h.edu!news.emich.edu!grumpy.emich.edu!grumpy!macika
Subject: [Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling] FAQ (part 01/02)
Date: 4 Oct 1995 22:10:52 GMT
Summary: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for rec.sport.pro-wrestling
URL: http://grumpy.emich.edu/~macika/FAQ/faq.html
Editor: macika@grumpy.emich.edu (Dominic Macika)
Posting-frequency: every third Friday
Previous-editor: jewell@Data-IO.com (Cal Jewell)
Previous-editor: jnelson@iastate.edu (Jeremy Nelson)
Original-editor: a0cb@cc.pdx.edu (Chris Bertholf)
Last-posting-date: June 21, 1995
Originator: macika@grumpy
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.sport.pro-wrestling:121683 rec.answers:15259 news.answers:54491

                 Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
                                  for
                        rec.sport.pro-wrestling

..    email: rspw-faq@grumpy.emich.edu

                       Generated: July 14, 1995

Copyright

This document is compilation copyright (c) 1995 by Dominic Macika
and compilation copyright (c) 1993, 1994 by Cal Jewell. It
may be freely copied and/or distributed in its entirety as long
as this copyright notice is not removed. It may not be sold for
profit or incorporated into commercial products without the
editor's written permission. [Compilation copyright means that
you can freely use individual sections of this document, but any
significant collection of sections is subject to the copyright.]

Please read this document before posting to
rec.sport.pro-wrestling.  If you don't want to see this posting
anymore, please add the subject line to your kill file.

Comments, additions, suggestions, and corrections are encouraged.
Send them to rspw-faq@grumpy.emich.edu

Changes are marked with a preceding "|" (a pipe). You can skip to
them by typing g^| in most newsreaders (e.g., rn, trn).

Note: this FAQ has been formatted as a digest. Many newsreaders
can skip to each of the major subsections by pressing ^g
(CTRL-g).

Index 

1. Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling
2. Other information sources
3. WWF
4. WCW
5. NWA
6. Other North American promotions
7. Japan
8. Mexico
9. Deaths
10. Injuries
11. Where Are They Now?
12. Wrestling Groups and Teams
13. Miscellaneous questions about wrestlers.
14. The Law and Pro Wrestling
15. Miscellaneous
Contributors

-----------------

Index of Questions in Part 1

1. Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling
1.1.  What is r.s.p-w?
1.2.  My news software does not allow me to post, but I wish to
        contribute to r.s.p-w.  How can I?
1.3.  Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?

2. Other information sources
2.1.  Are there any mailing lists related to r.s.p-w?
2.2.  Are there any r.s.p-w FTP sites?
2.3.  Are there any WWW sites related to r.s.p-w?
2.4.  What other information is available over the internet?
2.5.  Are any wrestlers or promoters reachable on via the net?
|2.6.  How can I subscribe to newsletters?
2.7.  Are there many wrestling phone information lines?
2.8.  Are there any books available on pro-wrestling?

3.  WWF
3.1.  What is the story behind the forming of the WWF?
3.2.  When did the WWWF become the WWF?
3.3.  Who currently owns and runs the WWF?

4.  WCW
4.1.  When did the NWA become WCW?
4.2.  Who owns and runs WCW?
4.3.  When Ric Flair left WCW in 1991, why did he take the title
        belt with him?

5.  NWA
5.1.  What was the NWA and how did it get started?  
5.2.  What is the NWA today?
5.3.  What happened to the NWA?

6. Other North American Federations
6.1.  United States Wrestling Association (USWA)
6.2.  Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW)
6.3.  Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)
6.4.  Championship Wrestling USA (CWUSA)
6.5.  National Wrestling Alliance - New Jersey (NWA)
|6.6.  Michigan
6.7.  National Wrestling Alliance - Dallas (NWA)
6.8.  New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA)

7.  Japan
7.1.  How did pro wrestling get its start in Japan?
7.2.  What is AJPW?
7.3.  What is NJPW?  Is it different from IWGP?
7.4.  What other groups are there in Japan?
7.5.  What about the Japanese Women's groups?
7.6.  What is Shootwrestling?
7.7.  How do I get to see Japanese wrestling?

8.  Mexico
8.1.  What are CMLL, EMLL, AAA and the UWA?
8.2.  What is Lucha Libre?
8.3.  What's with all the masks in Mexico?
8.4.  I don't know Spanish, what does [some_word] mean?
8.5.  What's with all the midgets in Lucha Libre?
8.6.  Lucha Libre confuses me, what are the rules?
8.7.  How do I get to see lucha libre wresting?
 
--------------------

1. Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling

1.1. What is r.s.p-w?

     Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling (r.s.p-w or RSPW for short) is a usenet
     discussion group. The main topic of discussion is pro- wrestling,
     however, the group is loosely defined by its original charter and
     often includes related topics, such as other combat sports. For a
     more in-depth look at what pro-wrestling is, please read the
     Welcome to Rec.Sport.Pro-Wrestling message, posted periodically on
     the group. This post discusses what the group is about, and also
     gives pointers on netiquette.

1.2. My news software does not allow me to post, but I wish to contribute to
r.s.p-w. How can I?

     If you have email access, you can post to r.s.p-w by mailing your
     article to one of the following addresses:

        * rec-sport-pro-wrestling@cs.utexas.edu
        * rec-sport-pro-wrestling@news.demon.co.uk
        * rec.sport.pro-wrestling@news.demon.co.uk

     Please note the variances in punctuation between "." and "-" in
     the email addresses.

1.3. Where can I get a copy of this FAQ?

     If you know how to FTP, you can get a copy from the following
     location:

          site: rtfm.mit.edu
          location: /pub/usenet-by-group/rec.sport.pro-wrestling/
          filename: [rec.sport.pro-wrestling]_FAQ_(part_0?_02)

     You can also get a current copy of this FAQ by sending e-mail with
     a subject of "get FAQ" to
     rspw-faq@grumpy.emich.edu

     Note: email requests for the FAQ and regular posting of the FAQ
     are currently done manually.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Other information sources

2.1. Are there any mailing lists related to r.s.p-w?

     Yes. There are two public mailing lists known to this editor. The
     first is for discussion of video tapes and video tape trading. For
     info on that list, send email with a subject of "help" to:
     majordomo@cc.gatech.edu

     The second is a moderated, information only mailing list. The
     moderator is Pete Barlow. This mailing list is designed for people
     who are not interested in reading the discussion that takes place
     on r.s.p-w, only in receiving wrestling related information from
     the group. To subscribe, send mail to:
     listproc@nextsrv.cas.muohio.edu
     with a message body subscribe RSPWINFO <first name> <last name>

2.2. Are there any r.s.p-w FTP sites?

     Yes. There is one known to the FAQ Editor.

     If you are not familiar with FTP, or if you are new to the net,
     ask somebody at YOUR SITE for help. Please, don't pester r.s.p-w
     with "how do I FTP" posts.

     Also, please observe the hours listed and do not abuse the
     resources.

          site: piper.swan.ac.uk
          hours: 24hrs/day with periodic downtime
          admin: j.hussell@swansea.ac.uk

          If you're from the U.S. use the following:

               username: USGUEST
               password: USA

          If you're from the U.K. use the following:

               username: UKGUEST
               password: GBR

          From any other part of the world use the following:

               username: WLGUEST
               password: WLD

          If you want to upload anything to the site, please get
          confirmation first by mailing J.Hussell@swansea.ac.uk

2.3. Are there any WWW sites related to r.s.p-w?

     Yes. Here are a few known to the FAQ editor.

     http://orion.it.luc.edu/~mlong/wrestling.html
     This site is maintained by Mark Long.

     http://www.missouri.edu/~c621097/wrestleweb.html
     This site is maintained by Steve Black.

2.4. What other information is available over the internet?

     Herb Kunze makes weekly posts to r.s.p-w under the subject heading
     "Wrestling Tidbits" which reviews top news stories in the
     wrestling world over the past week. These posts also contain
     details on upcoming major events in pro-wrestling.

     The following people keep -- and occasionally post -- the
     following lists and information. If you would like a copy of one
     of these lists, it is strongly suggested that you make the request
     through e-mail rather than posting a request directly to r.s.p-w.

        * Gary Will (ax760@freenet.carleton.ca) - Listing of deceased
          wrestlers
        * Rick Duggan (duggan@cc.gatech.edu) - Wrestling Relations
        * Byron C. Howes (bch@uncecs.edu) - Glossary of wrestling terms

     If you keep track of an "official list" for r.s.p-w, please send
     e-mail to rspw-faq@grumpy.emich.edu so I can put you in this list.

2.5. Are any wrestlers or promoters reachable on via the net?

     Sure. However, due to a desire for privacy, most keep their email
     addresses private. A few notable exceptions post to r.s.p-w,
     including promoters Joe Pedicino, Dennis Coraluzzo and Ed Zohn and
     NEWA wrestler Liberty. We ask that you respect the privacy of
     those who do have an email address, but don't actively participate
     in r.s.p-w.

2.6. How can I subscribe to newsletters?

     There are a number of newsletters and fanzines (commonly referred
     to as "Sheets") published regularly about pro-wrestling.

     Topics include results, info, opinion, memorabilia and history,
     just to name a few. Like all else, some are good, some are not.
     For what it's worth, The Wrestling Observer has by far the largest
     circulation of all wrestling newsletters. (That's not a
     recommendation, just an observation.)

     Many of the publications offer trial issues. Write the publication
     for details.

    (weekly)                           (monthly)
    Wrestling Observer Newsletter      On The Mat
    Editor: Dave Meltzer               Editor: Gary Langevin
    PO Box 1228                        124 Maple St.
    Campbell CA  95009-1228            Newport VT  05855-1418
    FAX 408 378 6562

    The Wrestling Chatterbox           Wrestling Then & Now
    Editor: Georgiann Makropoulos        (monthly)
    23-44 33th Dr.                     Editor: Evan Ginzburg
    Astoria NY  11102-3252             P. O. Box 640471
                                       Flushing, NY 11364

    Pro-Wrestling Torch Weekly         Wrestling Lariet
    Editor: Wade Keller                Editor: Dave Scherer
    PO Box 201844                      PO Box 612
    Minneapolis MN  55420              Marmora NJ  08223
                                       email:lariet@aol.com
    Wrestling Down Under (*)
    Editor: Craig Reedy                Piledriver (*)
    PO Box 988                         Editor: Lazarus Dobelsky
    Bayswater, VIC 3153                PO Box 34
    Australia                          Glenhuntly, VIC 3163
                                       Australia
    Pro-Wrestling Update
    Editor: Jimm Hussell               Wrestling Perspective
    19 Oakland Road                    Ed: David Skolnick &
    Mumbles, Swansea                       Paul MacArthur
    Wales SA3 4AQ                      Box 351
    UK                                 Lyndon Center VT
                                       05850-0351

    Pro Wrestling Monthly              Mat Marketplace (*)
    Editor: Greg Rufolo                Editor: Sheldon Goldberg
    5678 Speedwell Ave                 PO Box 2371
    Morris Plains NJ  07950            Jamaica Plain MA  02130

    Western Ringside Report (*)        Figure Four Newsletter
    Editor : Stuart Kemp               Editor:  Bryan Alvarez
    P.O. Box 31004                     C/O Youth Wrestling Federation
    St. Johns Postal Outlet            Box 426
    Port Moody, BC  V3H 2C0            Woodinville WA  98072
    Canada                             YWFChamp@ix.netcom.com

     Note: "(*)" indicates frequency of publication is unknown.

2.7. Are there many wrestling phone information lines?

     Listed below are many wrestling related phone-information lines.
     The cost listed is only the "900 line" charge. There may be
     additional tolls or long-distance charges.

     If you have any additions or updates to this section, please send
     them to the FAQ editor, to avoid distribution of disabled numbers.

    Hotline Name            Phone Number        Cost
    ----------------------  ------------------  ----
    Baltimore area
      Axl Rotten's h/l      410 234-9762        free
      Chad Austin's h/l     410 385-9530        free
    CityLine WWF Info       415 512-5100 x6205  free
    Coach Kurt's h/l
      Chicago               312/708 976-6363    ??
      Detroit               ??                  ??
      New York              (any AC) 976-6363   ??
    ECW h/l                 900-884-4ECW        1.49/0.99
    M.L. Curley's h/l       313 252-2200 x0928  free
    Northwest Pro Wrestling 206 841-8178
    Real Wrestling h/l      900 903-9030        0.99/0.99
    Roanoke VA Times h/l    703 382-0200 x3028  free
    Seattle WA Times h/l    206 464-2000 x9619  free
    Southwestern Bell       512 416-5700 x6774  free
      Fingertip Facts
    WCW Wrestling h/l       900 909-9900        1.49/0.99
    World TV Wrestling h/l  612 362-3608        free
    Wrestling Wrap
      Albany/Troy, NY       518-446-4000 x2024  free
      Halifax, N.S., Canada 902 425-2255 x3032  free?
      Modesto CA            209 575-7500 x2024  free
      Ottawa, Ont, Canada   613 721-1990 x2773  free
    YWF Wrestling           206 485-0384

     Additional sources: many newspapers have information-via-phone
     services. Check your local paper if there's a pro-wrestling
     category.

2.8. Are there any books available on pro-wrestling?

     There is a very good book available called Wrestling Title
     Histories written by Royal Duncan and Gary Will. You can get
     information about ordering this book by writing Gary at

          Wrestling Title Histories
          c/o Gary Will
          PO Box 40005
          Waterloo, Ontario,
          Canada N2J 4V1

          or via email at:
          ax760@freenet.carleton.ca

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. WWF

3.1. What is the story behind the forming of the WWF?

     Buddy Rogers lost the NWA title to Lou Thesz in Toronto on January
     24, 1963. The promoters in the Northeast U.S., led by Vince
     McMahon Sr., did not agree that Rogers should drop the title to
     Thesz so they decided not to recognize Thesz as champion. Their
     decision led to the forming of the WWWF (World Wide Wrestling
     Federation), the forerunner of today's WWF. As it turns out,
     McMahon was the business manager of Rogers during his title reign
     and he felt that Rogers had incredible potential as champion.
     Potential that extended well beyond the time that the NWA had
     given him to be champion.

     Rogers was not recognized as the first WWWF champion right after
     losing to Thesz. Instead, Rogers was awarded the WWWF title in
     mid-April 1963, with the explanation that he has won a
     (fictitious) tournament in Rio de Janeiro. He lost the title to
     Bruno Sammartino a month later on May 17, 1963. Rogers would have
     likely had a longer reign as champion, but, he suffered a heart
     attack shortly before the match with Bruno. This explains both the
     brevity of the match (47 seconds) with Bruno and the subsequent
     disappearance of Rogers from the ring. Some reports have Rogers
     almost had to be wheeled into the ring, due to his weakened
     condition. Rogers retired after this match, although he did return
     to the ring in 1967.

3.2. When did the WWWF become the WWF?

     The best information available suggests that the name change took
     place on April 9, 1979. The change was purely a cosmetic one.
     Ownership and front office personnel remained unaffected. About
     this same time, the WWF phased out their North American title and
     replaced it with what is today known as the Intercontinental
     title.

     For the sake of clarity, all WWWF and WWF titles mentioned in this
     document are referred to as WWF titles.

3.3. Who currently owns and runs the WWF?

     Good question. Since the WWF is a privately held company, we have
     no way of knowing their exact internal structure. Regardless, most
     reports have Linda McMahon (Vince's wife) as President of Titan
     Sports (the WWF's parent company) while Vince McMahon Jr. remains
     CEO and Chairman of the Board of Titan Sports.

     Linda McMahon became Titan's President in late May 1993. Reports
     suggest that Vince Jr. stepped down as Titan's President in late
     May 1993 partly as a result of the U.S. government's indictment of
     the WWF and Vince McMahon. See related question.

     Vince Jr. was given control of the WWF by his father, Vince Sr.
     Although Vince McMahon Sr. died in May 1984, he had turned over
     control of the business to his son sometime around late 1982 or
     early 1983.

     The most widely believed story is that McMahon Sr. divested his
     Capitol Wrestling Corporation (under which he promoted the W[W]WF)
     in late 1982/early 1983. McMahon Sr. then incorporated Titan
     Sports as the WWF's new parent company and gave half of Titan's
     stock to his son. Vince Sr. also gave 1/6 stock each to Arnold
     Skoaland, Phil Zacko (who was the promoter in Philadelphia and
     surrounding regions) and Robert Marella (aka Gorilla Monsoon).
     Upon receiving their shares of Titan stock, Skoaland, Zacko, and
     Marella promptly sold them to McMahon Jr. for $100,000 each,
     primarily out of their uncertainty of Vince Jr's business skills.
     In return, Vince Jr. gave Skoaland and Marella guaranteed 10-year
     jobs with Titan. In May 1994, it was confirmed that Vince McMahon
     owns 100% of Titan.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. WCW

4.1. When did the NWA become WCW?

     In November, 1988, Jim Crockett sold Jim Crockett Promotions to
     WTBS. Crockett promotions had been the promotion most widely
     associated with the NWA. In order to distance itself from the NWA,
     which still existed as a paper organization at the time, WTBS
     began to change the name of its titles and television programs
     from NWA to WCW. The change took place in late 1990. By January,
     1991, the WCW name was fully in place and the NWA name was all but
     dropped by the organization.

4.2. Who owns and runs WCW?

     WCW is owned by WTBS and Ted Turner. The position in WTBS most
     widely considered as being in control of the wrestling promotion
     is the Executive Vice President in charge of Wrestling Operations.
     This title is currently held by Eric Bischoff. In recent years Jim
     Herd, K. Allen Frey and Bill Watts have been in that position.

4.3. When Ric Flair left WCW in 1991, why did he take the title belt with
him?

     Flair owned the NWA Heavyweight title belt that had been in use
     since 1986. When Flair's contract with WCW ran out on July 1,
     1991, they were unable to come to terms on a new contract. Jim
     Herd wanted to cut Flair's salary and reduce his role in the
     company. When Flair arrived in the WWF in September, 1991, he
     billed himself as the "Real World's Champion" and used his NWA
     belt to back it up. The ownership of the belt and the right to be
     called the "NWA Heavyweight Champion" was taken to court. Flair
     and WCW eventually settled the matter out of court in spring 1992.
     The exact terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but WCW
     bought the belt for a rumored US$28,000.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. NWA

5.1. What was the NWA and how did it get started?

     The NWA was and is the National Wrestling Alliance. In 1948, a
     group of mid-western promoters joined forces as the NWA with the
     idea of working together instead of working in competition.
     Orville Brown was named the first NWA champion on July 14, 1948.
     It should be noted that any attempts to trace the NWA World
     Heavyweight title back further than this are necessarily
     fictitious. The organization simply did not exist. Any attempt to
     trace a contiguous world heavyweight title back further than this
     is simply a combination of various world champions as recognized
     by a number of different promoters and commissions. The myth of a
     NWA title history dating back to 1905 was perpetuated in early NWA
     programs, which listed just such a title history, in an attempt to
     build credibility for the title. It should also be noted that that
     history also omits Orville Brown. The NWA's immediate predecessor
     as the most widely recognized world title was the National
     Wrestling Association championship which was held by Lou Thesz at
     the time of the formation of the NWA. A title unification match
     was scheduled for November 25, 1949 between Thesz and Brown and it
     is believed that Brown was scheduled to win that match. However,
     Brown suffered a career ending injury in a car accident prior to
     the match. On November 27, 1949, Thesz was awarded the NWA title.

5.2. What is the NWA today?

     Today, the NWA still exists, but in a very different form. The
     only relation it bears to the NWA of 1948 to 1985 is on paper. The
     NWA Board currently consists of Jim Crockett, Dennis Coraluzzo and
     Steve Rickard, although it has been rumored that Crockett has been
     served papers expelling him from the organization. Crockett until
     recently ran a promotion based in Dallas, TX. Coraluzzo runs a
     promotion in New Jersey. Rickard is from New Zealand, it is
     unknown whether or not he is currently running a promotion.

     However, the basic idea behind the original NWA is no longer
     adhered to. There is no cooperation between the promotions and
     there is frequent dissension. In August, 1994, a tournament was
     held in Philadelphia, PA, promoted by then NWA member Tod Gordon
     of ECW, to crown a new NWA champion. However, political
     in-fighting soured Gordon on the current state of the NWA, and the
     tournament winner, Shane Douglas, threw down the NWA belt in favor
     of the ECW title. In the aftermath, Coraluzzo announced that
     Douglas would not be recognized as an NWA champion and Tod Gordon
     announced that ECW was pulling out of the NWA. On November 19th,
     1994, Dennis Coraluzzo held a tournament to again crown a new NWA
     champion. However, the tournament winner, Chris Candido, was not
     recognized by Jim Crockett, and Candido soon signed a contract to
     wrestle for the WWF. On February 24, 1995, Candido lost the NWA
     title in Erlanger, KY to Dan Severn. This was the first time the
     NWA title changed hands in the ring in nearly two years.

5.3. What happened to the NWA?

     The transformation of the NWA into its current state took place
     simply because the promoters stopped cooperating. Problems in the
     NWA can be traced back into the 1970's but the major changes came
     in 1985. In an attempt to turn into a national promotion, Jim
     Crockett obtained the WTBS wrestling time slot from the WWF in
     March, 1985. With this exposure, combined with controlling power
     over the NWA title, Crockett was able to strong arm the other
     member promotions into complying with his requests. Many of the
     other promotions ended up going out of business or being bought up
     by Crockett. Eventually, however, Crockett too ran into problems
     and sold his promotion to Ted Turner. The Turner controlled WCW
     continued, but with the exception of using the NWA name in a
     co-promotional effort with New Japan Pro-Wrestling, the NWA
     essentially no longer existed except as a paper organization.

     In 1992 and 1993, a number of promoters applied for membership in
     the NWA and some were accepted. Among these promoters was Dennis
     Coraluzzo, who became an NWA board member and began demanding
     dates with the NWA champion. In the ensuing legal struggle, WCW
     resigned its membership, but kept the "NWA" title belt, which it
     had legal ownership of. Meanwhile, Coraluzzo and the remaining NWA
     promoters were left without any powerful members and without a
     champion. In addition, Jim Crockett began promoting again in 1994,
     using the NWA name, but without any connections with any of the
     other NWA promoters.

     The status of today's NWA can best be described by the following
     story, involving Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling. In early
     93, Cornette had begun a working agreement with WCW, which quickly
     fell through. Cornette applied for NWA membership in mid-93,
     mostly to spite WCW by being able to call for dates on the champ.
     However, Cornette's application was tabled due to Cornette's
     involvement with the WWF. In 1994, during his fan week interview,
     Cornette was asked about possible NWA membership, to which
     Cornette replied: "What NWA?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Other North American Federations

6.1. United States Wrestling Association (USWA)

     The Memphis area has been a hot area for wrestling for decades. It
     first operated as the Mid-Southern area, then as the CWA, and
     finally, as the USWA since August, 1989. The area has thrived
     since the mid-70s on the performance of one man, Jerry Lawler.
     Regular stars include Lawler, his son Brian Christopher, Bill
     Dundee and announcer Lance Russell.

     Fred Deaton posts regular USWA TV show reports. Here is his
     description of the promotion: "A very unique local promotion with
     local 'stars' and local 'story lines'. Usually involves a Mega
     Heel-good guy combo persona garnering the attention, half cheers
     half boos; a time honored feud that never resolves; gimmick
     matches; a place for new rising or older stars to change their
     routine; and a 'local' rising young star moving up."

6.2. Smoky Mountain Wrestling (SMW)

     Smoky Mountain Wrestling operates in the area including East
     Tennessee, East Kentucky, and the western part of Virginia and
     southern West Virginia. SMW debuted in January, 1992. The
     wrestling end of the promotion is currently operated by Jim
     Cornette and Brian Hildebrand (referee Mark Curtis). It is
     currently available on the Sports Channel America syndication
     package and on AIN satellite. Current stars include the Dirty
     White Boy, Buddy Landell, the Rock and Roll Express and the
     Heavenly Bodies. The promotion is a "traditional" southern style
     territory, with heavy empahsis on interviews. The wrestlers are
     expected to show skill in the ring as well.

     Dave Prazak and Jesse Money post semi-regular reports of SMW
     events and tv shows.

6.3. Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW)

     ECW began operating in 1992 as Eastern Championship Wrestling. In
     August, 1994, the name was changed from Eastern to Extreme. It
     operates in Philadelphia, with spot shows in the surrounding
     Pennsylvania area, plus occasional tours into Florida. The
     wrestling operations are currently handled by Tod Gordon (who also
     finances the promotion) and Paul Heyman (manager Paul E
     Dangerously) It is currently available on the Sports Channel
     America syndication package and on AIN satellite. Current top
     stars are Cactus Jack, Terry Funk, Shane Douglas, the Public Enemy
     and more. ECW does not rely on the traditional face/heel
     structure. Instead, uses high-impact, fast paced action to get its
     wrestlers over.

     Regular ECW reports and updates are posted by Tom Misnik (Mr.
     ECW), MadDogJMF and Dave Scherer. Ed Zohn, an ECW promoter, is
     also a member of the net. The fans who attend live shows regularly
     and participate on the net are too numerous to list.

6.4. Championship Wrestling USA (CWUSA)

     CWUSA currently operates out of Vancouver, Washington. It formed
     in late 1992 after the demise of Don Owen's Pacific Northwest
     Wrestling. It is operated by Sandy Barr, who used to work for
     Owen. It originally operated out of Portland, OR, but moved across
     the river to Vancouver after running into trouble with the Oregon
     Wrestling Commission.

6.5. National Wrestling Alliance - New Jersey (NWA)

     This NWA, operated by Dennis Coraluzzo, runs irregular shows in
     New Jersey. It currently has no TV show. Current top star is Dan
     Severn.

     Dave Prazak and Marc Coraluzzo both post occasional NWA updates.

6.6. Michigan

     Michigan is currently running a number of independant promotions,
     many of which use the same talent and, except for the name on the
     banner, may look the same to the casual eye. Esentially the scene
     is divided in half. On one half is Midwest Territorial Wrestling.
     MTW has been operating since January 1994, with its home base
     being Taylor, MI. This promotion is run by Gary Woronchak and
     carries a few nationally recognizable names, such as Al Snow and
     Bruiser Bedlam.

     The rest of the promotions in Michigan all use mostly the same
     talent, headed by Dan Severn and Sabu. What differs is the
     promoters and the name of the promotion. The main promoter is
     Malcolm Monroe who runs MWCW. Also, Sabu runs an NWA group, Dan
     Severn runs benefit shows, usually under the NWA banner and
     occasionally Coach Kurt Schnieder will run a Motor City Wrestling
     show. Additionally, running just across the Detroit river in
     Windsor is Border City Wrestling.

6.7. New England Wrestling Alliance (NEWA)

     The NEWA is based out of Rhode Island and Massachusettes. The
     promotion began in 1992 and has been run by Joseph Dellsandro
     since 1993. They have a tv show on Dimension cable in RI every
     Saturday. Of special note is former NEWA Tag Team champion,
     Liberty, who has long been a member of r.s.p-w under his real
     name, Matt West. Matt posts occasional reports on NEWA shows and
     describes the promotion as: "The NEWA is a hybrid of older NWA and
     WWF... with a new influx of ECW & AAA styles."

6.8. Mid-Eastern Wrestling Federation (MEWF)

     The MEWF, promoted by Dennis Wipprecht, has been active in the
     Baltimore area since 1991. For the past year, the MEWF has run
     monthly cards at Bingo Bill's at 10 Stemmers Run Rd. in Essex, MD.
     The MEWF uses a lot of local talent, including Corporal
     Punishment, Mad Dog O'Malley and Morgus the Maniac, as well as
     bringing in a few name wrestlers, such as The Raven (Johnny Polo,
     Scotty Flamingo), Axl Rotten and Road Warrior Hawk.

     RSPWF regular Jeff Amdur works as timekeeper at MEWF shows and
     this is what he had to say about the promotion:

          The MEWF is the *only* promotion now regularly putting
          on shows in the Baltimore area, and draws both hard-core
          and family-type spectators in an area that was solid WWF
          for many years. It tries to present the type of cards
          that Baltimoreans were used to seeing before the "big
          two" sanitized its product beyond recognition.

          The fact that the MEWF is able to put on exciting
          matches and draw reasonably well in spite of the
          restrictions of the Maryland State Athletic Commission
          (no wrestling outside of the gate surrounding the ring,
          heavy fines for blading or other intentional blood)
          attests to its durability and popularity

. 6.9. The National Wrestling League (NWL)

     The NWL, is run by Dick Caricofe, out of Hagerstown, MD. Dick runs
     cards from September to June in western Maryland and adjoining
     venues in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. There are
     monthly cards at the livestock auction house in Boonsboro, Md.
     During the summer Dick runs cards at county and state fairs and
     other outdoor locations. Talent includes local stars, such as Neil
     "the Power" Superior and Shane Shadows, and has also included many
     bigger name stars from the independant circuit. RSPW regular Jeff
     Amdur has worked as timekeeper at NWL events.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Japan

7.1. How did pro wrestling get its start in Japan?

     Pro-wrestling in Japan dates back nearly as far as it does in the
     US. In 1883, former sumo, Shokichi Hamada, left to tour the US as
     the first Japanese pro-wrestler. In 1887, Hamada brought 20
     American wrestlers to Tokyo for a series of shows. The first show
     sold-out, but subsequent shows failed to draw any crowds.

     Several attempts were made to spark an interest in wrestling in
     Japan, none of which were successful until the 1950's. Rikidozan,
     who retired from Sumo in 1950, became Japan's first big name male
     drawing card. He debuted in 1951. In 1953, he formed the Japan
     Wrestling Alliance. He continued to wrestle until his death in
     December, 1963.

7.2. What is AJPW?

     All-Japan Pro Wrestling is Shohei Baba's group in Japan. Baba, a
     former pro baseball pitcher, joined the JWA in 1960. In October,
     1972, he left the JWA and formed his own group, AJPW. His group
     continues to promote today, with a television show on Nippon TV.
     The main titles are the Triple Crown (unified United National,
     International and PWF Heavyweight titles), the World Tag Team
     title (unified International and PWF tag team titles), the World
     Junior Heavyweight title and the Asian Tag Team title.

7.3. What is NJPW? Is it different from IWGP?

     Kanji Inoki, a japanese emigrant to Brazil, was scouted by
     Rikidozan in 1960, and brought to Japan to join the JWA. He later
     changed his name to Antonio Inoki. In 1966, Inoki made his first
     attempt at breaking away from the JWA and forming his own group,
     Tokyo Pro-Wrestling. In 1967, Inoki suddenly rejoined the JWA and
     Tokyo Pro folded. In 1971, Inoki was expelled from the JWA when it
     as discovered that he was planning a coup to take over the
     promotion. Inoki subsequently formed his second group, New Japan
     Pro Wrestling and ran his first card in March, 1972. The group
     currently has a show on TV Asahi. In 1983, New Japan created the
     International Wrestling Grand Prix titles, which are now the main
     titles of the group: the IWGP Heavyweight title, the IWGP Junior
     Heavyweight title and the IWGP Tag Team titles.

7.4. What other groups are there in Japan?

     There are numerous other groups in Japan. In 1994 it was reported
     that there were in excess of 30 wrestling groups operating in
     Tokyo alone. Two of the other major groups are WAR (Wrestle and
     Romance) with its lead star Genichiro Tenryu and FMW (Frontier
     Martial Arts Wrestling) with lead star Atsushi Onita. Other groups
     include the IWA, W*ING, Kitao Dojo, Michinoku Pro, Rings, UWFI and
     many more.

7.5. What about the Japanese Women's groups?

     The first women's shows were held in Japan in 1948. The women's
     groups caught fire in 1954, when Sankei Shinbun Newspaper promoted
     a show with Mildred Burke, billed as the first WWWA world
     champion, and six other American wrestlers and four Japanese
     wrestlers. They ran three consecutive sellouts at the old Sumo
     Hall.

     There are currently a number of Japanese Women's groups, including
     All-Japan Women, LLPW, JWP and Gaea Japan.

7.6. What is Shootwrestling?

     Shootwrestling is the idea of making wrestling matches seem as
     legitimate or "real" as possible. It got its start in 1984 in the
     original UWF group, with such stars as Akira Maeda, Super Tiger
     (Satoru Sayama, the original Tiger Mask), Yoshiaki Fujiwara and
     Kazuo Yamazaki. Also in the group were Nobuhiko Takada and Osamu
     Kido. The original UWF was popular, but for various reasons did
     not succeed. The second Japanese UWF formed in 1988 with Maeda,
     Fujiwara and Takada as top stars. In 1992, this group split into
     UWF-Fujiwara Gumi (later PWF) RINGS and UWFI. Currently, there are
     a number of "shoot" groups in Japan, such as UWFI, Pancrase and
     Rings. UWFI has aired some of its shows in the US on PPV under the
     Shootwrestling name.

7.7. How do I get to see Japanese wrestling?

     There is currently no Japanese wrestling available on North
     American TV, including satellite. If you live in North America and
     want to see it, you have a number of options available. Many
     Japanese bookstores and shops in the US sell or rent tapes of
     Japanese TV shows. Check any similar shops in your area and ask if
     they carry it. Or, you can buy/trade for someone else who gets it.
     Another possibility is to find a friend who lives in Japan who is
     willing to tape it directly off of tv for you.

     New Japan is available in Europe on Eurosport. The show is called
     World Superstars of Wrestling. It airs Thursdays, 8pm UK time,
     with repeats on Friday at 10pm and Saturday at 11am. The shows are
     nine monthes to two years out of date. It is occasionally
     pre-empted or moved in favor of other shows.

     UWFI is shown in tke UK on Sky Sport. The show is called Bushido
     and airs on Saturday at 10pm UK time. The shows are approximately
     three years behind. It is also occasionally pre- empted.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Mexico

8.1. What are the individual Mexican groups?

   * CMLL - Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre
   * EMLL - Empresa Mexicana de la Lucha Libre
   * AAA - Asestencia Asesoria Administracion
   * UWA - Universal Wrestling Alliance
   * PROMELL
   * PRODEAR
   * PALL

     They are all wrestling promotions located in Mexico, kind of. The
     EMLL wrestlers hold the CMLL titles. The CMLL is the "world
     governing body" that EMLL is a part of. In reality, EMLL and CMLL
     are run and owned by the same people. For what it's worth, EMLL
     translates loosely to Mexican Wrestling Empire or Mexican
     Wrestling Company. CMLL translates loosely to World Wrestling
     Council (not to be confused with the Puerto Rican WWC). The EMLL
     is the oldest existing wrestling promotion, having run its first
     show on September 21, 1933.

     The UWA is a seperate promotion, that has run since 1974. Current
     top star is El Canek.

     PROMELL and PRODEAR are both owned by Antonio Pena and were formed
     in March of 1995. PRODEAR is run by Pena, while PROMELL is run by
     Fuerza Guerrera. The name of the promotion used on television is
     AAA. The Television station Televisa owned the AAA group until
     1995.

     PALL is actually a United States group that wrestles the Lucha
     Libre style. It is based in Dallas and often uses wrestlers from
     AAA. Jesse Money regularly attends PALL shows and posts reports.

8.2. What is Lucha Libre?

     Lucha Libre is a phrase that describes the professional wrestling
     most commonly found in Mexico and Puerto Rico. Lucha Libre is
     usually used to describe Mexican wrestling, which incorporates
     high flying, acrobatic wrestling with a sense of live theater.
     Lucha Libre in Mexico is often characterized by tests of Machismo.
     The Mexican wrestlers will often apply what appear to be lame
     slaps to their opponent's chest and face not in an effort to
     "hurt" their opponent, but more so as an insult to his manhood.

     The phrase "Lucha Libre" is an idiom that best translates to
     English as "the free fight". Derived from Lucha Libre is the word
     "Luchadores", which refers to the men that wrestle the Lucha Libre
     style.

8.3. What's with all the masks in Mexico?

     The masks worn by the Luchadores are inspired by ancient Aztec
     traditions of masked warriors. The mask is considered the most
     precious thing a Luchador has. When a wrestler loses his mask, he
     has suffered the ultimate dishonor, the ultimate humiliation. Very
     few wrestlers will make it through their entire career without
     losing their mask. Only the true legends get to retire with their
     anonymity intact.

     El Santo (The Saint) is perhaps the most famous case of a Luchador
     retiring without ever being unmasked. When he died in 1984, El
     Santo was buried with his mask on.

8.4. I don't know Spanish, what does [some_word] mean?

     Obviously, there isn't room to define every word you'll hear if
     you watch a Lucha match. However, here are a few words which
     should help you figure out a little of what's going on:

          aficianados (ah-fee-see-ah-nah-dohs): fans.

          caida (ky-e-da, ky rhymes with tie): fall. Or, as it's
          known in the U.S., a pinfall.

               Primera caida = first fall.
               Segunda caida = second fall.
               Tercera caida = third fall.

          castigo (cass-tee-go): punishment. Depending on the
          announcer, this may be repeated three times, very fast.

          cuadrilatero (sp?) (kwa-dri-la-te-roh) the wrestling
          ring, as in the quadrilateral that is the squared
          circle.

          enorme (e-nor-may): terrific.

          espaldas planas (ess-pahl-dahss plahn-ahs): literally,
          shoulders down. A pin.

          hurricarana (hurri-ka-rahna): a Frankensteiner when
          performed by a descendant of Hurricane Ramirez.
          Otherwise the move is known as a rana. By the way, Scott
          Steiner did not invent the move, it is generally
          believed to have originated in Mexico.

          malandrin (mawl-ahn-dreen): evil.

          pareja (pah-ray-ha): pair, as in tag team.

          pareja incredible (pah-ray-ha een-cred-eed-lay): a mixed
          tag team of a heel and a face.

          plancha (plahn-cha, plahn rhymes with lawn): a flying
          crossbody, generally delivered from the top rope.

          rudo (rue-dough): a heel (bad guy). Depending on the
          announcer, this may be repeated three times, very fast.

          senton (sen-ton, sen rhymes with when, ton rhymes with
          loan): a splash, only the back hits instead of the
          chest. Sometimes delivered from the top rope.

          tecnico (tek-knee-ko): a face (good guy).

          tope (toe-pay): literally "butt" or "stopper". In its
          wrestling sense, normally used to describe a headfirst
          dive into a standing opponent.

          trios (tree-ohs): three-man tag team, as in a trio of
          wrestlers.

8.5. What's with all the midgets in Lucha Libre?

     Midgets are very popular in Lucha Libre. Exactly why is unknown,
     but they usually work harder and have more high spots than their
     American counterparts.

     Also, it's very common to see midgets adopt the gimmicks,
     wrestling style, face/heel status, and costume as their larger
     counterparts. Further, midgets also adopt the name of their larger
     counterpart and transform it to the diminutive; for example the
     "big guy" is Mascara Sagrada and his midget counterpart is
     Mascarita Sagrada.

8.6. Lucha Libre confuses me, what are the rules?

     Well, there are many rules, differing with the type of match that
     is being wrestled (singles, tag, 6-man tag, special stipulations),
     but here are the basic rules for most Lucha Libre matches:

        * most matches are trios matches, which are known in the U.S.
          as 6-man tag matches
        * in trios matches, there are usually 2 referees. Generally,
          one is a heel referee and one is a face referee
        * most matches are 2 out of 3 falls
        * one member of each team is designated as the captain
        * when a wrestler is knocked out of the ring, one of his team
          members can enter the ring without tagging
        * a fall in a trios match is won when the captain submits or is
          pinned, or when the other two members of the team submit or
          are pinned. This frequently leads to falls ending when three
          wrestlers are pinned simultaneously.

     This might not make much sense to some non-Lucha fans but that's
     the way they wrestle Lucha style and they've been doing it this
     way for decades. Lucha fans don't even think twice about it.

|8.7. How do I get to see lucha libre wrestling?

     If you cable company carries the Spanish language station
     Galavision, then you get it now. At last report, a combined
     AAA/EMLL show aired Saturday nights at 6pm (EST). If you live in
     the southern portion of the United States, then you may be able to
     pick up the Mexican satellite transmissions. Also, one Los Angeles
|    local spanish language station carries lucha libre. In Canada, the
|    Telelatino network carries lucha libre from 3:45pm to 5:30pm EST
|    on Saturdays.

-- 
"Evil is just plain bad!  You've got to slap it in the nose with the
rolled up newspaper of goodness!  Bad dog!  Bad dog!"  - The Tick
http://grumpy.emich.edu/~macika
