The following is a reprint of the Torch Newsletter ETC. Newswire from five years ago this week.

-Jason Powell, Torch assistant editor

* * *

Torch Newsletter Archive
By Wade Keller, Torch editor
ETC. Newswire
Originally published: Pro Wrestling Torch Weekly newsletter #493
Cover dated: May 9, 1998

EXTREME CHAMPIONSHIP WRESTLING

Notebook: This week there is no "ECW TV Review" as usual on pg. 4 because it was purely a recap show previewing the pay-per-view. There was a lot of strong post-production work in terms of music videos and video packages recapping feuds, but no first-run material to review...

Joey Styles has said he won't work with a color commentator. Steven "DeTruth" Prazak was brought in to be color commentator, but was instead used to film some vignettes for the TV show instead...

Jack Victory was among the wrestlers who stormed the ring after the title match at the PPV...

Tickets go on sale for the Aug. 2 "Heat Wave '98" pay-per-view in Indianapolis, Ind. at the Convention Center on July 1...

Steve Richards, who "retired from wrestling" after having neck surgery, worked an indy show over the weekend in Alabama. Don't expect him back in ECW anytime soon, though...

INDEPENDENT SPOTLIGHT

Brian Pillman Memorial Event: Apr. 29 in Norwood, Ohio (1,000): Nick Dinsmore pinned Trailer Park Trash, Tennessee Volunteers beat Brian Taylor & Bounty Hunter, Flash Flanagan pinned Bull Pain, Chip Fairway & Shark Boy beat Terik the Great & Live Wire Casey, Al Snow pinned Chris Candido (w/Sunny), Chris Benoit (w/Woman) beat Chris Jericho via submission.

Sunny wore her LOD 2000 outfit to the ring, but it was her fourth outfit change of the night. The crowd popped huge for Snow's banter and gestures with The Head. Jericho led off his match with his usual stellar mic work. He said he knew fans hadn't come to see Steve Austin or Al Snow or The Head, but had come to see him. He said he doesn't usually come to podunk little towns like Norwood, but that he decided that the Jerichoholics there deserved to have their dreary little lives brightened by him. Benoit grabbed the mic and said, "On behalf of the Pillman family, prepare for an ass-whipping." Benoit won clean with the Crippler Crossface. Terry Taylor was also there and did color commentary for the web site broadcast.

The event raised approximately $23,000. The event was said to be an artistic success in the ring, but a mess in terms of organization, including an exceedingly long intermission. At times event staffers pointed fans in the wrong directions for the pre-show autograph sessions. Ninety minutes before the show there was a long line of fans who had to wait in the thunderstorms and were soaked by the time they let them in 35 minutes later than advertised. A lot of fans left after the last match and before the raffle was conducted because all of the delays led to the last match ending after midnight.

Steve Austin, Sunny, Al Snow, Chris Candido, Chris Benoit, and Chris Jericho posed for pictures to raise money for the Pillman Memorial Fund. Inside the gymnasium, a celebrity auction raised several thousand dollars. Les Thatcher and Elliot Pollack (Pillman's sports agent) ran the auction. An autographed Austin shirt fetched $350. When Goldberg's shirt came up for auction a lot of fans booed, apparently because Austin was present. The shirt sold for $75. Other auctioned memorabilia included the dress Pillman was forced to wear on Raw last year, Sunny's BodyDonna outfit, the denim "Flyin' Brian" ring jacket Pillman wore to the ring during his early WCW days, and Pillman's "Hollywood Blondes" t-shirt autographs by Austin. Pollack seemed to be disappointed with the price that some of the items sold for. [Josh Buesher, Rick Morris, Oliver LaPrad reporting]

INDEPENDENT HIGHLIGHTS
NWA All-Star Wrestling (Greg Price promoter): May 2 in Salsbury, N.C. (500): Gene Ligon beat Thunderfoot (David Isley), Willow the Wisp beat Kid Dynamo, Border Patrol beat Mike Maverick & Mad Maxx (Chuck Coates), Rob Van Dam gave a hot interview, Foxy Lady beat Brandi Wine, Bobby Duncum Jr. beat Ulf Hermann, Bob Holly & Bart Gunn beat The Rock & Roll Express to retain the NWA Tag Team Titles. [Dan Paris]

Omega Pro Wrestling: May 1 in Sanford, N.C. (200): Otto Schwanz beat Bobby Burnett, Campaign beat Venom via DQ, Kid Vicious beat Black Skull, Joey Matthews beat Kid Dynamo for the Lt. Hvt. Title, Willow the Wisp won a battle royal, Surge beat Mike Maverick via DQ. [Dan Paris]

IWA Mid-South: Apr. 30 in Louisville, Ky. (400): Suicide Kid beat G.Q. Masters, Chip Fairway fought Shark Boy (wearing a comedically bad costume and a cardboard TV belt) to a draw, Tyrin pinned Terick the Great to win the IWA Lightweight Title, Harry Palmer beat Tyrin to win the Lightweight Title in a double tables match, Rollin' Hard beat Madman Pondo (doing a Sandman-type gimmick, he bled heavily), Dutch Mantel beat "La Parka" (G.Q. Masters in a mask, Doug Gilbert & Ian Rotten & Cash Flo & Ox Harly beat Flash Flanagan & Bull Pain & Corp. Robinson & Tower of Doom in a handcuff elimination cage match in which all eight wrestlers bled. [Oliver LaPrad]

Music City Wrestling: Apr. 28 in Louisville, Ky. at the Gardens (250): Reno Riggins beat Nick Dinsmore, Rob Conway beat Flash Flanagan via DQ, El Diablo (Jamie Dundee in a mask) pinned Andy Anderson, Chris Michaels pinned Chad Casey, Brickhouse Brown fought Shane Eaton to a no contest in a Ghetto Street Fight, Flash Flanagan & Reno Riggins & Steven Dunn beat Colorado Kid & Rob Conway & Nick Dinsmore when Flash pinned Kid. [Oliver LaPrad]

NWA New Jersey (promoter Dennis Coraluzzo): Apr. 26 in Garfield, N.J.: Steve Corino (w/Big '80s Donnie B) beat Overweight Lover, Ace Darling beat Lupus, The Misfits beat "Surfer" Ray Odyssey & Inferno Kid (after which Inferno turned on Odyssey because he said when he was out with his knee injury, Odyssey never called him or sent a card), Doug Gilbert beat Lance Diamond (w/Dawn Marie) to retain the NWA National Title, Devon Storm beat Twiggy Ramirez (w/Madonna Wayne Gacy) to retain the NWA Lt. Hvt. Title, Tom Brandi beat Rocco Dorsey (w/Barry Casino), Rik Ratchet (w/The Master) pinned Sycho Sid in a surprise upset after KO'ing Sid with brass knuckles.

WDW Promotions: Apr. 25 in Leesburg, Va.: K. Ray Jackson pinned K.C. Gunns, Projecto Uno beat "El Sixistio" Latin Love via DQ, Shorty Smalls pinned Big Bubba Knuckles in a diaper match, America's Favorite Wrestling Clown beat Mercenary of Mayhem via DQ, Mr. Big Stuff & "The Big Guy" Pat Lawson fought Cannonball Jones & Carnage to a DCO, Morgus the Maniac beat Lord Everett DeVore. [Danny Woody]

Northeast Wrestling: Apr. 25 in Washington, Conn. (1,200): Roughhouse Ralph Mosca won a 16 man battle royal, Psycho Sid beat Danger Man, Surfer Ray Odyssey beat Tiger Khan, J.L. Storm & Rican Havoc beat H.C. Logue & Primo Canera III (w/Magnificent Mike Mercedes), Juan Xavier beat Terrance Debut, King Kong Bundy beat Doink the Clown, Tony DeVito beat John Diamond & Mosca, Ray Odyssey beat Johnny Handsome to capture the Northeast Lt. Hvt. Title. Upcoming date: Friday, June 5 in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. at Lakeland, H.S. with Sid, Jake Roberts, and Bundy. Ticket info: 914-451-7620. Mention the TORCH and get $1 off. [Michael O'Brien]

NWA New Jersey: Apr. 25 in Mount Holly, N.J. at the Armory: Lance Diamond (a/k/a Simon Diamond) beat J.R. Ryder, Great Caruso (w/Johnny Falco, Barry Casino) beat Doink, Overweight Lover beat Rick Ratchet (w/Big '80s Donnie B.), Derek Domino & Harley Lewis & Lupus beat Ray Odyssey & Julio Sanchez & Twiggy Ramirez, Sycho Sid pinned King Mabel (w/The Master), Tom Brandi beat Pitbull #2, Devon Storm (w/Marlena) beat Steve Corino (w/The Duke of New York) via DQ when Diamond interfered (After which Diamond and Corino left Storm lying and stole the NWA Lt. Hvt. belt and ran out the back door, which led to Storm and Corino agreeing to a ladder match on the return date), Doug Gilbert beat Flyboy Rocco Rock to retain the NWA National Title. Return date: June 6.

WWSA: Apr. 18 in Bordertown, N.J.: Dr. Feelgood beat Sebastion Rose, Twiggy Ramirez (w/Madonna Wayne Gacy) pinned Bobby Blake, The Soul Brothers beat Sons the Gestapo, Yar beat Superstar Rodney Farr, Cousin Luke pinned Big Nasty, Maverick beat Adorable Amadeus (w/Amy Lee) via DQ, Megatitan beat Jake Lawless (w/Deanna Caine) by submission, Karetaker & Chris Hamerick beat Bruiser Blackwell & Norm the Barfly, King Kong Bundy pinned The Sheik, Manny Fernandez fought Tommy Cairo to a DDQ.

ETC. NOTEBOOK
Independent wrestler William Kinney Jr. made news again last week when the 400 pounder who wrestles as "Tiny" led police on a high speed chase through Carbon County, Pa. When he was apprehended last Wednesday morning, he was naked and in his jail cell was muttering and eating toilet paper...

In Phil Mushnick's New York Post column, he wrote the following: "Last week's highly promoted A&E expose on pro wrestling was as perverted as pro wrestling, and it hurt to find that Steve Allen agreed to attach his name and narration to such a bucket of garbage. While A&E billed the documentary as one that would 'reveal the whole truth' behind the industry, the two-hour show primarily served as a tribute to the WWF and WCW. Two of pro wrestling's modern and indisputable constants - steroid abuse and the sudden deaths of active, under-40 performers - weren't even mentioned"…

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