From: mb20@prism.gatech.EDU (BRANCH,MICHAEL B)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Subject: Re: Latest Center Stage excitement (and Bill Dundee)
Date: 28 Jan 93 19:52:45 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology


   A few random thoughts regarding the tv taping:

   One thing that I think should not be discounted is how much
   effect Bill Dundee is having with the booking. A lot of tonight
   had a 'USWA-esque' feel to it. And that can only be great.

In article <81833@hydra.gatech.EDU> dsrekjk@prism.gatech.EDU ( Jon Kincaid) writes:
>Here's the info from the latest (very good) Center Stage taping.
>Syndie match- Robbie V. beat the Executioner.

     Van Damme looked pretty good, though he still seems hesitant
     and thus the moves aren't as smooth as they should be. He also
     relies a bit heavily on kicks. Still I much prefer seeing him
     and his flying than others.

>Taping for 1/30/93
>Benoit over Zenk with German suplex.

    Benoit was great. At one point he dropped/flung Zenk onto the 
    top rope, leaving him draped over it. Also, Benoit
    is tremendous at selling.     

>Brad Armstrong and Too Cold Scorpio defeated the team of Buddy Lee
>Parker and another lesser jobber when Brad hit lesser jobber with
>Russian leg sweep.

   Scorpio gets greater every match! My dream is to see an eventual
   Flair/Scorpio feud...

>MA Bagwell and Erik Watts (sic) beat Scotty Flamingo and Rip Rogers
>when Nepo Man put the STF on Rogers.

   Slow death. Watts is damn funny to watch though. He just looks
   so pathetic in there. Jon got off another "You suck, Watts!" during
   a quiet moment. We'll see how audible it was...

>Paul Orndorff pinned the Barbarian in a surprisingly entertaining match.

    Paul Orndorff is another tremendous edition. For some reason I had
    remembered him as being fairly dull. But he works his tail off and
    sells almost as well as Pillman. He's even making the Barbarian look
    ok. Or as the rural gentleman above us said "He looks like he fell
    off the front porch."

>Sting/Dustin defeat Windham and Vader by DQ when Barry uses leather strap.

   As mentioned by Jon, Vader was REALLY stiff. He basically carried
   this match, and did it quite well. I'm not sure how much can be seen
   from television, but Vader just pounds people. He really abused Dustin
   and came off as even more monstrous. When the jobbers tried to run
   in, he whacked one guy with the strap and you could immediately see a
   big red welt appear.

>Taping for 2/6/93
>Brian Pillman and Steve Austin defeated Too Cold Scorpio and Johnny B Badd
>when Pillman pinned Badd.

     Someone kill Badd, and bring in Merro as a normal and talented wrestler?
     Classic match however.

>Dustin Rhodes will face Ron Simmons at Super Brawl.

   This would be really cool if they'd give Ron the US belt. I'd been talking
   to Jon about how they should still push Simmons, not let him leave or
   have him job to chumps. He still gets as big a pop as Sting at Center Stage.
   (Plus, god please get Dustin out of here...)

>Coming back from the break, there's a disturbance as Jim Cornette, Stan Lane,
>Dr. Tom Pritchard, and Bobby Eaton storm through the crowd and down to the  

   To Watts; "I'll tie half of my brain behind my back so we can debate on
   even ground."
   For the past year or so that I've been coming down to the tapings, this
   was probably the greatest thing I've seen. What has made Smokey Mountain
   and the USWA so great, along with their talent, has been their "old school"
   use of generating excitement and action outside of the ring. Classic,
   interrupted interviews and brawls, incredible angles, etc.
   It seems that the current booking committee understand this.   
   I would assume that we will see a R&R/Heavenly Bodies matchup after
   all at the pay per view.

>Max Pain suashed Brad Armstrong with Kunze armbar (I know Herb likes this move
>and I couldn't remember the name, so I called it this :-) ).

   Well, Herb would be proud (do you like how liberally we use your name?:) of
   the armbar, but I would imagine that he, as well as others, would not
   be proud of how they're wasting Armstrong. It bothers me to see him
   screwed around like this. He, and Flamingo, both should be pushed.

>Sting was DQed for using the leather strap on Barry Windham.

   This was a classic Bill Dundee booking job. Had to be. It's a USWA staple.
   Windham and the ref collided, while the ref was down Windham grabbed the
   strap from Harley. Sting took it away and after using it, pinned Barry.
   The ref saw the strap after the pin and dq'd Sting. Certainly the
   USWA aren't the only ones to use it, but it's been awhile since I've seen
   it here.

>The Cornette affair was nothing short of genius. Let's hope Jim and company
>will be brought in for a lengthy time.

   Right now, WCW are going from strength to strength. They had a great
   Clash and the upcoming event could be special. With all the talent,
   suddenly inspired booking, and a new push allowing said talent to work,
   excitement is here. And as Jon and I were both thinking after the
   matches, "All this, and FLAIR's on the way!"

-- 
BRANCH, MICHAEL 
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta Georgia, 30332
uucp:	  ...!{decvax,hplabs,ncar,purdue,rutgers}!gatech!prism!mb20
Internet: mb20@prism.gatech.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling