There is an old saying in professional wrestling, I think it was either Mean Gene Okerlund, or perhaps the late, great,Gorilla Monsoon who coined the phrase most often; "close only counts in horse shoes or hand grenades!"
Seeing Wrestlemania XIX this past Sunday reminded me just how close WAW came to getting certain talent in the pastyear or so.
I remember in February 2002, not long after I began to work for WAW, when supremo Ricky Knight told me that Fightmare II was on the cards. When he told me who he had in mind for the main event, the wrestling fan in me began to salivate.
Seeing Wrestlemania XIX this past Sunday reminded me just how close WAW came to getting certain talent in the pastyear or so.
I remember in February 2002, not long after I began to work for WAW, when supremo Ricky Knight told me that Fightmare II was on the cards. When he told me who he had in mind for the main event, the wrestling fan in me began to salivate.
The original plan was to hold the show in Doncaster, and it was to be headlined by a match for the WAW Cruiser weightChampionship, pitting then-champion the Zebra Kid against none other than Latino Heat himself, Eddie Guerrero.
When I broke the news on the Internet, WAW fans began to get as excited as I did. The chance to see a bona fidesuperstar, in their own backyard, against one of Britain's top talents. It was a dream match for many WAW fans.
At the time, Eddie was on a comeback trail of sorts. He had been released by the WWF the previous year because ofhis various personal problems, but had put all of those behind him, putting on stellar performances on the American independent circuit, and making a dramatic appearance at the FWA Revival show in Crystal Palace, with a great showing against Doug Williams.
Rumour has it that Vince McMahon saw Eddie's match with Doug, saw that Eddie was in tip top shape again, and decided to take another chance on him. Weeks later, after the WWF roster split, Eddie turned up on Raw, attacking Rob Van Dam, starting one of the top feuds of 2002, before eventually moving over to Smackdown, and forming a great team with his nephew Chavo.
Fightmare II never happened in Doncaster. Eddie Guerrero never came to WAW, and never wrestled the Zebra Kid. It would have been great.
In December 2002, the Zebra Kid made his overseas debut, wrestling Jonny Storm, Jerry Lynn, and Joey Matthews at the famed Viking Hall in Philadelphia, for Rob Black's Xtreme Pro Wrestling company.
Having been impressed with the Zebra Kid's attitude during his brief visit stateside, XPW head booker (and XPW Champion) Shane Douglas contacted WAW several times, about the possibility of an alliance between WAW and XPW.
The telephone conversations between the two parties apparently went very well.
Ricky Knight asked my opinion on the situation. He asked me if, as a wrestling fan, I thought that Shane Douglas would be a good draw for WAW. Given the fact that Douglas had competed for WCW, WWF, and ECW, my reply was an enthusiastic yes. The fantasy wrestling booker in me then began to come up with possible match-ups, and one stuck in my mind quite a bit. This was before the Zebra Kid/Ricky Knight match for the vacant WAW British title on February 14th. My dream match-up, at the time, all depended on Zebra Kid winning the title. The dream match was a double title match, XPW World v WAW British title, The Franchise Shane Douglas v The Zebra Kid.
Just as things seemed to be going well, the Frontier Wrestling Alliance announced they had signed a deal with XPW, which included the introduction of the new XPW European Championship, which would later be won by Jonny Storm. WAW were apparently out in the cold. Although there was still a chance we could see Shane Douglas v the Zebra Kid, it would more likely happen in an FWA ring, and not on a WAW show.
A couple of months ago, while sitting at home one night, Ricky Knight answered his e-mails, and was a little surprised to find one from another Rowdy man, Roddy Piper.
Piper expressed an interest in coming to Britain, and wrestling for WAW. There were several exchanges of e-mails between the two parties. Ricky Knight asked my opinion on the matter during a telephone conversation. As a total mark for all things Piper, I was surprised the telephone didn't short circuit, I was salivating so much. I was asked who in WAW I thought Piper could have a good match with. There was only one answer for me, Ricky Knight himself, a battle of the rowdy men. It didn't matter that the two men would have a combined age of nearly 100, the mere thought of the match made me realise just why I was a wrestling fan.
A few days ago, I sat at home watching Wrestlemania XIX, watching Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan knocking several sorts of crap out of each other, and who should appear in the ring, attacking Hogan, but his old nemesis from the very first Wrestlemania, Roddy Piper. While I marked out for Piper, I couldn't help but feel sad. Roddy wasn't coming to WAW. There would be no brawl between the two rowdy men.
Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. Best not to dwell on what might have been.
Ricky Knight asked my opinion on the situation. He asked me if, as a wrestling fan, I thought that Shane Douglas would be a good draw for WAW. Given the fact that Douglas had competed for WCW, WWF, and ECW, my reply was an enthusiastic yes. The fantasy wrestling booker in me then began to come up with possible match-ups, and one stuck in my mind quite a bit. This was before the Zebra Kid/Ricky Knight match for the vacant WAW British title on February 14th. My dream match-up, at the time, all depended on Zebra Kid winning the title. The dream match was a double title match, XPW World v WAW British title, The Franchise Shane Douglas v The Zebra Kid.
Just as things seemed to be going well, the Frontier Wrestling Alliance announced they had signed a deal with XPW, which included the introduction of the new XPW European Championship, which would later be won by Jonny Storm. WAW were apparently out in the cold. Although there was still a chance we could see Shane Douglas v the Zebra Kid, it would more likely happen in an FWA ring, and not on a WAW show.
A couple of months ago, while sitting at home one night, Ricky Knight answered his e-mails, and was a little surprised to find one from another Rowdy man, Roddy Piper.
Piper expressed an interest in coming to Britain, and wrestling for WAW. There were several exchanges of e-mails between the two parties. Ricky Knight asked my opinion on the matter during a telephone conversation. As a total mark for all things Piper, I was surprised the telephone didn't short circuit, I was salivating so much. I was asked who in WAW I thought Piper could have a good match with. There was only one answer for me, Ricky Knight himself, a battle of the rowdy men. It didn't matter that the two men would have a combined age of nearly 100, the mere thought of the match made me realise just why I was a wrestling fan.
A few days ago, I sat at home watching Wrestlemania XIX, watching Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan knocking several sorts of crap out of each other, and who should appear in the ring, attacking Hogan, but his old nemesis from the very first Wrestlemania, Roddy Piper. While I marked out for Piper, I couldn't help but feel sad. Roddy wasn't coming to WAW. There would be no brawl between the two rowdy men.
Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades. Best not to dwell on what might have been.
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