This week we look back at an issue of Inside Wrestling that went to press October 27, 1988 that sold for $1.95 in the U.S. and $2.50 in Canada. Plus, I give you bonus coverage from The Wrestling Observer from the same timeframe! This time around, we’re told about a new World Class champ, and we learn about an impending match between two future WWF champions. But first, let’s go straight to the Ratings, where for the first time in over five years, the AWA champion is rated above the NWA champion.
We begin with Sincerely Yours, the letters column, where Phillip from New York says he enjoyed Inside Wrestling’s interview with Roddy Piper, but he’s disappointed Piper has ruled out a return to the ring. Meanwhile, Diane from Tulsa misses the good old days when her hometown would have live UWF shows four times a month. Now Tulsa is lucky to have live wrestling once a year. Then there’s Debbie from Palmyra, Tennessee who says Inside Wrestling doesn’t write enough about the CWA and its bona fide stars such as Jeff Jarrett, Billy Travis, and Shawn Baxter. And Bennett from New Orleans responds to a letter from Wendy who said the only reason Beefcake isn’t Intercontinental champion is because Jimmy Hart interfered in the match at WrestleMania IV. “So what?” Bennett responds. “That’s part of the game.” Bennett goes on to point out Beefcake is no longer wrestling for the title. “Why bother? He knows he isn’t good enough.”
More letters: Amanda from Los Angeles praises Matt Brock for all the miles he logs and says he knows how to tell it like it is, even if he occasionally behaves like a surly old man. (I used to identify with Eddie Ellner. Then I went through a Bill Apter phase. Today I’m Matt Brock.) John from Binghamton, New York minces no words responding to Inside Wrestling’s article about Lex Luger wearing Flair down: “Bull! Your story was full of crap. Imagine someone as untalented and raw as Luger wearing down a champion like Flair. Ha! That’s a laugh.” Meanwhile, Angel from Jersey City asks for more stories about the Rock ‘n’ Roll RPMs. And John from Fairborn says that after watching Summerslam ’88, he’s convinced Elizabeth didn’t really want to take off her skirt, but she was pressured into doing it.
Even more letters: Marc from Paterson, New Jersey says Bambi is twice the wrestler and woman Lady Mystic could ever hope to be. Bill from Chicago says the Von Erichs and World Class always look for a loophole when they lose, such as when Kerry Von Erich recently appeared to lose his title to Jerry Lawler, only for the match to be voided because “it wasn’t sanctioned.” Bill says, “That’s baloney. It was the main event on the program!” And finally, Wally from Walla Walla Washington says we should have a round robin tournament of champions where the top three wrestlers from the eight largest federations wrestle in no disqualification, no count-out matches to determine who the best really is.
Next, it’s Editor’s Notebook with Stu Saks, Editor-in-Chief, where Stu comments on Jerry Lawler being ranked above Ric Flair in the ratings. Stu points out that in this very issue, there’s a story about Lawler threatening to sue Inside Wrestling. “Quite naturally,” Stu says, “there are going to be those who feel that we are giving Lawler the number-two spot to appease the King. Let me assure you that this is not the case. The ratings change is based solely on the activities of both men over the 30-day period prior to the day this issue went to press. Lawler, since winning the AWA World title from the anything-but-perfect Curt Hennig, has greatly expanded the boundaries of his title. He has sought out top wrestlers from various federations (including Randy Savage and Ric Flair, who have not even so much as responded to his challenges) and fared marvelously against them all. In fact, in all my years of involvement in wrestling, I have never seen anyone who taken on a more ambitious schedule than Lawler. Who knows? By the time Lawler takes his battle against Inside Wrestling to the courtroom, he may be number one in our ratings.”
Next, it’s Behind the Dressing Room Door with David Rosenbaum where Dave reflects upon game four of the 1984 National League Championship series when Mike Scioscia of the Dodgers hit a two-run homer off Dwight Gooden of the Mets in the top of the ninth to tie the score at 4-4 when the Mets appeared on the verge of taking a commanding three games to one lead. The Mets then loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the ninth before blowing that opportunity and losing the game in extra innings. “My heart sank to the floor,” Dave says. (The Mets, who went 100-60 in the regular season and won the NL East by 15 games, went on to lose the series to the underdog Dodgers in seven games before the Dodgers went on to win the World Series in five.) Dave wonders if there is a similar situation in pro wrestling. A turning point where a wrestler is so close to victory only to have it taken away and never recover. “Of course, for the situations to compare, a wrestler would have to be competing for a World championship, like Lex Luger was July 10 in Baltimore.” Luger, of course, was on the verge of winning the title when the Maryland State Athletic Commission stopped the match due to a few drops of blood. Luger himself has noticed the parallels between him and the Mets. When asked for a comment, he said: “They say you can’t look back on the past, but there are times when that’s just impossible. A wrestler works very hard to win a world title. When you have it in your grasp and get it taken away, there’s no way to get it out of your mind. I guess in a lot of ways, I understand how the Mets must feel.” But Dave says there’s always next time, and that one big victory can make all the losses worthwhile.
Next, it’s On the Road with Craig Peters where Craig reflects upon 1988 and looks ahead to 1989. Here are some quotes:
- “The Hulk Hogan helmet has to be the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in my eight years with this magazine. There are only two possible functions of this ridiculous helmet: to draw attention and to use as a weapon. The truth is, with Randy Savage becoming more and more popular, ex-champion Hulk Hogan becomes more and more bitter, and I predict a major Savage/Hogan battle in 1989.”
- “The dissolution of The Four Horsemen is the best news to hit the NWA in a long time. Tully and Arn were a blight on the NWA, and their constant interference on behalf of Ric Flair made him a flabby champion both in physique and style. The NWA World title deserves better, NWA fans deserve better, and we’re going to find out if Flair can be better. I think he can.”
- “The AWA reached new levels of excitement the second half of 1988. SuperClash III will probably not be a financial blockbuster because of competition from the WWF and NWA, but the fact that the AWA is combining with World Class, the CWA, and the CWF to put on this show is good news for this sport. If they can keep up this momentum, 1989 will be the best year yet for the American Wrestling Association.”
- “There are two young former tag team partners who broke out in 1988 and bear watching. The first is Sting, who looks to be one of the top men in line for the NWA belt in 1989. The rate at which he continues to improve is breathtaking. The second is the Ultimate Warrior, who isn’t as technically good but has more enthusiasm than any half a dozen top stars I can name. If Warrior can learn how to better utilize his power, he could give the Honky Tonk Man’s record-shattering title reign a run for its money.”
- “Bam Bam Bigelow was the one man everyone thought would win the WWF title. He obviously didn’t. But what about the NWA title? Don’t be surprised if we see Bigelow vs. Flair in the near future. And don’t be surprised if the potential that everyone saw for Bigelow in the WWF begins to blossom for him in the NWA.”
Next up, Names Makin’ News with Bill Apter, where Bill reports that on October 23 in Memphis, AWA champ Jerry Lawler defeated Kerry Von Erich for the World Class championship inside a steel cage. It was a see-saw battle that eventually saw Von Erich render Lawler unconscious with the clawhold. But as Von Erich attempted to exit the cage, Jeff Jarrett, the gatekeeper, suddenly swung the door inward and knocked Von Erich to the mat. Thereafter, Lawler regained his strength and exited for the win. (Apparently, Jeff Jarrett went to the Terry Gordy school of gatekeeping.) Lawler and Von Erich will continue wrestling each other. (Indeed, Von Erich won the World Class championship back a week after this issue was published and well before it hit the newsstands.) And they are still scheduled for a big match at SuperClash III in December. Meanwhile, at the same event where Lawler defeated Von Erich, Cactus Jack Foley and Gary Young won a tag team tournament to become the new CWA tag team champions. (The Rock ‘n’ Roll RPMs had been stripped of the belts following a controversial match against Todd Morton & Bill Dundee a few days earlier.) In other news, Steve Williams sent a videotape to NWA officials announcing he has joined the Varsity Club. (But Steve, in a previous issue of Inside Wrestling you said you opposed everything the Varsity Club stood for!) And in Florida Championship Wrestling, the new tag team of Mark Starr and Dustin Rhodes has already imploded after Starr turned against Rhodes and formed a new tag team with rulebreaker Jim Backlund (Jimmy Del Ray). In World Class, the Samoan Swat Team, the Texas tag team champions managed by Buddy Roberts, defeated Steve Cox and Michael Hayes to regain the World Class tag team title on October 17. (Imagine what a dream match it would be to have the Samoan Swat Team, holders of the two World Class tag team titles, square off against the Midnight Express, holders of the two NWA tag team titles! Or we can just wait until Clash of the Champions VI.) In the NWF, Luscious Johnny Valiant has returned to the ring and has been tearing up opponents. In Continental, Samoan Kokina has challenged Humongous to a lower-leave-town match. (Eventually, Kokina and Humongous, under different names, would each win the WWF championship and each headline two WrestleManias apiece.) In the Pacific Northwest, The Grappler lost the PNW title to Tatsumi Fujinami in Portland. In the NWA, Abdullah the Butcher is back and is being managed once again by Gary Hart. In the WWF, there are rumors that Rick Martel may soon return and reunite with Tito Santana for a Strike Force comeback. Also, word is that ICW’s Giant Gustav will appear in Hulk Hogan’s upcoming film, No Holds Barred. (He did indeed.) The film is slated for a spring release. (Gustav would later appear in X-men: Apocalypse as The Blob.) And finally, on a sad note, Tom Thumb, a midget grappler who was active from 1978 to 1983, died on October 16 in an auto accident. He was 27. (His real name was Garry Culbreth.)
Next up, The Insider with Eddie Ellner, where Eddie is happy the Road Warriors are no longer pandering to the fans and have re-embraced their rulebreaker roots. He says the truth is the promoters were trying to take advantage of the Warriors by having them sign autographs, appear at charity benefits, and attend store openings. As one fan notes, “They were born and bred to destroy, not sign autographs.” Hawk himself said things had gotten ridiculous. “Suddenly, we’re wrestling alongside a tub of lard like Dusty Rhodes and hanging around with knuckleheads like Sting and Luger.” But don’t expect the Warriors to become friends with people like Windham and Flair. Animal says, “Problems start when you get involved with other people. We don’t need anyone but ourselves. We read the magazines. People wonder why we’ve never won the NWA tag team title. Let our actions speak for us. Soon it will be just like the good old days.”
Next, in On Assignment, Liz Hunter tells us about Steve “Party Animal” Collins, a handsome, affluent, personable, and extremely well built specimen who holds the Global Wrestling Alliance junior heavyweight championship and also runs a baby furniture business on the side. “When I dream,” he says, “it’s not about long-term crib leases. I want to be world champion someday.” (Today, long-term crib leases sounds like a lucrative business.)
Collins is fundamentally sound in all dimensions of the sport, and can fly with the best of them, often finishing his opponents off with a dropkick off the top rope. He also has a wild streak that’s gotten him in trouble. “I like to party,” he explains. “I like to squeeze some thrills out of life. Sometimes it’s worked for me, other times it hasn’t. But I can’t change who I am.” Look for more of Collins in the future! (Steve, wrestling as “Lifeguard” Steve Collins, would go on to wrestle for WCW in the 1990s.)
Next, Where Are They Now?
And here in 2023, D.I. Bob Carter (Bob Blackburn) is 59 and doing fine, Tommy Gilbert died in 2015 at the age of 75, Dick the Bruiser (William Fritz Afflis) died in 1991 at the age of 62 after rupturing a blood vessel in his esophagus while weightlifting, and Baby Doll (Nickla Roberts) is 60 and still a perfect ten.
Next up, Capsule Profile featuring Rick Steiner.
And now, News From the Wrestling Capitals, where a correspondent reports that a smiling Andre the Giant continues to dominate Hacksaw Jim Duggan.
Next, Matt Brock’s Plain Speaking, where Matt reports in from various cities. First, he sends word from Greensboro, North Carolina, where everyone’s talking about the Road Warriors and how they changed. “Bull,” says Matt. “They’re the same tough, streetwise guys they’ve always been. They just don’t want friends anymore. And who can blame them? With Sting and Dusty at their side, they were going nowhere They wasted their time at the Great American Bash helping Jimmy Garvin save Precious (who shouldn’t have been anywhere near the ring in the first place) when they should have been fighting Tully Blanchard and Arn Anderson for the NWA world tag team belts. This is the greatest tag team I’ve ever seen, and maybe now that they’re acting a little meaner, they’ll get the respect they deserve.” Next, Matt checks in from Memphis, where he says Jerry Lawler is continuing to prove himself the best by taking on all comers, including International Wrestling Grand Prix champ Tatsumi Fujinami. “Lawler is only concerned about one thing: increasing the value of the belt he so proudly wears.” Then it’s onto Norfolk, Virginia, the host city for Starrcade ’88, where Matt says there’s talk that Ricky Steamboat might come back to wrestle Ric Flair in the main event. Matt says it would just be a one-time deal, with Ricky returning to retirement afterward. “Flair and Steamboat had some great matches in the early and mid-1980s but never really settled matters. The only thing that can bring him back is a match against Flair. He’s always wanted a world title. Put him in the ring against Flair, and the Dragon could breathe fire once again.” Finally, Matt reports from New York where he was in a restroom at Madison Square Garden and overheard someone saying, “Matt Brock is to wrestling what Ben Greene is to boxing.” (I never recall hearing people talk like this in the restrooms of arenas.) Matt says he asked Assistant Editor Steve Farwood, who writes for KO Magazine, what the fan meant, and Steve said, “You and Ben are the last of a dying breed.” According to Steve, Ben Greene smokes cigars, drinks a lot, and uses a manual typewriter. “Perhaps when we’re gone,” Matt says in a moment of reflection, “computers will finally rule the newsroom.” (“Broadway” Ben Greene died in 1990 at the age of 84.)
Next up, Jerry Lawler threatens to sue Inside Wrestling! Recently (if you consider 1988 to be recently), senior editor Bill Apter visited Jerry Lawler and was let in on a secret: Lawler had fractured a bone in his hand while playing first base during a softball game. Apter, agreeing to keep this secret, was permitted to take some pictures but promised not report on the hand or publish the photos—until after the hand had a chance to heal. Apter, however, was overruled by Editor-in-Chief Stu Saks, who demanded the story be reported immediately. “Inside Wrestling is the magazine that rips the lid off pro wrestling,” Stu says. “We have to live up to that. Besides, Lawler will understand, and if he’s such a great champion, he’ll be able to win despite his injuries.”
Apter, fearing trouble, phoned Lawler to inform him the magazine wasn’t going to wait on the scoop. “You lied to me, Bill!” yelled Lawler in response. “Do you realize that I might lose the title because of this? I’ve just signed for a series of matches against Ronnie Garvin, and if he knows I can’t rely on my fist and wins the AWA title because of it, I’ll sue you!” Apter says Lawler has a valid concern. Garvin, knowing Lawler’s hand is injured, might very well be able to anticipate Lawler’s every move and know just how to target the AWA champion. Two days after the phone call, Inside Wrestling received a letter from Lawler’s lawyers:
This is to advise you that, as counsel to Mr. Lawler, we are reserving the right to initiate legal action against your company should our client lose the means of his financial and personal successes, namely the AWA World title, as the result of your publication of medical information pertaining to Mr. Lawler’s health. You have violated a verbal contract with Mr. Lawler and are legally at fault.
Inside Wrestling’s attorney has a different point of view. “Lawler’s counsel is maintaining a sadly outdated position. Legal precedents in this case demand these photos be published. The verbal agreement is not binding, and the larger issue is that freedom of the press is unimpeachable.” (Where’s Legal Eagle when we need him?)
Next, the Road Warriors have a message for Barry Windham: “Leave Sting alone—he’s ours to cripple!” Hawk puts it in these terms: “If Windham adds to Sting’s pain and discomfort, I will personally take it out on his hide. The only people licensed to annihilate Sting, the only wrestlers permitted to crack his bones and scar his face, the only wrestlers able to end his career are Hawk and Animal.” Animal adds, “We’ve been resisting our impulses for too long. It’s our blood to beat, break, and batter. We have our targets, and the will pay.” In fact, it was a six-man tag team match where the Warriors were teaming with Sting when fans first learned of this new attitude. The Warriors and Sting were wrestling the Varsity Club, comprised of Kevin Sullivan, Mike Rotundo, and Rick Steiner, when Hawk and Animal turned against their partner and beat him senseless. “It was nothing against Sting personally,” says the Warriors’ manager, Paul Ellering. “He’s just the current object of their wrath. When he’s dispatched, my men will select another pawn to crush.” In fact, Dusty Rhodes was supposed to be the one teaming up with the Road Warriors but had to bow out to appear at a charity fundraiser. “I get sick just thinking about Rhodes,” says Hawk. “After we make chopped meat of Sting, we’re going after that fat old man.” Sting, meanwhile, is still mystified. “I realized something wasn’t right when they refused to tag me, but I had no idea they planned to attack me.”
Next, J.J. Dillon explains why Tully and Arn will fail under Bobby Heenan! J.J. starts out by saying everything is just fine with his stable. Ric Flair is still NWA World champion, and Barry Windham is still U.S. champion. As for Tully and Arn, they weren’t listening to him, which is why they lost the NWA world tag team belts. He expects to see them continue to flop under Bobby Heenan’s tutelage in the WWF. In fact, they will be worse off because whereas J.J. knows how to get his men gold, Bobby Heenan has proved time and time again he doesn’t. “Believe me, Bobby Heenan doesn’t know wrestling. I’ve seen what he’s done with other wrestlers, and I’m not too impressed. Heenan has a reputation for getting his men title shots, but what do they do once they get them? They fail. It pains me to say this, but Jim Cornette would probably do a better job with them. In conclusion, I proudly state that the only two men I manage are champions. As it stands now, J.J. Dillon 2, Brain 0. I fully expect the shutout to continue in the foreseeable future.”
Next, Outrage in the WWF! Hulk Hogan is humiliated by the Big Bossman! This, of course, is a report of Big Bossman’s attack on Hulk Hogan during the Brother Love Show, where Bossman beat the former champion down with a billy club. “I’ve never seen Hogan beaten up like that,” said Warner Wedman, a Philadelphia fan who has closely followed Hogan’s career. For Hogan, the physical beating probably paled in comparison to the emotional embarrassment. And while Hogan has recently beaten the Bossman in non-televised matches, more fans saw Bossman’s attack than Hogan’s revenge. “Think of the people in areas where the WWF doesn’t go,” said Randy Morgan, a WWF fan who lives in Detroit but has several friends in rural areas of the country. “They only know what they see on TV, and what they see is Hulk being humiliated.” Another question is where Savage fits into this puzzle. Associate Editor David Rosenbaum expects Savage to let the situation play out as it will. “Don’t expect Savage to give Hogan much help. The Bossman is another match down the road for him.” Meanwhile, Hogan has his hands full, and he must beware. Another humiliation like the one suffered at the hands of the Bossman could do irreparable harm to his career, both physically and mentally. It’s a risk he and the Hulkamaniacs may not be able to afford.
We move on to Sgt. Slaughter in the Hotseat, taking questions from the Inside Wrestling staff. The first question: why does Col. DeBeers hate him so much? “I don’t think he hates me as much as he hates the United States of America, my friend. He hates my patriotism. He’s as outspoken against America as I am patriotic. There’s just no way we can both exist in this country. DeBeers says he doesn’t like it here, so he really ought to heed that hallowed old expression, ‘love it or leave it’! It really gets under my skin the way guys like DeBeers, Ustinov, and Khan use their wrestling careers as forums for their evil ideas.” Asked about his feelings toward the AWA discontinuing the Americas title the Sarge held, Slaughter says, “I was angry about it. I was on tour all over the country when I found out that the AWA had dropped the title because of what they called ‘a lack of title defenses.’ What they didn’t realize was I was putting the belt on the line against top opponents all over the place, but out of AWA boundaries. But I kept the belt, and as far as I’m concerned, I’m still the Americas champion. A lot of independent federations still consider me the champion too. I’ll bet the fans feel the same way.” Asked why he hasn’t tried to return to the NWA or WWF, Sarge says, “Mainly because I want to reach out into the towns and cities that the bigger organizations don’t seem to care about anymore. I want to meet and talk to people, the kids, and the veterans in a lot of places that some people never get to see.” Asked about the Boot Camp match at SuperClash III, Slaughter says “We’ll both be allowed to wear anything we want to the ring, and we can use anything we want against each other. I’ll have Old Glory and my steel-tipped boots with me, just like I did when I wrestled the Iron Sheik in those boot camps matches a few years ago. Just remember, that whenever the fans need me, I’ll be there to wipe out the men they hate. You got that civilian? You’re dismissed!”
Next, Dan Davis vs. Ken Wayne: Double Nightmare in the CWF! So Davis and Wayne were once close friends and part of a tag team called The Nightmares, the most popular tag team in the history of the Continental Wrestling Federation, but today they’re bitter enemies. On October 3, they wrestled in a hair vs. hair match, with Davis scoring the winning pinfall. Wayne, in turn, smashed a bottle over Davis’s head and began cutting the winner’s hair, with Davis ending up bloody and partially sheered. CWF President Ron West says it’s ridiculous. “I don’t like this at all. Busting a soda bottle over someone’s head is not the kind of conduct we want in the CWF, and I don’t know if I can sanction this kind of brutality. We’ve tried to fine Ken a number of times, but Dan keeps threatening to pay them off. He wants to finish this war on his terms.”
And finally, Paul E Dangerously and Jim Cornette verbally spar in One on One. Dangerously begins by noting that Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane are really just substitutes, and that he is now the manager of the real Midnight Express, the originals, Dennis Condrey and Randy Rose. Cornette says Condrey and Rose are washed-up turncoats. “I know those boys are of limited intelligence, but I guess that makes them the perfect match for you.” As for Eaton and Lane, Cornette says they aren’t substitutes, “They’re world champion wrestlers!” Cornette also adds that Dangerously’s pants keep falling down because he doesn’t own any belts. Dangerously says he’s not even in the NWA yet, but that will soon change. “I’ll admit I made some mistakes in the past, but not anymore. My men will soon have those tag team belts wrapped around their waists and you’ll be running and screaming around the ring with that tennis racket of yours. Just remember, Jimbo, there’s only one Midnight Express, and I’ve got them. Start packing your bags, buddy boy, and shine up those belts, cause they’ll be ours before you know what hit your sorry selves.”
And here’s a Blast from the Past, featuring a photo from 1962.
And here’s the Roll Call of Champions, with asterisks indicating new champions.
Bonus Coverage from The Wrestling Observer Newsletter!
First, we separate rumor from fact:
- Rumor: Lex Luger has left the NWA and is going to the WWF.
- Fact: He’s still on all the booking sheets and isn’t going anywhere. But he has been making noise about wanting a better contract from whatever the new promotion ends up being.
- Rumor: Ric Flair has left the NWA and is going to the WWF.
- Fact: Although it wouldn’t be a surprise given Tully and Arn’s departure, Flair is still under contract with JCP as of this writing.
- Rumor: Jerry Jarrett has purchased 30% of World Class.
- Fact: Maybe? Ken Mantell wants out of the wrestling business, and Jarrett could have purchased Mantell’s 30% share in World Class. However, Jarrett is probably smart enough to wait until he can get at least 51%.
To the news…
- The WWF will get three more prime time specials on NBC which will probably include the 1989 Slammy Awards. But keep in mind, this is still an uphill battle because TV ad rates for wrestling are still only half that of the worst sitcoms.
- The TBS purchase of Crockett still isn’t actually done yet, but it’s close. In early 1988, the new ownership was talking about wanting to get Bam Bam Bigelow, Ricky Steamboat, Greg Valentine and One Man Gang from the WWF. Of course, by late 1988, Bigelow had jumped on his own, and Steamboat was retired. Dave thinks that “Akeem” and Hammer would be somewhat useless additions at this point. Meanwhile, Jack Petrick, who’s overseeing the merger, wants the main event of Starrcade to be Flair vs. Steamboat, but Steamboat doesn’t appear to be interested in coming back to wrestling.
- They are, however, trying to get Eddie Gilbert and Paul E. Dangerously now that they’re free from Continental.
- Speaking of Bigelow, he’s already being viewed as a major disappointment and probably won’t be in the promotion much longer.
- Dave was actually at a CWF show in Birmingham, and he notes that Sid Eudy is impressively huge in person, as is Kokina the Samoan, who is a monster and by far the biggest Samoan that Dave has ever seen. Also, Bob Armstrong has taken over booking from Gilbert and FNN has agreed to continue carrying the show for the moment.
- Dave also went to an NWA show in Chicago with Flair-Luger on top, where they did the Dusty Finish again.
- The Bulldogs and Rougeaus got into a backstage fight over an incident where Jacques shaved the head of a friend of the Bulldogs, which Dave finds ironic since the Bulldogs did that kind of thing all the time (most notably to Joey Marella and Outback Jack). However, their friend was a ring attendant with Down’s Syndrome. This led to Dynamite Kid cleaning Raymond’s clock, and things escalated from there.
- WWF will be killing the C and D tours now that they’re not drawing as well and don’t have anyone past Hogan and Savage to put on top.
- The AWA PPV will feature Wendi Richter & a babyface team vs. Madusa & Badd Company. This was originally set to be the Top Guns, but they just left the AWA.
- Down in Dallas, World Class has agreed not to prepare food at the Sportatorium due to fire hazard worries that would have cost $40,000 to fix. So instead they had to agree to only serve pre-packaged food.
- The Central States promotion only drew 200 people for a show in Kansas City, and in fact the show was such a disaster that Bob Geigel has closed the doors.
That’s all for this week! Tune in next week, same time, same channel. And if you’re new here, be sure to leave a comment and check out the archive. Also, check out my website to see what books I’ve written!