Inside The Magazine Volume #9: The Wrestler June ’97

Sid Vicious helps out Shawn Michaels, The Giant defends the honor of WCW but gets embarrassed, Owen Hart threatens to quit the WWF!, Plus an interview with ECW World Champion Raven and much more!

YOUR LETTERS

A reader from New Hampshire thinks the New World Order has gone too far with the recent firing of Randy Anderson on TV and the group trying to convince everyone that Hulk Hogan had beaten Roddy Piper when he hadn’t. He hopes someone beats Hogan, soon. Another fan from Florida thinks that Bret Hart has gone too far with his criticism of Shawn Michaels saying that Michaels has been a fighting champion and Hart should focus on getting a rematch. A reader from Utah thinks that Sting will forever be the leader of WCW and never be a bad guy. Anything Sting has done has had a purpose and he thinks it’s nuts that anyone wouldn’t trust Sting for what he’s done over the last eight years.

A reader from Michigan really wants the magazine to continue to feature a wrestler named Sexton Hardcastle, who would eventually be known as Edge. The reader saw Hardcastle compete on a WWF show against Bob Holly and was really impressed. Lastly, another fan from Ontario believes that the WWF is on the right track back to the top as WCW is old and boring while there is plenty of young talented wrestlers in the WWF.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: written by: Bill Apter

The main focus of the article is on Jerry Lawler calling out ECW and Tommy Dreamer being among a group of wrestlers having to defend the honor of ECW. Dreamer believes that he can outwrestle anyone in the WWF. 2 Cold Scorpio hopes the war between the two will end soon and puts over the WWF as the best company, but ECW has several capable wrestlers.

Lord Steven Regal is upset that Rey Mysterio Jr. cost him the WCW TV Championship to Prince Iaueka. Regal challenges Rey to a mask vs. hair match. Apparently, Rey is willing to do the match. Regal has to consult lawyers before signing a contract with someone who might be younger than 18 years old.

Jamie Dundee claims that the Nation of Domination is his father now and that they have taught him more than Bill Dundee ever has or ever will teach him.

A new heel stable has formed in Insane Championship Wrestling consisting of Joe E. Legend, Sexton Hardcastle, Wild Bill Scullion, Rhino Richards and Christian Cage known as Thug Life. They want the entire United States to hate them.

BLINDSIDED: written by: Andy Rodriguez

The focus of the article is about Savio Vega who recently joined the Nation of Domination because now he has protection and can’t possibly lose. Savio had said he wanted to be the next Pedro Morales, but he has grown up and looks out for himself now.

THUMBS UP, THUMBS DOWN

Thumbs Up:
Ahmed Johnson: Because Ahmed hasn’t given up and joined the Nation of Domination but instead continues to fight the group and save various wrestlers from attacks.

“Dirty White Girl” Kimberly: She recently teamed with the Dirty White Boy in a match against Terry and Buddy Landell. Heck, Kimberly even managed to pin Terry.

Rocky Maivia: He recently won the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Hunter Hearst Helmsley on RAW in February.

The Great Muta: Muta has refused all offers made by the New World Order to join the stable.

Thumbs Down:
Owen Hart: First he ruined his career with the obsession to destroy Bret Hart and now he is sabotaging his team with the British Bulldog.

Miss Jacqueline: For allowing herself to be used as bait by Kevin Sullivan in his feud with Chris Benoit and Woman.

Ric Flair: Because he won’t retire and is ruining his legacy. Yeah, even in 1997 this is the opinion of Flair.

Lori Fullington: She turned on her husband, the Sandman and brought their son Tyler into the mix. She can’t be trusted and nobody knows who she is truly aligned with.

YOU ASKED US

Owen Hart is asked if he is country music fan since a fan saw him wearing a country music singers hat. Owen admits he loves country music because it puts him in a good mood and anyone who doesn’t like country music doesn’t know what they are missing out on. Another fan wonders how high in the air Rey Mysterio Jr. flies in the air when performing his moves. Of course, Rey has no idea exactly how high he is but knows that there is risk involved with his style and can’t afford to make mistakes.

Jim Cornette claims he isn’t looking for revenge against Clarence Mason at the moment, but if he were to decide to make another Camp Cornette, then he’d get his men back with him. Syxx doesn’t care that he has stolen two championships because he is part of the New World Order and he isn’t going to wait for a promoter to give him a championship, he’ll just take it. Debra McMichael denies that she gossips and she most certainly believes she helps Steve McMichael with preparing for battles.

INTRODUCING DOWNWARD SPIRAL

The tage team of Twiggy Ramirez, Adrian Hall and their manager Madonna Wayne Gacy. They compete in the New Jersey area and are a bizarre trio. They haven’t regained the tag titles, but they have a good plan to do so. This was really just an update on their careers that nobody knew about previously.

Q&A: RAVEN

Raven makes it clear in the interview at the start that he is not going to discuss anything about Lori Fullington. Of course, Raven says he gave Lori an alternative from the drunken Sandman and Sandman treated their son Tyler badly, too. Lori wasn’t there during the barbed wire match between Raven and Sandman and that was the beginning of the issues. Raven also didn’t want to talk about the BWO. He thinks that Stevie Richards is ruining his career by being associated with Blue Meanie. He is confident that Lori will never go back to the Sandman, but if she joined the BWO it would be the biggest mistake of her life. He isn’t overly worried about Terry Funk and is focusing his attention on Stevie Richards and the BWO. He also claims that he isn’t actively looking to leave ECW because he’s having fun and ECW is where everyone wants to be.

X-RAY: MANKIND

Capt. Lou Albano: Believes that Mankind is looney and doesn’t like what is going on between Mankind and Paul Bearer. Albano thinks he is confused and needs someone to guide him in his career.

Killer Kowalski: When Mankind has everything clicking he is one of the hardest guys to defeat in professional wrestling. He believes that Mankind has a mixture of good and bad inside him.

Harley Race: Has respect for Mankind but doesn’t think he is overly smart, which can work in his favor. Don’t get it wrong, Race still believes his former client Vader is the better man, though.

Fabulous Moolah: Doesn’t see Mankind as her ideal date. She does wonder why Mankind doesn’t use the mandible claw like he did earlier in his run, because it worked very well for him.

Ole Anderson: Thinks that the style that Mankind competes in has done some serious damage to his body and suggests that Mankind change his style for the longevity of his career.

Lance Russell: Sees Mankind as a major player in the WWF but the sooner he gets rid of Paul Bearer the better he will be.

SUPERSTAR WRESTLERS’ TOUGHEST OPPONENTS

Hulk Hogan : Andre The Giant
Bret Hart : Owen Hart
Ric Flair : Dusty Rhodes
Sid Vicious : The Undertaker
Terry Funk : Abdullah The Butcher
Steve Austin : Chris Adams
Roddy Piper : Ric Flair
Shawn Michaels : Bret Hart
Randy Savage : Hulk Hogan
The Undertaker : Mankind
Lex Luger : Ric Flair
Sting : The Giant

SID BRUTALIZES BRET! “HEY SHAWN, THIS ONE’S FOR YOU!”: written by: Bryan Ethier

Over the winter, WWF World Champion Shawn Michaels competed in triple threat matches against Sid Vicious and Bret Hart. During those matches, it appeared that Sid was working with Michaels to take on Bret Hart. Sid said he’s always had respect for Shawn Michaels while he thinks that Bret talks too much and thinks he’s better than Sid and Michaels. Meanwhile, Bret has never had any issue with Sid, but rather is trying to settle the score with Michaels. It’s basically asking if Sid and Michaels are going to be friends again similar to what they had in ’95.

LET US SPRAY! WHEN THE GIANT GOES DOWN… HEAVEN HELP WCW!: written by: Harry Burkett

Giant is upset that he allowed the New World Order to spray paint his back recently. It happened at WCW Souled Out where Giant tried to get revenge on Hogan for all his lies, but fell victim to another attack and spray painting. If the NWO can get past the Giant they will likely run WCW. However, Dusty Rhodes believes that Giant needs to prepare and get ready for bruises and battle he giant killer that is Hulk Hogan for the sake of WCW.

THE WWF LIE THAT FORCED OWEN TO SAY… “I QUIT!”: written by: Steve Anderson

Owen Hart was not thrilled with having to team with Bob Holly to defend the WWF Tag Team Championships against the Godwinns at a recent house show because the British Bulldog was sick. Because Holly refused to cheat with Owen, it eventually led to Owen getting pinned in the match. Owen threatened to quit when he had to team with Holly a second time in Philadelphia. Owen nearly had to defend the tag titles with Holly, but threatened to quit leading to a change to a non-title match. Still, Owen was pinned again and wasn’t happy about it at all.

What are your memories of what was going on in the wrestling world during this time?

Thanks for reading.