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Andy Moseley

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THIS WEEK IN WRESTLING - 5.17.00 to 5.23.00

First, the obvious. One year ago on May 23rd, 1999, Owen Hart died a tragic death. You'll notice that I won't say much about it in this column, but I am planning to do a special column that will hopefully be in and up by Tuesday.

BRAVES UPDATE: 26-12 record, pretty much dominating the NL East with a 5 game lead over the Expos. More importantly than that, the Braves have a SEVEN game lead over the Mets! The Braves are tied with the Diamondbacks as the best teams in baseball as far as record. The Yankees... um, aren't leading their division. Up this week, two more games against the Giants, a weekend home series against the Padres, Monday off, and Tuesday kicks off a series at Milwaukee.

Please don't cry... there is not a single USWA heavyweight title change this week. This column is so "blah" without those!



5.17:

1999 - "Lil' Natch" Charles Robinson suffered a collapsed lung due to a Randy Savage elbowdrop in a match with Lil' Natch and Big Natch against Macho, Madusa, and her huge boobs.

1998 - WCW/nWo Slamboree was live on pay-per-view from Worchester. There was pretty much a double main event, with Bret Hart beating Randy Savage by DQ and Sting & The Giant (one of WCW's many makeshift teams at the time) winning the World tag belts from the Outsiders. In one of WCW's funnier moments, cruiserweight champ Chris Jericho did the introductions for the 15-man cruiserweight battle royal to determine the #1 contender for his belt. There were a lot of luchadors, so, as you would expect, hilarity ensured. Stinko Malenko ended up winning the battle royal and then defeating our paragon of virtue for the belt. Also on the card: TV champ Fit Finlay d. Chris Benoit ... Lex Luger d. Brian Adams ... Eddy Guerrero (minus squeeky voice) d. Ultimo Dragon ... DDP d. Raven in a cage match ... U.S. champ Greenberg d. Perry Saturn.

1997 - Stevie Richards was temporarily paralyzed when Terry Funk dropped a guardrail on his neck. Stevie was told to stay out of the ring for six weeks or so - and he didn't.

1993 - On that famous "Monday Night Raw" when Shawn Michaels issued an open challenge to anyone who wanted an I-C title shot, Marty Jannetty came out of the crowd and won the belt in the Manhattan Center.

1992 - Wrestle War was WCW's PPV-of-the-month and featured the "War Games" idea that was good until guys like Kamala were thrown into it. This one had a hot feud that I really enjoyed - Sting and friends vs the Dangerous Alliance. Anywho, the team of Stinger's Squadron - Sting, Rick Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes, Nikita Koloff & Barry Windham - defeated the team of the Dangerous Alliance - Steve Austin, Rick Rude, Arn Anderson, Larry Zbyzsko & Bobby Eaton - in the double cage. Also on the card: The Freebirds d. U.S. tag champs Terrence Taylor & Greg Valentine to win the belts ... Johnny B. Badd d. Tracey Smothers (Metal/Jakked jobber) ... Scotty Flamingo (what about Scotty?) d. Marcus Alexander Bagwell... Ron Simmons d. Mr. Hughes ... Super Invader d. Todd Champion ... Big Josh d. Richard Morton ... Lightheavyweight champ Brian Pillman d. Tom Zenk ... World tag champs the Steiners d. Tatsumi Fujinami & Takayuki Iizuka. In a match not televised, DDP & Thomas Rich d. Bob Cook & Firebreaker Chip.

1986 - The team of Scott Hall and Curt Hennig lost their AWA World tag belts to Buddy Rose (and his Blow Away diet) & Doug Somers.

1963 - The first WWWF World title change occured, as Buddy Rogers lost the belt to Bruno Sammartino in New York.

Birthdays - In the "whatever happened to THAT guy" category, happy birthday to Berlyn! And did the Wall just learn English out of nowhere or what? Or were we supposed to notice that?



5.18:

1997 - Another year, another Slamboree... this one from Charlotte. This one had "guest celebrities" written all over it, with two current (at the time) and one former NFL star - including the one who was on WCW payroll full-time - in the big two matches. In one, Steve McMichael beat Reggie White. In the other, Kevin Greene teamed up with Ric Flair and Roddy Piper to beat The Outsiders and Syxx. In the card's only title change, Lord Steven Regal (a real man's man) won the TV belt from Ultimo Dragon. Also on the card: Madusa d. Luna Vachon ... Ron Misterio, Jr. d. Yuji Yasuraoka ... Brunswick, GA's very own Glacier d. Mortis ... U.S. champ Dean Malenko d. Jeff Jarrett ... The Steiners d. Konnan & Capt. Rec... um, Hugh Morrus ... Meng d. Chris Benoit in a death match.

1996 - OK, so it's not a title change, but... Jerry Lawler finally turned heel in the USWA during a card. Of course, he is still right up there with Elvis as far as "Memphis gods" today.

Birthdays - It's the Blue Meanie's birthday! I wish the WWF would go ahead and pair him up with Stevie Richards already! It's Jimmy Snuka's birthday, too!



5.19:

1998 - In one of those stories that still makes me go "huh?", a 34-year-old woman was injured when a woman flushed a toilet at a WWF show and it caught on fire in Nashville.

1996 - Slamboree again, this one taking over that wonderful gimmick that returned (unfortunately) for one night on Nitro late last year... the "Lethal Lottery." Yep, the "Lethal Lottery." Some pretty obviously not random teamings came up... among them, Lord Steven Regal & Squire David Taylor, Scott Norton & Ice Train, Disco Inferno & Alex Wright, Public Enemy, Chris Benoit & Kevin Sullivan, and Ric Flair & Randy Savage. Anyway, the card: The American Males d. Max Muscle & Shark in a match not televised ... First round matches: Hacksaw Jim Duggan & V.K. Wall Street d. Regal & Taylor ... Hawk & Lex Luger and Animal & Booker T went to a double-DQ ... Norton & Train d. Big Bubba Rogers & Stevie Ray ... Rick Steiner & The Booty Man (while inspired the name "Mr. Ass") d. Scott Steiner & Sgt. Craig Pittman ... Earl Robert Eaton & Dick Slater d. Disco & Das Wunderkid ... The Barbarian & DDP d. Meng & Hugh Morrus ... Public Enemy d. Benoit & Sullivan ... Flair & Savage d. Arn Anderson & Eddy Guerrero ... Second round matches: Slater & Eaton d. Duggan & Wall Street ... Public Enemy d. Flair & Savage ... Page & Barbarian d. Steiner & Booty ... Norton & Train received a bye ... DDP won the eight-man Battlebowl (yep, he got himself that ring) ... Cruiserweight champ Dean Malenko d. Brad Armstrong (save the dolphins) ... U.S. champ Konnan (before he was really annoying) d. Jushin Liger ... World champ The Giant d. Sting. Meanwhile in WWF land in NY City, the Godwinns won the tag belts from Skip & Zip.

1995 - In one of those title changes the WWF never really told us much about, Razor Ramon won the I-C title from Jeff Jarrett in Montreal.

1991 - WCW had a whole lot of PPVs this week! This one was the original SuperBrawl, broadcast from St. Petersburg. The main event: World champ Ric Flair defeating Tatsumi Fujinami. Also on the card: The Freebirds d. The Young Pistols to win the vacant U.S. tag belts ... Dan Spivey d. Rick Morton ... Nikita Koloff d. Tommy Rich ... Dustin Rhodes d. Terrence Taylor ... Big Josh d. Black Bart ... Oz (heh) d. Tim Parker ... Barry Windham d. Brian Pillman in a taped-fist match ... El Gigante d. Sid Vicious in a stretcher match ... Ron Simmons d. Butch Reed in a "Thunderdome" cage match ... World tag champs the Steiners d. Sting & Lex Luger ... Bobby Eaton d. TV champ Arn Anderson to win the belt. In a match not televised, Mighty Thor d. El Cubano (Elian?).

1990 - The NWA brought in "Capital Combat" from - well, guess. The big thing, if I remember correctly, was a guest celebrity like none other. ROBOCOP came in and made a save! Anyway, the card: The Road Warriors & Norman the Lunatic d. Bam Bam Bigelow, Kevin Sullivan & Cactus Jack ... Mark Callous d. Johnny Ace (and then stuck his tongue out at him and rolled his eyes in the back of his head) ... The Samoan Swat Team d. Tommy Rich & Mike Rotundo ... Paul Ellering d. Teddy Long in a hair-vs-hair match ... The Midnight Express d. U.S. tag champs Brian Pillman & Tom Zenk to win the belts ... Rock 'n Roll Express d. The Freebirds in a corporal punishment match ... Doom d. World tag champs the Steiners to win the belts ... U.S. champ Lex Luger d. World champ Ric Flair by DQ in a cage match.

1986 - Nobuhiko Takada won the IWGP junior heavyweight belt from Shiro Koshinaka in Tokyo.

1981 - Nick Bockwinkel was awarded the AWA World belt when Verne Gagne retired due to his #1 ranking at the time. Wrestling had rankings? Is that how David Flair and Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley got their title shots? (I was tempted, but I didn't bring up the guy with the initials D.A. who was in "Ready to Rumble")

Birthdays - Dick Slater - who was half of that great tag team with Bunkhouse Buck - celebrates today.



5.20:

1993 - Toshiaka Kawada & Akira Taue won the All-Japan International tag belts from Terry Gordy & Steve Williams (Oklahoma's boy).

1983 - Longtime Toronto promoter Frank Tunney (who was related to Jack Tunney in some way) died of a heart attack in Hong Kong.

Birthdays - Two tears in a bucket, it's Road Dogg's birthday.



5.21:

1995 - This column is filled with Slamborees... this one from St. Petersburg. After the wonderful first-ever "Uncensored", WCW had to settle some stupidness, which led us to Hulk Hogan & Randy Savage defeating Ric Flair & Vader. Also on the card: The Nasty Boys d. World tag champs Harlem Heat 1995 to win the belts ... Kevin Sullivan d. The Butcher ... Wahoo McDaniel d. Dick Murdoch in a legends match ... IWGP heavyweight champ The Great Muta d. Paul Orndorff ... TV champ Arn Anderson d. Alex Wright ... Hawk and Meng went to a double-countout ... Sting d. Big Bubba Rogers in a lights-out match. "WCW Main Event" was broadcast live on the Superstation before the PPV, HeAT-style, and featured Lord Steven Regal & Earl Robert Eaton d. Los Especialistas, Steve Austin d. Eddie Jackie, Sgt. Craig Pittman d. Mark Starr, and Meng d. Brian Pillman.

1982 - Sgt. Slaughter lost the NWA U.S. belt to Chief Wahoo McDaniel in Richmond.

Birthdays - Happy b-day to Chris Benoyt!



5.22:

1995 - Hey, remember when I told you that Razor won the WWF I-C belt from "Double J" in Montreal? Well, today he lost it back to him in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec.

1994 - Yet ANOTHER Slamboree. Ric Flair was set to defend his World title against "a mystery man" who was blond... turns out it was Barry Windham, and yes, he won. Also on the card: U.S. champ Steve Austin d. Johnny B. Badd (he's a baaad man) ... Terry Funk and Tully Blanchard (in a legends match - which explains why Funk is a champ in WCW half-a-decade later) went to a double-DQ ... Larry Zbyszko d. TV champ Lord Steven Regal in a non-title match ... Dustin Rhodes d. Bunkhouse Buck in a bullrope match ... Cactus Jack & Kevin Sullivan d. World tag champs The Nasty Boys to win the belts with guest referee Dave Schultz (a retired hockey player) ... Sting d. Vader.

1989 - Lex Luger (minus cheapo clone) won the U.S. belt from Michael "P.S." Hayes.

1972 - The place: New York City. The title: the WWWF World tag team championship. The title change: Chief Jay Strongbow & Sonny King winning the belts from Baron Mikel Scicluna & King Curtis.

Birthdays - Happy birthday to "Polish Power, Jr.", Scott Putski.



5.23:

1999 - You know the big thing... we lost Owen Hart due to a stunt-gone-wrong. Also at the WWF's "Over the Edge" event: World tag champs Kane & X-Pac d. D'Lo Brown & Mark Henry ... Hardcore champ Al Snow d. Hardcore Holly ... Val Venis & Nicole Bass d. Jeff Jarrett & Debra ... Billy Gunn d. Road Dogg ... The Union d. The Acolytes, Viscera & The Big Bossman ... The Rock d. HHH ... The Undertaker d. World champ Steve Austin to win the belt with guest referees Big Mac & Shane O'Mac. Of course, the results don't really matter when it comes to May 23, 1999.

1996 - Over in the land of the rising sun, Mitsuharu Misawa & Jun Akiyama won the IWGP International tag gold from Toshiaki Kawada & Akira Taue.

1993 - The first Slamboree - billed as "A Legend's Reunion" was broadcast live on PPV from Atlanta's Omni. The main purpose of this (besides to earn some money for Ted Turner) was to get a bunch of retired wrestlers together for matches. We got three of 'em this time: Dick Murdoch, Don Muraco & Jimmy Snuka going to a no-contest with Wahoo McDaniel, Blackjack Mulligan & Jim Brunzell ... Thunderbolt Patterson & Brad Armstrong (subbing for dad Bob) d. Ivan Koloff & Baron Von Raschke (who looked EXTREMELY old) ... Dory Funk, Jr. and Nick Bockwinkel going to a time limit draw. Also on the card: 2 Cold Scorpio & Marcus Alexander Bagwell d. Bobby Eaton & Chris Benoit ... Sid Vicious d. Van Hammer ... TV champ Paul Orndorff & Rick Rude d. Dustin Rhodes & Kensuke Sasaki ... Sting d. The Prisoner (Kevin Kelly - Nailz - but not the WWF broadcaster) in a bounty match ... World tag champs Steve Austin & Brian Pillman d. Shane Douglas & Rick Steamboat ... NWA champ Barry Windham d. Arn Anderson ... Davey Boy Smith d. World champ Vader by DQ.

1992 - In Atlanta, "Stunning" Steve Austin won the WCW TV belt from Barry Windham.

1961 - Way back when, Wilbur Snyder (Willlbur - sorry, Mr. Ed flashbacks) & Leo Nomellini won the AWA World tag belts from Hardboiled Haggerty (how great is that name?) & Gene Kiniski, who was filling in for Len Montana.



NEXT WEEK (5.24 to 5.30): Let's see... among the stuff you'll be seeing... one Beware of Dog, one Over the Edge, and a whole lot more that I didn't mention! See you then!

Andy Moseley
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[slash] wrestling

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Guest column text copyright (C) 2000 by the individual author and used with permission