[WWW] Dave Meltzer 11.7.03 column

http://www.wrestlingobserver.com

11/7/2003 3:34:00 PM

Friday news update: WWE weekend schedule and line-ups w/Heyman on
orad, TNA new pricing, TNA on Luger, Smackdown early ratings, Flair,
Pitbull II, Sapp's foe makes him look small, Austin, Bret Hart, MLW
and tons more

by Dave Meltzer

[EMAIL PROTECTED]

We've got a huge weekend coming up with the Pride Grand Prix and a
full WWE road schedule. For the Pride show, we'll be doing our thumbs
up, thumbs down and thumbs in the middle poll after the show. You can
still predict the results for a free Observer subscription until
Saturday at 9 p.m. and there are details on the Pride prediction item
on the headlines section for that. Tomorrow night, we'll probably do
live round-by-round coverage at least until 5 a.m. Eastern time, and
maybe longer. I'll post results in spoiler form not in the update for
those who want to get them before seeing the show. We won't be doing
live round-by-round coverage of the PPV like we do for WWE and UFC on
Sunday.

The WWE Raw crew starts on the road in Toronto tonight with Bill
Goldberg & Booker T vs. Randy Orton & Batista, which will be the first
time ever that Goldberg and Batista oppose each other as they try and
get ready for Monday's Raw. Also Shane McMahon vs. Kane in a cage
match, Dudleys & RVD vs. Chris Jericho & Christian & Mark Henry and
OVW wrestlers Travis Tomko & Kevin Fertig are on the road all weekend
with the Raw. Saturday night is Springfield, MA with Shane vs. Kane in
a cage match Jericho & Christian & Henry & Scott Steiner vs. Dudleys &
RVD & Booker. Sunday is Burlington VT with the same show as
Springfield, and the live Raw will be at the Fleet Center in Boston
headlined by Goldberg vs. Batista.

The Smackdown crew starts tomorrow night in Poughkeepsie. Paul Heyman
will be going on the road doing angles and playing heel GM at the
weekend shows. Poughkeepsie has a weak main event of Chris Benoit &
Bradshaw & Bob Holly vs. A-Train & Matt Morgan & Nathan Jones. Oh My
God. Luckily the city has a history of always doing well. Also Rey
Mysterio vs. John Cena, which I'm guessing will be changed because it
makes no sense to do it now, and Bashams vs. Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty
vs. Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas. Jimmy Yang & Ryan Sakoda make
their in-ring debut as a tag team tomorrow night against Spanky & Paul
London. Crew goes to Worcester on Sunday with Lesnar vs. Benoit, Angle
& Bradshaw & Cena vs. Morgan & Jones & A-Train, Mysterio & Dragon vs.
Tajiri & Nunzio and Sakoda & Yang vs. Billy Kidman & Jamie Noble. The
Monday night house show in Bridgeport, CT will be similar. The
Smackdown tapings at the Meadowlands at this point have only announced
Bashams vs. Guerreros for the tag titles.

--We don't have any additional information regarding the death of Mike
"Crash Holly" Lockwood, who was found dead by police yesterday
afternoon at the home of Steven Richards in Florida. Lockwood is
originally from Northern California and had been wrestling nearly 17
years.

--Early Smackdown numbers based on the top 55 metered markets were a
4.1, which is again below average, but last week the below average in
the metered markets ended up being the highest rated episode of the
show in a year in the final numbers. If you think that doesn't make
sense, it's only because, it doesn't make sense. Survivor did a 12.5,
CSI did a whopping 20.5 an Friends did half hours of 15.7 for a first
run show and 14.2 for a repeat show as the top competition.

--For whatever this is worth, saw the press conference photos of Bob
Sapp and Akebono, and Akebono is much bigger than Sapp. He's billed at
6-9 and 484 pounds.

--TNA, starting in January, will be implementing a $34.95 per month
price for PPVs, so you can order for the month, which will be either
four or five shows, and save anywhere from $5 to $15 if you are one of
those people who buy every week.

--TNA President Dixie Carter released a statement today at
www.nwatna.com/news/2003/11/07/news.html regarding the use of Lex
Luger on Wednesday. She said that when one of the wrestlers approaches
management and recommends giving someone an opportunity, they listen,
and that's what happened with Luger. She said the success won't be
measured by an increase in the buy rate next week, but with what he
does with his opportunity. Jeremy Borash in the company's weekly
report on news brought up that "our advanced ticket sales have
dramatically increased going into this event."

--Dianna Hulsey, the wife of Anthony "Pitbull II" Durante, who was
found dead with him two months ago, died of an overdose of painkillers
and alcohol according to coroners reports. Durante's autopsy has not
been completed.

--Ric Flair will be appearing on ESPN 2's Morning show, Cool Pizza
which airs both at 7 and 9 a.m. Eastern time

--Steve Austin will be doing a book signing at Borders Books & Music
at 3 p.m. on Sunday on School Street in Boston.

--There will be an autograph session in Newark, CA tomorrow at 10 a.m.
at the Marriott with Bret Hart, Bobby Heenan, Bob Orton Jr., Nick
Bockwinkel, Ivory and Jim Neidhart among others.

--Don Carroll at [EMAIL PROTECTED] is looking for tapes of
1980-84 Georgia Championship Wrestling TV shows.

--WWE is offering $10 discounts on tickets for anyone with "Rundown"
ticket stubs for Tuesday's Smackdown taping in East Rutherford, NJ. In
fact, you can get a $10 discount on as many as eight tickets with one
Rundown stub. This offer is only valid at the box office.

--The guy Christopher Daniels worked with on Xplosion was Chance
Prophet from West Virginia

--The European title deal they do in HWA is done with three minute
rounds. The old British and German pro wrestling promotions until
recent years did the rounds system of wrestling.

--The FYE store in Cheyenne, WY temporarily pulled all music and other
items by Insane Clown Posse from the shelves after the suicide of a
Casper, WY teenager. The parents of the teenager, who didn't blame ICP
for their son's death, also said the music didn't help any and said
they were very concerned about the group's deeply negative message and
nobody cares about them. Howard Fochtman, the father of the son said,
"I want stand for somebody saying that I said that (that ICP led to
the death,)," but it did not do him any good."

--MLW officially canceled its 12/29 show in Fort Lauderdale, although
that has been pretty much known for about two weeks. There is expected
to be an announcement from MLW in the next week or two about potential
restarting.

--Tuesday night results from Arena Coliseo in Mexico City: Astro Boy &
Valiente b Koreano & Vaquero, Caligula & Messala & Reyes Veloz b
Alacran & Brazo de Oro Jr. & Brazo de Plata Jr., Brazo de Oro & Ringo
Mendoza & Safari b Mazada & Nitro & Nosawa, Averno & Emilio Charles
Jr. & Mephisto b Felino & Sagrado & Tinieblas Jr., Black Tiger & Black
Warrior & Tarzan Boy b Lizmark Jr. & Mr. Niebla & Rayo de Jalisco Jr.

--AAA has a big show in Madero tonight with an electrified steel cage
match with La Parka Jr. vs. Cibernetico, to build to their scheduled
mask match. AAA runs Tijuana tonight with Alebrije & Mascara Sagrada
(AAA) & Octagon vs. Abismo Negro & Monsther & Pirata Morgan

--Since he's in Japan for the tag team tournament, D-Lo Brown has been
pulled from the 11/20 Border City Wrestling show at the Ciociaro Club
in Oldcastle, ONT as well as the 11/23 show in Belleville, MI. Konnan
will be filling in on 11/23. The next show is 11/19 at the Hunter Rec
Complex at Conestoga College in Kitchener with Jim Duggan and Jim
Neidhart as headliners.

--Abdullah the Butcher is off the ROH show at the end of the month
because he's going to Japan.

--The Backyard Opens tonight at Red Vic Movie House on Haight in San
Francisco

--There will be a Bay Bombers vs. Brooklyn Red Devils game featuring
many 70s stars of Roller Derby and Roller Games tomorrow night at the
San Jose Civic Auditorium.

--There will be a vendors convention and autograph show tomorrow at
the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, NJ from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. Admission is only $5 and among those appearing are John Cena,
Matt Hardy, Jerry Lawler, Al Snow, Jonathan Coachman, Raven and Bill
Alfonso

--IWA Mid South's Ted Petty Invitational starts tonight in Salem, IN
at the High School It's a 24-man tournament over two days featuring
the biggest indie stars in the country including Chris Sabin, Chris
Hero, Sonjay Dutt, Jimmy Rave, Colt Cabana, Jonny Storm, Jerry Lynn,
A.J. Styles and Tracy Smothers. Truth Martini has pulled out due to a
neck injury and Brad Bradley will take his place tonight against Nigel
McGuiness. Josh Prohibition suffered a broken ankle on Wednesday night
while training, so Ian Rotten will take his place against Smothers.

--Jesse Ventura spoke last night at Penn State University on getting
young people involved in voting. In reading a few articles on the
speech, the pro wrestling subject really didn't come up.