From: v070qg5d@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (Eric M Chmiel)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: WCW and WWF Talent Rosters (was Re: NEW WWF WORLD CHAMPION)
Date: 15 Oct 92 04:49:00 GMT
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Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

(Robert Andracsek) writes...

>From the man who predicted that Jake Roberts would be the next WCW
>champ and that Hackjaw Jim Duggan would do a heel turn comes another
>prediction...  Papa Shango will be the next WWF Champ.
>So, I predict that Bret will drop the belt at the Survivor Series to
>Shango, something at the rumble will set up Shango and Backlund, and
>Backlund will take the title from Shango at WM.

   An interesting speculation.  But, if Shango wrestles single at SS '92
(added to Kamala, Nailz, Flair and Ramon), that leaves Vince in a quandry.
He is carrying only 15 heels, not counting the Headshrinkers (have yet to
appear save a filler match on Prime Time at 10:50), and Berzerker (reported
gone from the Whiff and not having worked in the WWF since SummerSlam). If
three survivor type matches are added to the card, you'd need 12 heels (four
on each of three teams).  If Shango wrestles single, he'd be short 1 heel
even if Berzerker works a survivor match, so I expect Shango to be booked
on a survivor team to round out the card.  Of course, Vince has a few options
to avoid this:
  * He could schedule only two survivor matches and go strictly for headliner
matchups (in that case why even call it "Survivor Series"?)
  * He could put a face on a heel team (God forbid Vince does something
that interesting)
  * He could have someone do a heel turn (not impossible since he's carrying 
22 faces, including Animal and Backlund, but not much time before Survivor
Series to pull it off...How bout a heel turn for the new champ?)
  * He could bring in a new heel.

What I expect is for the dozen remaining heels to do survivor matches and
Bret to defend against British Bulldog (well, not "expect", but it's a gut
feeling).  
   Speaking of light rosters, you don't think Watts is trimming everything but
Ted Turner's Christmas tree over at WCW?  They're carrying less than 30 guys
or the first time since (I think) 1989.  That's counting guys who can't
wrestle due to injury (Rick Steiner, Van Vader), as well as guys who spend
75% of their time in Japan (Gordy and Doc), *and* barely pushed glorified
jobbers like Bagwell, Page, Vegas, and Zenk.  By my count they have only 22
guys who are healthy, pushed, and not headed for Tokyo on the red-eye after
Halloween Havoc.  That's very, very low for the 2nd biggest American promotion.
They're already bending over backwards to flesh out Havoc's card (like
having Rude wrestle twice and straining to find an opponent for Scott Steiner
(might be Steamboat).  They had better fill out the roster in a hurry, or
Dustin will be feuding with Simmons for the WCW title for lack of good 
challengers to book.  All this and Scott, Arn and Eaton leaving in two months.
   On a brighter note, Watts has done an incredible job booking the light
roster.  His pushed guys are all decent to good workers (save Hammer), and
he has been prudent in who he has attempted to keep (Rude, Steamboat, Vader,
etc.) and who has been let go (Smothers, Morton, JYD, Hughes, et al).  Also,
give him a standing ovation for the great job he's done putting the Barbarian
over as a legitimate monster (at least IMHO).  If the roster is going to
stay this light in WCW, it may yet work out if those who stick around are of
legitimate wrestling quality and the booking stays unpredictable.
   My $.02?  More like a buck forty....

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Eric M. Chmiel*************************************
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