someday replace DiBiase, Flair, and Hennig. (Maybe Brock should have gone to Calgary instead. Jason, it should be noted, was actually a fine wrestler but fell by the wayside when WCCW collapsed. He went on to open a wrestling school, showing various guys the ropes, including Sean Morley.) Matt then moves on to say that the Minneapolis Auditorium, home of the Minnesota Lakers before the team moved to Los Angeles, and a frequent host of AWA wrestling, will be closing down, and he’ll miss the place. “A janitor let me in through the side door so I could see the place one last time. It was dark in the arena, but I found my way to the seat upstairs from where I’ve watched some of the greatest stars in wrestling history. Verne Gagne, Hardboiled Haggerty, Moose Evans, Bronko Nagurski, and Ray Steele came pouring into my mind. Soon, all the old buildings will be gone. It seems as if Boston Garden and The Sportatorium in Dallas are the only ones left.” (The Boston Garden closed in 1995, and the Sportatorium closed in 1998.) Matt then talks about everything that went wrong with the Bunkhouse Stampede, starting with the tickets, which listed the wrong start time. (Some said 7pm, some said 8pm. It actually started at 6:30pm.) In addition, the card wasn’t advertised in any local papers, and it didn’t help that it went up against the Royal Rumble. He says the NWA has the highest quality of talent in the United States but that doesn’t matter if you make these kind of mistakes. (Hopefully WCW will fix these issues!) Finally, he says he has an uneasy feeling about DiBiase trying to buy the WWF title and isn’t sure how that’s going to work.
Next up, It’s Baby Doll Who’ll Cause Larry Zbyszko’s Downfall! Yes, the two are now a pair, but other wrestlers don’t think it will work out well because of Baby Doll’s history. Magnum T.A. says Baby Doll seems sweet at first, but she’s really evil. Noted psychologist Dr. Sidney M. Basil says she can’t deal with commitment and has an unstable personality. Inside Wrestling warns Larry to beware. (Well, the pairing didn’t last long. Jim Crockett Promotions didn’t trust her because her husband, Sam Houston, had begun wrestling for the WWF.)
Our Feature article: Ted DiBiase’s attempt to buy the WWF title from Hulk Hogan or Andre the Giant might be only the beginning. A report commissioned by Inside Wrestling indicates DiBiase might try to buy the entire federation. (Geez, do you think he’s a billionaire? What’s he going to do, bring in some outsiders too?) Editor Stu Saks apparently rushed into the office out of breath with a bulging briefcase to deliver this report to Managing Editor Craig Peters. As it turns out, DiBiase is wealthier than Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan combined. “And if he takes over the WWF, he takes over everyone’s contracts,” Saks said. All the magazine writers conclude it might be best if Andre just wins the title and sells it to DiBiase outright. (Hopefully Tunney won’t get in the way.)
Next, a preview of The Road Warriors vs. the Warlord and the Barbarian: the latter two are underrated and could pose quite a challenge. The Warriors, however, have an advantage in teamwork and experience and will probably emerge victorious.
We move on to a Press Conference with Fritz Von Erich, who recently collapsed at ringside and had to be rushed to a hospital. Fritz says he’s okay and talks with the magazine about fighting his own battles and sticking up for what’s right. “I’m the target of a lot of people around here just because I’ve been around for so long and I’m the father of Kerry and Kevin.” He says reports that he had a heart attack aren’t accurate, and he’s ready to take on the Freebirds.
Breaking news! The Midnight Rockers are once again AWA tag team champions after Stanley Blackburn overruled a controversial decision in December. (When referee Marty Miller collided with the wrestlers and was knocked down, substitute referee Bob Warren jumped into the ring. Unbeknownst to Warren, Miller continued to officiate, and Warren and Miller both counted pins at the same time, with Miller counting a pinfall victory for the Rockers and Warren counting a pinfall victory for the Express. Initially, the Midnight Express was given the victory, allowing them to retain the tag team championship, but Blackburn overturned their pinfall and awarded the belts to the Rockers.) Paul E. Dangerously isn’t happy about it, pointing out that between Hennig and the Rockers, Blackburn is basically choosing who the champions are at this point. (Wait until next issue, where we’ll learn about a title match that wasn’t really a title match!)
And we get One on One where former tag team partners Austin Idol and Tommy Rich argue in a verbal confrontation that may or may not have been dreamed up by the Inside Wrestling writing staff. A sample:
And now, BONUS COVERAGE! I also have an issue of PWI from this exact time. It was one of those “annuals” with old articles but current rankings. So here they are! (Hopefully Governor Ron DeSantis doesn’t find out about Trans World Wrestling.) Two bits of big news here: first, no more UWF, which was sunset by Jim Crockett Promotions. Second, no more World Championship Wrestling. PWI tried to keep both the NWA and WCW ratings separate for some time, devoting entire articles to explain to fans that WCW was simply a part of the NWA and not the same thing—and that WCW deserved its own ratings. But by 1988, with WCW and the NWA indistinguishable to American fans, PWI finally gave in and eliminated the WCW ratings. (You can read their explanation below in the Ratings Analysis.) So that’s it. You’ll never see the UWF or WCW again… unless someone steals the UWF name or WCW decides to exit the NWA, but it’s not like either of those things are going to happen.
Finally, let’s look at The Roll Call of Champions. Note: the longest reigning champion at this time won his title in 1984. Sure hope he doesn’t lose it by the next issue! (Four years is a long time to be a champion.)
That’s all for now! See you next week when I recap an issue of WWF Magazine that covers a match seen by a record 33 million viewers on NBC! (It was sort of a big deal.) Oh, and the magazine accidentally spoils the end of WrestleMania IV.