thuganomics

I REALLY want to see Kevin Nash come out in the Super Shredder costume at this show. That alone would make this DVD purchase worthwhile.

I'm guessing Ultimate X will get retooled. Word is that Michael Shane has a broken tailbone. Would be a good way to bring Kid Kash back in methinks.

This really pisses me the hell off. I'd been really looking forward to seeing what H2 could produce and because of shoddy business dealings Bauer destroys his second company before it can even begin.

I'm guessing Triple H will drop this one just to move him in to a program with Edge. I'm also expecting it to go in to "overtime" since they probably can get Spike to go for it.

Impact needs to get on FX and they need to drop the weekly PPVs. If those two things could happen, TNA would improve dramaticly.

Rikishi was cool in 2000, but this doesn't really surprise me as his act has been stale for well over a year. I definitely see him surfacing in TNA as soon as his injury heels up. Maybe he can team with little brother Ekmo as the new Samoan Swat Team!

Plus Mr. X wants 2 or 3 matches on the card. I'm thinking it might be Abyss.

I'd love to see Bruno get some attention on WWE DVD. And though Vince never smeared Bruno, he did make efforts to eradicate Bruno's legacy for pretty much all of the 90's. It wasn't until the Invasion and the "history of WWE" video that he began to show some respect for Bruno, who appeared several times in the video.

But where was Sid Vicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

USWA TV April 2, 1988 Al Snow vs Rip Morgan Al Snow requested this match, as he looks for revenge against Rip Morgan took control of the match early, walloping Al Snow with stiff blow after stiff blow. Snow looked battered and bruised when he reversed a rear sleeper in to a jawbreaker. Al Snow mounts an offensive but nothing he can do can take down Rip Morgan. Rip Morgan kicks Snow in the gut, than lands the Piledriver for the three count. Rating: *** Rip Morgan lifted Al Snow up to continue the assault, but Bill Dundee runs down the ramp to save Al Snow. He and Rip trade soem lefts and rights before Rip bails from the ring and starts to the back. Andy Kaufman is backstage with Akio Sato and Tarzan Goto. He told them to get ready, as later tonight they'd face Demolition to determine the #1 contenders to Perfection's World Tag titles. -Commercial- Bret Hart and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, the Hart Foundation, come out to the ring. They announce they have another member to introduce. Out from the back comes "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart, who is returning to Memphis to be their manager. Jimmy informs them he's already got a match for them lined up: against the Tiger Masks! Hart Foundation vs Tiger Masks Mitsuhara Misawa and Bret Hart start the match out. Misawa lands hard forearms in to the chest and head of Bret Hart. Bret eventually reverses with a German suplex, than tags out to Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. The Anvil lays in to Misawa, crushing the Japanese star to the mat. Misawa scores with a snap suplex to allow himself to tag out to Satoru Sayama. Sayama comes in on fire, destroying Neidhart. Neidhart gets smashed all over the ring before he can tag out to Bret Hart. Neidhart pulled the padding off the turnbuckle in their corner, just as Hart whips him in to the corner. Sayama bounced off the turnbuckle and Bret Hart rolled him up for the win. Post match the Hart Foundation continued to assault the Tiger Masks. They leave the Tiger Masks bloodied in the ring. Rating: *** 1/4 -Commercial- Jerry "The King" Lawler is in the interview position. "Hotstuff" Eddie Gilbert cost him his dreams at Memphis Memories. He swears that he'll destroy Gilbert for his actions. Demolition vs Goto and Sato (for the #1 contendership to the World Tag Team championship) Goto and Sato tried their best to overcome the newcomers Ax and Smash, but Demolition controlled this match utterly. Demolition get Tarzan Goto on their own and land the Demolition Decapitation. Smash makes the cover to pick up the number one contendership. Rating: *** -Commercial- Andy Kaufman is in his office as we return. He turns to the cameras and tells us that tonight Dynamite Kid and Ricky Steamboat will fight one on one not only for Dynamite's International title but also #1 Contendership to the World Heavyweight title. Perfection come out to the ring with the World Tag Team titles. The debuting Rock N Roll Express storm out from the crowd attacking Perfection. They beat down Hennig and Hall in the center of the ring, than take the titles and run to the back. -Commercial- Dynamite Kid vs Ricky Steamboat (for the International title and the World Heavyweight title #1 contendership) A technical masterpiece. Dynamite Kid and Steamboat trade blows as it starts out, and it devolves in to submission attempt after submission attempt. Ricky Steamboat flew at Dynamite with a diving cross body, but Raven runs from the back to distract him from the 3 count. Raven lands the Evenflow DDT on Ricky Steamboat. Dynamite Kid climbs the top rope and hits the Swandive Headbutt for the win. Rating: **** 1/2 -Commercial- Perfection, Curt Hennig and Scott Hall, charge in to Andy Kaufman's office. They demand to get their hands on Rock N Roll Express. Kaufman agrees, saying they can face the Express in the main event. Jerry "The King" Lawler is in the ring ready to cut another promo. "Hotstuff" Eddie Gilbert emerges from the back with a chair in hand. He smashes the chair over Lawler's head. He lifts Lawler back up, and lands the Hotshot. Gilbert continues to beat Lawler bloody until refs and paramedics come running out to help the King. -Commercial- Rock N Roll Express vs Perfection Morton and Gibson utterly controlled the tag team champions for most of this match. But midway through the match Scott Hall distracted Gibson, allowing Curt Hennig to take control. Even so, Perfection had their work cut out for them, and it took a low blow in order for Hennig to land the Perfect Plex for the three count. Demolition charge in to the ring and attack Perfection post match and they crush Scott Hall. Curt Hennig than gets hit by the Demolition Decapitation. Rating: **** Overall Rating: 88%

Poor, poor Edge. Even Conan O'Brien knows more about wrestling than that.

Alex Shelley as an f'n regular rocks. Supposedly, the rumors are he's working for ROH still as well, and that negotiations may reopen to get TNA talent back on ROH shows...

Wei Empire Forums features NGWEWR #2 which is up to date as of July 1. You can download it at the site, but you must join and log-in first to access the EWR Downloads & Discussion page.

Dang, why's Velocity drawing so low? It's usually the better Smackdown brand show on TV...

I guarantee WWE made more money in 2000. Better shows and storylines overall, and they'd sucked even more of the fans away from WCW, which was still doing all right financially for the first half of the year or so. I still hold that WCW could have remained successful if not for poor booking for the first 3/4 of the year and Time Warner's desire to get rid of it at ANY cost. As to what killed the ratings of WWE. One Word: Invasion. Casual fans got absolutely sick of seeing these people they CHOSE NOT TO WATCH months earlier wrestling the stars they cared a lot more about.

USWA TV April 2 preview It's the fallout from Memphis Memories, as Jerry "The King" Lawler comes gunning for "Hotstuff" Eddie Gilbert, the man who cost him the World Heavyweight title! Plus, young star Al Snow attempts to avenge his tag team partner Dutch Mantell's brutal defeat at the hands of Rip Morgan. New #1 contenders will be determined for both the Tag Team and World Heavyweight titles as well. All this, and the USWA debut of a world famous tag team this week on USWA TV!

Dear god, I don't care if it's true or not, I'm going to be watching Smackdown in the hopes it is! Paul f'n London finally!

Memphis Memoris Sunday, March 27, 1988 "Dirty" Dutch Mantell vs Rip Morgan in a Texas Death match: Dutch Mantell smashes a Nintendo console over the head of Rip. Side suplex by Mantell gets a two count. Mantell locks on a sleeper, but Morgan powers out. Lefts and rights by Rip Morgan. Rip lifts Mantell in to the air... Powerslam! Pinfall gets a three count. But the referee only gets to a five count before Dutch Mantell has struggled to his feet. Rip Morgan grabs a chair, and blasts Mantell across the back with it. A cover gets another pin fall for Rip. But Dutch is up after a six count. Rip Morgan goes for a backbreaker, but Mantell counters with a foreram to the face. A nasty looking backbreaker plants Rip Morgan. Cover for barely a three count. Rip pulls himself up after only two. Dutch lifts Morgan up and slams him down with a spinebuster! Pinfall gets an easy three. The referee begins to count.. but at 7 Rip Morgan struggles his way to the feet. Clothesline by Dutch Mantell. Mantell hits Rip over the head with a garbage can. Rip lands a kick to the gut, seemingly unfazed by the attack. Fallaway slam by Rip Morgan. Dutch strugges to his feet and he gets crushed by a Lariat by Rip Morgan. Morgan used Mantell's own finisher! Cover gets a three. Mantell starts to stir at 9.. but he can't get to his feet by 10! He hops up after 10 and the bell, and the two start brawling again. They brawl all the way to the back, a group of refs trying futiley to break them up. Winner: Rip Morgan Rating: *** 1/2. "The Lariat" Stan Hansen comes out to the ring. He says he's brought in the next best thing to himself to join him in his fight with the Hart Foundation. Out comes Stan's new best friend, "The Lariat" Barry Windham. The Lariats stand together, waiting for their opponents. The Lariats (Stan Hansen and Barry Windham) vs the Hart Foundation Scoop slam by The Anvil on Stan Hansen. Stan powers his way to his feet, but gets bodyslammed by Neidhart again. Neidhart covers but only gets a one. Tag to Bret Hart. Hart Foundation whip Stan Hansen across the ring. The Anvil lands a clothesline as Bret Hart lands a basement dropkick. Hansen drops to the match hard. A Bret Hart cover gets two. Vertical suplex by Bret Hart. Stan Hansen blocks another Bret Hart suplex, than lands a back body drop. Tag to Barry Windham. Barry Windham lands a stump piledriver. He makes the covrer, but Hart's out just before three. Neckbreaker by Windham. Bret Hart slides out of a backdrop attempt, than lands a German suplex from behind. Hart tags out to Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart. The Anvil body checks Barry Windham. Windham ducks a clothesline, than dives to his corner to tag in Stan Hansen. Rights and lefts by Hansen daze the Anvil. Stan Hansen moves in for a bodyslam, but gets a rake to the eye for his trouble. The ref moves in to scold The Anvil, as Bret Hart moves in to hit a low blow from behind! The Anvil rolls up Hansen for the cover. 1, 2, 3, this match is over. Stan Hansen comes up instantly, and Windham rushes to his side. They whip Neidhart across the ring, and Barry Windham scores with the Lariat. Bret Hart tries to hightail it, but he's too late. Stan Hansen scores with the Western Lariat! Winners: Hart Foundation Rating: *** International Championship: Dynamite Kid Tom Billington vs "Hotstuff" Eddie Gilbert © Dynamite lands a spinning kick to Gilbert's jaw. Flying elbow from Dynamite Kid. He hooks the leg but barely gets a two. Gilbert ducks a Dynamite Kid clothesline. Eddie Gilbert scores with a neckbreaker. A forearm to the face leads ot a big back bodydrop that plants Dynamite. Dynamite kicks Eddie Gilbert in the gut where still down. Kippup, right in to a boot to the side of the head. Dynamite hooks Eddie up for a vertical suplex... but he doesn't hit just one! Dynamite rolls through, landing a second, than a third. Eddie Gilbert's out on the mat. Dynamite climbs to the top rope... Swandive headbutt. Dynamite Kid makes the cover for the three count. Dynamite Kid proudly celebrates his title victory, climbing each turnbuckle and playing up his victory to the fans! Winner and NEW International champion!: Dynamite Kid Tom Billington Rating: **** The Fabulous Ones are backstage. They ripped in to the Brainbusters, saying that the big oafs may be good at surprise atttacks, but that they'd meet their fate in the ring tonight. The Fabulous Ones vs the Brainbusters Arn Anderson hits some hard punches on Steve Kiern. Hard impact Russian leg sweep by Double A. Anderson covers, but barely gets a two. Arn Anderson tags out to Tully Blanchard. Anderson lifts Kiern up, and Blanchard moves in. The pair hit some kind of powerbomb/neckbreaker combo. Pin attempt gets 2 and a half. Tully Blanchard goes for a vertical, but Kiern slips out of the back. Rear clothesline by Kiern. Kiern tags out to Stan Lane. Stan Lane scores with a spike slam. Pin attempt gets two. Neckbreaker by Tully Blanchard. Tully Blanchard powers up out of a Stan Lane armbar. Lane gets caught and goes flying with a fallaway slam. Blanchard tags out to Arn Anderson. Snap suplex on Lane. Lane sidesteps a Anderson clothesline, than scores with a drop toe hold. Lane dives to his corner to tag in Steve Kiern. Kiern and Anderson exchange blows. Steve Kiern ducks under a Double A clothesline, than rolls up Anderson in a school boy. Anderson rolls through, grabbing Steve Kiern's tights on the way. With them as leverage he scores the quick three. Stan Lane charges in to the ring, but so does Tully Blanchard. The action quickly devolves in to a four-way brawl that takes every USWA official to break up! Winner: The Brainbusters Rating: *** 1/4 Raven vs Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Standing leg lariat by Ricky Steamboat on Raven. Raven takes some nasty chops from Steamboat, but he lands a headbutt of his own when Steamboat moves in to close. Raven's irish whip is reversed, and Raven runs headlong in to the corner turnbuckle. Steamboat trys to get Raven to the top rope for a Frankensteiner, but Raven shoves him off the turnbuckle. Steamboat rolls out of the way of Raven's knee drop. Arm drag in to a dropkick by Ricky Steamboat. Reverse DDT turns in to a backbreaker by Steamboat. Raven gets planted on the mat, but Steamboat doesn't quite get three on the pin. Ricky Steamboat climbs the corner turnbuckle. He flies off with the diving cross body, but Raven drops back on the mat to avoid the blow! Spear by Raven! Ricky Steamboat blocks the Evenflow DDT attempt. Ricky arm drags Raven away, then springs up to the top rope. Crossbody block connects with Raven hard! Steamboat hooks the leg for the three count. Steamboat celebrated, but Raven comes to his feet behind him. Raven whips Steamboat around, than scores with the Evenflow. Winner: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Rating: **** World Tag Title Match: Tiger Masks (Satoru Sayama & Mitsuhara Misawa) vs Perfection © (Curt Hennig and Scott Hall) Hennig with a hard right hand on Sayama. TM1 gets planted by a high angle back suplex. Curt Hennig rolls in to a cover, but only gets two. Tag to Scott Hall. Perfection hit a double suplex on Satoru Sayama. Scott Hall covers, but TM1 kicks out at two again. Scott Hall takes TM1 down with a spinning neckbreaker. TM1 ducks Scott Hall's clothesline, than scores with a neckbreaker drop. TM1 dives to his corner to tag in Mitsuhara Misawa. Flying reverse elbow by Misawa. Cover, but Scott Hall's out in two. A basement dropkick takes Hall back down. Scott Hall elbows Misawa in the face to block a pinfall attempt. Big clothesline on TM2. Tag between Hall and Curt Hennig. A forearm to the face sends TM2 staggering. Tag to Satoru Sayama. Flying shoulder tackle sends Hennig staggering. Curt Hennig pulls the ref down to get to his feet. Scott Hall whirls TM1 around, than lands a powerbomb. Curt Hennig pulls Sayama to his feet. Perfectplex! That's all she wrote, as Hennig gets the three count. Winners and STILL Champions: Perfection Rating: *** 1/2 Perfection celebrates their victory when two men come running out of the crowd. It's Ax and Smash, and together Demolition lay out the members of Perfection! Steel cage match for the World Heavyweight title: "Love Machine" Art Barr © vs Jerry "The King" Lawler Jerry Lawler drives Art Barr in to the cage wall. Nice standing clothesline on Art Barr. Art Barr reverses a rear waistlock in to one of his own. German suplex by Love Machine. Back heel kick on the King... right in to a hard back suplex. Art Barr hurls Lawler in to the cage wall. Art Barr starts to climb the cage wall, but Lawler recovers and pulls him down. Full nelson slam on Art Barr by jerry Lawler. Big clotheslin on Barr. Jerry starts to rake Barr's face across the cage wall. Art Barr lands a jawbreaker, than a leg sweep to take the King down. The King elbows Barr in the face than pulls him to his feet. Piledriver by the King! Jerry Lawler goes for the door, but Eddie Gilbert comes running from the back. Lawler starts out the door, only to have it shut on his head. Lawler drops back and on to the mat, bleeding from a head wound. Art Barr crawls to the door, sliding out on to the floor. Art Barr smiles as Eddie Gilbert helps him to his feet. They congratulate each other on a job well done. Winner and STILL Heavyweight Champion of the World "Love Machine" Art Barr Overall Rating: 83%

I'm trying something different, and rewriting the matches completely starting with Memphis Memories. Tell me what ya think about it.

I believe that's the lawsuit they're referring to.

When in the hell did Michael Shane and (Frankie) Kazarian become a tag team?

I could see Kidman & London getting a title shot on Smackdown. They won't win, but I could see them getting the shot.

The Bruno thing makes me REALLY happy. It's good that WWE is finally coming around to honoring one of the most legendary wrestlers in the history of this sport, not to mention the man who kept WWWF afloat for 20 years.

No. Booker T was GI Bro long before he arrived in WCW, and before he'd worked with his brother. When Harlem Heat first formed (under a different name I believe), they became Kole and Kane, before eventually switching to real names, aka Booker T and Stevie Ray.

I live 15 minutes from where the NWA first formed. Other than that, there's nothing wrestling related worth a damn in Iowa. I'd be happy with Jackie and the Bashams.