411 Weekend News Report 8.26.01

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This is Daniels. This is also the news. The news would have been earlier, but I decided to put Windows 2K on my computer. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to like my sound card. Eh well.


In the Ross Report, JR gives a shout out to 411 for reprinting his news. Well, not exactly in those words, but he gives wrestling web sites a mention. The meat of the column is posting a few rhetorical questions. Such as:

  • Does the Rock Defend the WCW Title at Unforgiven, or does he lose it before then? Translation: Please watch Raw and Smackdown. We need ratings to justify a two hour recap show
  • Who poses a viable challenge to the Undertaker and Kane? We know you guys think no one can beat them… but we promise, they’ll put someone over eventually
  • Is RVD already one of the most popular stars in either federation? Will he be in the WWF soon? He’s already more popular than we planned on. We can’t well have a super-face in heel organization, can we?
  • When does Edge get his IC title run on track? Yeah, we thought he was the next big thing, but that’s before we got two other federations. We were desperate and we have to give him something
  • Who is a better pure tag team in our business beside the Dudley Boys? A-HA! THESE are the guys to feud the brother’s with

And, the usual injury update:

  • DDP had his knee scoped to repair a torn meniscus. He’ll be out as they try to find a new direction for him.
  • Jericho had a minor concussion at Summerslam, but a CAT scan came back negative.
  • Kane’s lower back is improving, but not at 100%. JR then calls Kane a Stud, which makes me think of one of Grut’s stories.
  • Booker T has some pain in his calf.
  • Kidman is in therapy for a minor knee injury.
  • Triple H is on track for a November or December return.
  • Rikishi’s shoulder is rehabbing and his weight is being addressed. Basically, they want him to weigh little enough so he doesn’t injure himself every time he sells a suplex.
  • Trish’s ankle is improving, but she has Excess now, so she’s probably pretty well off the leg for a while.
  • Benoit is still out for seven months.
  • Jerry Lynn is having patella surgery today.

JR basically apologizes for Excess if it sucks tonight, and says it’s a work in progress. He asks us to be patient, but expects it to give some of the talent some face time.

The Ross Report


Bob Ryder and Jim Ross got into a tiff over the weekend. It started with JR making a snide comment in his Ross Report about all the WCW wrestlers who’ve gotten hurt since the invasion and credited it to the “half-speed style” the wrestled at down in Atlanta.

Bob then printed a column stating the JR, and most of the WWF locker room, has been down on the WCW guys since they got there, such as the report where Palumbo and O’Haire got in trouble for not introducing themselves to Droz, someone who they’ve probably never met in their lives, and didn’t know existed.

JR actually went out of his way to update his Ross Report on Saturday to respond directly to Bob without mentioning the site by name, but lifted a line right out of the column so we knew to whom he was responding.

Bob then claimed victory because JR actually paid attention to him and printed a slew of visitor letters who took Bob’s side. In this case, I actually do think Bob is right. There’s no reason to bash guys that you employ just because of their past affiliations.

And suddenly Flea’s job gets a lot easier.

There was more stuff at the site, but the pop-ups crashed my desktop twice, so I gave up on going back.

1wrestling.


Ratings: Smackdown scored a 4.3 rating and a 7 share finishing in it’s normal fourth place among the six networks.

Tough Enough:

The Observer also posted part one of an interview with Kevin Sullivan, who made a return to the ring in Florida Championship Wrestling on August 18th.

  • Is still collecting on a guaranteed Time Warner contract until December of 2002.
  • Said that competition made Vince more creative, now he can do whatever he wants because wrestling fans will watch, because that’s all there is to watch.
  • When asked what went wrong when he was booking WCW, he said he doesn’t want to point fingers… BUT, Brad Siegel undermined everyone he put in charge and only hired Bill Busch to fire people. Siegel knew nothing about wrestling, and it annoyed Sullivan to be questioned constantly by someone who knew nothing about the business.
  • Thinks Brian Pillman was the biggest tragedy in the business and the WWF would be light years ahead of themselves if they still had him. Said Brian came up with the idea of the “worked shoot” and it was brilliant. Brian had it in him to make people wonder, including the locker room, if he was kidding or if he was serious… like when he made Heenan curse on live television.

This was the first half of the interview. They haven’t gotten to Chris and Nancy yet, and I wonder if they will or not. Sullivan is one of the few old-timers people interview who doesn’t seem overly bitter.

The Wrestling Observer


The boys at Rfvideo got themselves a deal this week. Apparently they got the exclusive rights to film, produce, and distribute videos with wrestlingvixxxens.com, which is Tammy Sytch and Missy Hyatt’s website. The videos will both look and sound completely professional and they plan to do 12 a year.

Also, the WWF has apparently decided on bringing Wrestlemania to Canada this year. The Toronto Skydome looks like the place to be next March.

RF Video


Site Stuff

As of yet, there isn’t a posting of the Excess show up on the site. If one comes in, it’ll show up here. I don’t know why WWFE insists on putting television shows on Saturday nights. You think they would have learned their lesson with the XFL. The only thing this show has going for it so far is the classic match which, if this week was any indication, they’re going to clip to death… so what’s the point in having it at all? Triple H carried the show very nicely, though, I will say that much.

Blake Norton checked in with another set of Norton’s Notes. Blake books Shawn Michaels’s return to the ring. The only question he doesn’t answer is: Does Whysper have any acting talent and, if she didn’t, would the average WWF fan even notice?

Joe Rivett checks in with the final “Take” on X-Pac. This one is mostly reader responses and can be checked out here.


Hyatte returns tonight. Cheap Heat returns Wednesday, and be sure to check the Rankings after the Sopranos, when I’ll update them. Until then, be safe, and have a good weekend.

End Transmission