The Mid Week News 02.12.03

Hello out there and don’t think I don’t know because I do. I’m Flea, it’s hump day and don’t forget – VALENTINE’S DAY is Friday! I’m spending it the same way I have spent the last several (go check the archives for that scene) and I hope YOU have a special person in your life with whom to spend a romantic evening. If not, the message boards are ALWAYS open! On with the show!

ROLLERCOASTERS!! ROLLERCOASTERS!! ROLLERCOASTERS!!

THE FIRST THING ON THE LIST

3.9. and word on the street is everyone is happy. Not me – not by any stretch of the imagination. But I’ll be goddamned if I’m going to watch a stupid dog show instead of wrestling and I am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt (as usual) seeing as I am psyched for Austin’s return. But I thought the whole Bischoff segment was ridiculous and (as mentioned yesterday) and I’m sick of every f*cking payoff to every f*cking “dream angle” being “Vince is GOD”. The reason that McMahon / Austin went so well is because that Vince was willing to look like a schmuck in order to “get the angle over”. Since that time, he hasn’t done that for ANYONE (unless you want to count WM vs. Shane, which I don’t – Shane is family). They easily could have dragged the Bisch angle out all summer, out at least until WM, but it doesn’t really matter does it? WM is booked, and unless they have something up their sleeve other than smoke, Bischoff will go down as another failed opportunity. Which is too bad – he’s a great heel.

Bret Hart did an interview for the Canadian TV show Off the Record, detailing his struggles coming back from a stroke and his feelings on Vince, WWE and his family. A couple of recaps are over on the newsline – keep an eye on the tsn.ca/wrestling site they usually have streaming video up after a week or so. Just by reading it, it looks as if Bret has managed to find peace on certain “grudge” topics (i.e. Vince) and seems to be as wishy-washy as usual on his possible return to wrestling / WWE. I hope he never comes back, if only for the reasons as they apply to Bischoff and any other person who thinks they are going to feud with McMahon and get the best of it. In the long run, he simply is not going to allow it – and I’m beginning to think that Vince has developed a hatred / guilt complex for / about money. Since he became a certified Billionaire a few years ago, he has done everything in his power to attempt to squander that fortune, including a failed football league, the frivolous hiring of washed up wrestlers and at least 20 blown sure- fire money-making angles / payoffs. I know people like this and it is a sick thing to watch. Quick story – in the gambling world, I can’t count the number of times that I have seen people spend all month booking nothing but winners and then blow their whole bankroll on the flip of a coin. And that appears to be what Vince is doing – a slow, but sure self destruction after finding the pinnacle of success. I’m not one of these idiots who think he will go bankrupt by any means – his tape library could draw 8 figures a year – but it seems as though he has a sick fetish to make his “money” payoffs about Vince, Vince, Vince and how he can piss all over the world if he wants to – I don’t care anymore. I can put up with mediocre programming and angles that die on the vine, but what I can’t stand to watch is a sick old man continue to strut around like a peacock in heat while the best heel (and most perfect foil) he currently has stands there with egg on his face and no sign of any chance at retribution in the near future. Of course, if Vince would ever bet his wad on a coin flip he would first figure out how to convince you that not only did he invent the idea of “coin-flipping for money” but he also performed the arduous task of minting coins personally so he KNOWS how the esoteric ramifications of “the coin toss” – i.e. you don’t have a chance in hell of winning. And you would probably believe it. Jesus Christ, would someone call this perverted f*cks bluff? At least once? Where’s Ted Turner?

TONIGHT! $10 WILL GET YOU

NWA – TNA, which, I’m back to watching. I raised hell when Piper ruined the show and swore to never watch again, but of course here I am watching. And I will say that this show has been 10x more interesting than RAW but not as good wrestling wise as Smackdown. But that might change tonight! Look at this line up!

Eight-Man X Match: David Young, Tony Mamaluke, Jimmy Rave, Shark Boy, SAT, and PAUL LONDON!

Grudge Match: BG James, Mike Sanders, & David Flair vs. Jorge Estrada, Truth, and Tenacious Z

Hold the phone. If you have no idea who Tenacious Z is, it’s worth $10 to find out matter of fact, here’s some comments I made during his debut performance last week

I’m watching the PPV and that was literally the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in a wrestling ring. I could not watch more than 2 seconds without doubling over in a fit of howling laughter. This guy is f*cking phenomenal, but Jesus Christ. Vince could headline Wrestlemania with this guy and draw 2 BILLION PEOPLE. Unfortunately I wouldn’t be one of them, because I just can’t bear to watch…

FLEA – 2.5.03

That sums up my feelings. I will not be able to watch the actual match, but it will be , no doubt, unique, for lack of a better adjective. You have to see it, at least once, so go ahead and do it. 8pm tonight on PPV

Some of the surprises on the show look to be a new “law and order” person (or persons) to be the latest “traditionalist” to try an jap smack Russo and his S.E.X. group into line as well as the continuing saga of Jeff Jarrett against all sorts of bad guys who only exist to make his life miserable / take his World Title. It should be a good show and I’m ready for one after what I got on RAW.

WESTMINSTER NAMES TOP DOG

Mick, a familiar face at dog shows across the country, won the only title missing on his resume Tuesday night — best in show at Westminster.

Upset the last two years on the green carpet at Madison Square Garden, the 61/2-year-old terrier would not be denied this time. He posed perfectly, and judge Irene Bivin rewarded him with the silver championship bowl.

Ch. Torums Scarf Michael, as he is formally known, won the world’s largest dog show, Crufts, in England in 2000 and took the major AKC/Eukanuba National Invitational Championship in Orlando, Florida, in December. But he’d never been able to win America’s most prestigious show, mostly because he’d get a case of the jitters.

Not this time.

“I just wanted him to keep it together, and the rest was up to him,” handler Bill McFadden said. “It was an awesome lineup.”

To win his 113th best in show lifetime, Mick had to beat out a handsome German shepherd, a popular Newfoundland and a slow-moving Pekingese that was primped to the nines. Overall, he was picked as top dog among 2,603 entries in 159 breeds and varieties.

A crowd of more than 10,000 saw Mick continue a string of terrier wins at Westminster. Overall, terriers have won 43 of the 95 best in show titles presented.

While Bivin picked Mick, the fans had their own ideas about who should win. They cheered wildly when Dallas, the German shepherd, entered the ring and they kept up their whistles and clapping for Josh, the Newfoundland, and Les, the Pekingese.

But Bivin marked her book and headed straight for the Kerry blue.

Mick celebrated by wagging his tail, jumping on McFadden and leaping into a box that said best in show, as if to underscore the win.

“Even with a great dog, it is difficult to keep him on his game,” McFadden said. “Any of the dogs could have won tonight.”

Mick came to New York last year as a heavy favorite, but was too jumpy and lost out to a miniature poodle called Surrey Spice Girl. A year before, he was beaten out by a bichon frise named J.R.
His main competition this time was from Dallas, whose handler, James Moses, had the only other Westminster win by a German shepherd — Manhattan in 1987.

But Moses knew ahead of time that this could be tough because Bivin was judging. Last year, she passed him over in the herding group for Welsh corgi called Sammy Sosa.

Going into this week’s two-day event, Moses even called the prospect of facing Bivin “a nightmare.”

The rest of the best in show lineup included a lively Brittany Called Jester, he was semiretired from show competition last year before making a comeback and repeating in the sporting group.

An Ibizan hound called Bunny was bidding to become the first of his breed to win at Westminster and a standard poodle also made the final seven.

– cnn.com

That’s what I have been watching the past couple of nights. And I didn’t need USA to forcibly preempt RAW for me to make that choice!

AN OFFER YOUSE CAN’T REFUSE

Georgiann Makropoulos had an interesting item up over at one wrestling. It seems that Jersey All Pro Wrestling has an interesting idea for drumming up business check this out

ATTENTION WRESTLING FANS

If you are looking to make some extra money and help Jersey All Pro Wrestling expand and increase our fan base here is your chance.

By joining the JAP Street Team you will get your foot in the door with our company which can lead into other positions. You can also make some extra cash at the same time.

(The JAP Street-Team)

Jersey All Pro Wrestling will supply you with flyers for our events that you can handout at your local Mall or school. Each flyer will have your name or code on it, and it will ask fans to bring the flyer to the event so you can be credited.

You will be credited for every fan who attends a JAP event and submits a flyer with your name or code on it.

Fees:

1. $1.00 for each fan who submits your flyer 1 to 20
2. $2.00 for each fan who submits your flyer 20 to 30
3. $3.00 for each fan who submits your flyer 30 to 40
4. $4.00 for each fan who submits your flyer 40 to 80
5. $5.00 for each fan who submits your flyer 80 and up (MAX PAY)

Example: Say you give out 1000 flyers & 100 fans show up with your flyer, you just made $500.00

Rules

1. You will only receive credit for fans that submit your flyer!

2. You can not handout your flyer at live JAP events or within 1 mile of the JAP event on the day it is taking place.

If your are interested email Fat Frank at FATFRKJAP1@aol.com back and he will get you started.

* * * * *
Sounds like a hell of a deal. I’m seriously bummed that I no longer live in the Northeast – it seems like between the Philly “wars” and the other Indy promotions in the area, a real “grass roots” revolution is taking place – ala ECW back in the mid 90’s. This looks like YOUR chance to get in on it. The info is above and if you have some spare time and are a hardcore wrestling junkie, Flea’s advice would be to contact Fat Frank and get with the program tell em Flea sent ya! And if you get “in” with JAPW, make sure I get “taken care of” the next time I’m up that way. Which ain’t going to be anytime soon due to that f*cking groundhog, El Nino, or Mother Nature. I blame everyone. 40 degrees in Florida? For two months now? Fuck you, Puxatawnee Phil.

SPELLING OUT IRONY, SARCASM AND DOUBLE MEANINGS

Ok! A contest is going on and all you have to do is pay attention, cut, paste and email. What you will see in the report is a blatant flip flop in opinion (just like all the other IWC people). Spot it, put it in an email and mail it to me here are some example / winning entries

Two weeks ago, at first I said

“I don’t read Smackdown Spoilers so, basically, I have no business writing about them. I know I ain’t the only one who likes to be surprised at stuff, so if you need a News Report during the week that won’t burst your Thursday
Bubble, this is it. Of course, if something MAJOR happens, like a riot or something, I may say a word or two. But other than that, no spoilers for matches or angles, etc. I promise.”

And then later in the report

“Most believe that the surprise will be the announcement of a Rock vs. Hulk Hogan match at No Way Out. And it was!”

A whole bunch of you submitted the right answer! I had planned on including names and making your monkey ass finalist famous, but the request for “please don’t include my name and email got up to around the 40% range – something I found fascinating. I thought everyone LOVED seeing themselves in print, but then saw many of the addresses – YOU PRICKS ARE READING THIS AT WORK! No wonder the f*cking economy is in the toilet. Anyway, so I made the decision NOT to publish anyone’s name. But all of you who got it right should have received an email response from me – if not, I have all the names on file.

Speaking of which, last week, only ONE person submitted the right answer..

So let’s see- you criticize bait & switch as specifically advertising something and then not producing it, and then you fail to produce the first round contest results (which you had advertised that you would do)? Sounds like that fits right into the contest.

That’s correct! I blew my horn about the contest and then blew it off! So (unnamed person that sent me the email), your in! I thought it was obvious, but like I said (hawr!) yeaterday, I’m not eligible to win!

And what do you win?!?!?! An AUTOGRAPHED COPY of Tonight In This Very Ring by 411’s own Scott Keith! Autographed by me, of course! FLEA will mail you the book with a personalized inscription! Hell of a prize and all you have to do is play!

The contest continues today! Cut and paste what you think could be the item in question and email it to me – ryderfakin@aol.com! This is the last week, so get on the bandwagon and into the finals!

Oh and drop a line to GetWellHyatte@aol.com it’s appreciated in more ways than you know.

PAGE SIX

As far as my status around here mid-week I don’t know. Three weeks are up and I’m not sure if Eric has his shit together or not – if not, I will be back next Tuesday and Wednesday. If he does return, I’ll do a contest winner somewhere on the site, never fear. Until then here’s something special for you. As promised yesterday, it’s

AN EVENING WITH WIDRO

For what is a man, what has he got?
If not himself, then he has naught
To say the things he truly feels
And not the words of one who kneels
The record shows
I took the blows
And did it my way

FLEA: How did you first become a wrestling fan?

Widro: I used to mock it, but then I started watching with my friend Danny in 5th grade and actually became a huge Warrior mark

FLEA: Was Warrior the first wrestler you considered your favorite?

Widro: yes

FLEA: Did you find yourself defending your interest in wrestling from people who wanted to know how you could watch “that fake stuff?”

Widro: not really, I didn’t make it well know I was a wrestling fan until college

FLEA: When and how did you develop interest in “online journalism”?

Widro: I went to an AOL message board in 1995, and got into the email newsletters… then started the obligatory RSPW stuff in 1996… search google, you can find me acting like a real idiot sometimes on RSPW

FLEA: yeah, you have to remember that Flea knows all…and has read all…now, regarding you and Ashish..how did the two of you come together?

Widro: I was prowling the websites in late 1998, and found an opening for Nitro reporting on 411, and applied by submitting a sample thunder report… I was hired to do thunder, and took Nitro a couple weeks later

FLEA: I remember the days of bad colors and Dave Gagnon, and a punk named Widro..but how did “411” (as we know it now) get started?

Widro: well Ashish started the site in 1996… the site as we know it now, the IWC juggernaut, probably started when Hyatte came on board, and put 411 on the map with the big boys

FLEA: yep…didn’t take long for that name to come up…did he put out the word about 411, to the point that you were able to build readership?

Widro: actually no… he didn’t have a huge immediate impact… when he came over from scoopthis, his audience had apparently dwindled. It wasn’t until Ashish got sick in early 2001 and Hyatte started the Midnight News did he find his stride

FLEA: Whatever happened to him (Hyatte)?

Widro: he has been doing this stuff for a long time, it’s sometimes difficult for people to understand that the characters on these websites are people with lives… I’m sure he has something better to do

FLEA: Enough about Hyatte…how many hits do you think 411 has accumulated over the years?

Widro: oh it’s hard to say… in the 100s of millions

FLEA: what do you and Ashish have planned for the upcoming 411 Mania?

Widro: we feel the formula that made 411 so successful in wrestling could also work in other forms of entertainment, and we want to build a similarly strong community of fans in music, movies, etc

FLEA: So you see 411 Mania as more of a “all access site”? For example, a new way of new way of covering wrestling, music, tv, games, etc?

Widro: the way 411 reports, a more laid back less corporate, less conventional way… letting readers really know the people who run the site, is not done on other mediums… that personal touch is why the internet is so great, and if we can get people into music and movies in addition to wrestling, I think it would benefit everyone

FLEA: And hopefully get us “contributors” paid!!!….Real quick…going back to how you got started…how did you initially get people to talk to you? Did you encounter any resistance, or “who the f*ck does this guy think he is?”

Widro: I never liked the Russo style of WWF, so I was a rarity in the IWC in 1999 – a WCW fan… I was the pro-WCW voice on a 411 site that at the time was entirely pro-WWF… I called myself the ‘Voice of Reason’ but everyone else dubbed me WCWidro

FLEA: ha ha ha….we all have to have our gimmicks…but next thing you know, you’re the BOSS! When did you see attitudes start to change about 411? As in, “hey! this is a place on the IWC “must go to” list?”

Widro: well the buzz with Hyatte and the MidNews was huge in mid 2001… the real turning point, though, was when Wrestleline closed… the effect was two-fold… we had a lot of people looking for a place to hang, and of course we got Scott keith, who has a huge following

FLEA: I was about to mention that….besides Hyatte, one of the first “major names” you brought in was Scott Keith. How much of an effect on the 411 do you think that had, hit-wise / popularity?

Widro: he had a very large effect… when Hyatte first came on, he was definitely on the downturn of the Mopups, and it took him reinventing himself to create a second career… when Scott came to 411, he was at his popularity peak with his rants, and had an immediate effect on traffic, and again when we merged with thesmarks

FLEA: Are Hyatte and Scott Keith tough for you to deal with? How was it, interacting with them…and what kind of impact do each of them consider that they have on 411?

Widro: I don’t find either of them particularly hard to deal with… Hyatte generally respects my wishes, largely because I’ve allowed him so much leeway over the years… Scott generally keeps to himself, and seems happy to be able to write his rants and not have the massive headaches associated with running a website

FLEA: Moving along to me…what did you think about having some hack write an obituary for your Top Draw?

Widro: I was disappointed at the time that Hyatte didn’t tell me about leaving first, but that’s life sometimes… I think it was a good opportunity to create a new star writer, which it ended up doing

FLEA: Thanks BOSS! Do you feel that the rest of the writers at 411 hold up to a “standard”?…or do you even set a standard?

Widro: I like to think we have a good standard… you dont see the Tommy Fiero types on 411, by and large… there are also some niche writers that dont bring in big hits, but provide 411 with a great variety

FLEA: Yeah, don’t even get me started on GRUT back to 411 Mania…How did the “idea” get taken from dream to almost reality?

Widro: our dream was always to become the #1 wrestling website… so when that was realized, we knew it was time to look for even more

FLEA: But how did you (or Ashish for that matter) get the idea to branch into movies, games, dvd, music, etc?

Widro: we’ve had games and figures sections for a long time… we saw that the same audience tends to also like music and movies, and felt we could make a splash in both those areas… areas we feel that we cant make a dent, like sports or tv, we haven’t pursued

FLEA: Do you think you have friends in the upper echelon of the Internet Wrestling Community? Success breeds contempt, you know…

Widro: define the upper echelon

FLEA: you know who I mean

Widro: I think that 411 is the upper echelon of the IWC… Keller and Meltzer are newsletter guys, they dont really get involved with the IWC stuff as much… Ryder can’t be happy that 411 is so far ahead of his site on alexa, i’m sure

FLEA: no doubt…have you talked to BOB? Do you have any contacts at 1wrestling?

Widro: I don’t really talk to anyone except 411 staff… I never talked to Hyatte before I hired him for my wrestling audio show website, and I never talked to Scott before Carlos helped bring him to 411

FLEA: Carlos! So he’s the one! But anyway…It’s safe to say that once 411 Mania hits, most of the other clowns will be left in the dust…right?

Widro: I’m not sure I agree… 411mania will simply continue the legacy 411 has built to now… we will be the world’s best wrestling website and build towards being the world’s best music, movies, games, comics and figures sites as well

FLEA: c’mon…just say ONCE that 411 rules…

Widro: 411 rules!

FLEA: ******

FLEA: perfect!

Widro: that’s it?

FLEA: no…now’s the coda! Gimme your final thoughts, a mission statement…whatever….

Widro: I’ve been doing 411 now for 4 years this week, and it’s been an incredible run… I have built my career around skills I learned making the site, and now hope to bring the site I joined to the next level… I thank everyone who writes for us, and for all the readers to make it a regular stop…you’ll find that the changes we have for next month are all awesome, and all the beginning of something huge… be there for the launch and stay for the long haul

FLEA: word association…

FLEA: HYATTE

Widro: flaky

FLEA: NETCOP

Widro: witty

FLEA: GRUT

Widro: not sure how anyone but me finds him funny

FLEA: ERIC

Widro: professional, I’ve actually never talked to him outside the emails to hire him

FLEA: ASHISH

Widro: the Brian Adams to my Bryan Clarke

FLEA: MELTZER

Widro: best in the biz

FLEA: BOB

Widro: good businessman

FLEA: CRZ

Widro: the reason I got into recapping

FLEA: WIDRO

Widro: me

FLEA: FLEA

Widro: mysterious

FLEA: damn straight…you know I can buy and sell you, right?

Widro: I’m sure you could, but in the fantasy world we all play in, I’m your BOSS

*****

This is the Mid Week News, I’m Flea.