And as you pointed out, why stun Linda McMahon? I remember a while back, Austin gave Stacy Keibler the stunner for not drinking beer with him. Linda drinks with him and still got one. I guess it just establishes the fact that Austin will beat up any woman whether she drinks with him or not.

Bowden: I agree with you, but I can’t comment on the Keibler incident, as that’s foreign territory for me—most of the women I deal with willingly drink me under the table. Besides, unlike Stone Cold, I got to hang with Keibler and Torrie Wilson at a bar in LA last fall—the first (and quite possibly the last) time I’ve used my tenure as Jerry Lawler’s manager to introduce myself to the opposite sex.

I suppose I missed the point of the whole segment. All of the McMahons were currently playing babyface characters when they last left WWE television and now they did an about“face”(sorry, couldn’t help it) and turned three of them back to heels without any care for storyline continuity (a dirty word in WWE, well two if you count “storyline”).

Bowden: OK, leave the bad rasslin’ puns to me, buddy. The continuity doesn’t necessarily bother me, as who can keep possibly keep track with the turns of the McMahon family? That’s like to trying to keep a log of WWE and WCW title changes in the ’90s and beyond. (Up until about 1993, I could effortlessly list the World champions of the NWA, AWA and WWF since 1980. I wouldn’t even try nowadays). Besides, the on-air McMahons—and the boys alike—are all just characters, right? (Wouldn’t want to insult our audience, now would we?) The company has stressed that point so emphatically over the years that heel turns by and large have lost their effectiveness. That said, Stephanie’s promo on the Oct. 10 RAW was strong. In fact, my girlfriend, who casually watches wrestling with me (like she has a choice), had never seen Steph on the stick before and was amazed by how much of a pro Vince McMahon’s daughter is delivering promos. That’s not the problem. The issue most of us have is that every major storyline is going to revolve around Steph and the McMahons for months to come.

I guess the point, such as it were, is that I would much rather remember Austin as the guy who rescued Stephanie from Taker, more so than the guy who stunners women at his every whim. But I guess there’s no point in ranting about this (too late) since Austin’s home crowd in Dallas didn’t seem to care.

--Mitch LaRose

Bowden: If the behavior of the Cowboys’ fans in attendance at the recent San Diego Chargers game I attended is any indication, Dallas fans probably cheered when the allegations of Austin beating Deborah surfaced. Really: I saw Cowboys and Chargers fans continually “bow up” throughout the game, culminating with a 4-Horsemen-like-Dusty beating (instead of the TBS parking lot, it was the stadium’s men’s room) that left a Chargers fan on his knees at Qualcomm searching for his nose.

Throughout the game, I was prompted to ask my buddies: “Um…NFL fans…really…are they retarded? Really. I’m serious. Are they?” Guess I’m just used to attending college football games—y’know, with college-educated people in attendance. (Knoxville’s Neyland Stadium the exception to the rule, mind you.) And here I thought the rasslin’ fans at the Nashville Sports Arena were rough. I just know I’m going to receive an e-mail from former Memphis announcer Dave Brown chastising me for using the word “retarded.” OK, OK, some NFL fans are mentally disadvantaged.

AS THE WORLD TURNS Just a comment on the column and the NWA title. It seems to me that titles in general are only as good as their carriers, the NWA blessed with a long-minded board in the pre-WW/W/F/E days put the belt on drawing workers and always managed to make the belt important. From what I have read about those days even the WWWF felt their belt was secondary to the big title.

Bowden: Titles are only as good as their carriers—and those who book the champion—see Ric Flair around 1988, who was horribly booked as a paper World champion. While for years Vince McMahon Sr. apparently held the NWA World champ in very high regard, I question whether he ever truly viewed his title as secondary. For a long time, McMahon Sr. maintained NWA membership, attending meetings and even booking NWA World champion Harley Race a few times in the late ’70s. I’ve heard NWA membership bylaws at the time prohibited you from billing another titlist as the World champion; however, that may have been only on the same card, a stipulation Houston promoter Paul Boesch I suspect ignored on at least one occasion. While Senior was in poor health—and Jr. was preparing for his territorial invasion/expansion—the company let their NWA membership lapse. I know by the time Hogan was crowned champion (and had a WWF title belt fashioned to look like the strap that his ROCKY III character wore in the film) the Hulkster was being billed as “WWF World champion.”

Maybe Vince saw that as something of the “Good old days” to add to the “world championship” scene of now.

Bowden: Given the way the titles are addressed and the champions are booked, I’d say Vince and Co. titles as being secondary, almost like props. Case in point: The recent buildup for Batista vs. Eddie Guerrero at NO MERCY was an absolute joke, just about the worst I’ve ever seen.

I also remember when the ECW title tournament and its cessation from the NWA in spectacular fashion helped push the ECW title over and the ripples it caused throughout the industry, so maybe that’s why the NWA is still so important long term for the industry, even if it is only a paper board these days.

Bowden: The only real benefit of the NWA name: Giving the TNA group a little more old-school credibility with longtime fans tired of the current WWE product. Besides, it’s great seeing the NWA 10 pounds of gold on the scene today—even if perhaps it’s around the wrong waist.

When the title was revived and pushed around the promotions in the early to mid-’90s, it seemed more real somehow—OK it had no TV coverage and the belt only ever changed hands on smaller cards but it felt like a world title more then than it does now.

Bowden: Can’t follow that logic at all—especially when guys like “the Colorado Kid” Mike Rapada held the NWA title during that time period. Jarrett continues to defend the belt in different countries, and now has a national outlet to showcase the strap. Problem is, he’s the wrong guy holding it. Jeff was a fair choice—not the ideal choice, mind you—to hold the strap when TNA was in its infancy, as he did have, at the very least, recognition with casual fans as a championship-caliber wrestler. But with the company making inroads on Spike TV, TNA desperately needs a fresh face on top. Imagine the buzz a feud with World champ AJ Styles trying to hold off challenger Samoa Joe, with Christopher Daniels or Raven also in the mix. Sure, they’re doing something similar with the X title, but why not elevate the World title to that level of general interest. Having Jarrett defend against Kevin Nash may have been OK a year or so ago when the company needed former mainstream WWE/WCW guys who casual fans recognized, but it’s mind-boggling they’d promote such a match-up as an alternative to WWE programming, especially on their first PPV effort since landing on Spike. I think most fans were disappointed the company switched the title from Raven back to Jarrett right before the Spike debut as well. The good news: According to Dave Meltzer, Spike is giving TNA its first prime-time special, a two-hour taped show from 9-11 p.m. on Nov. 3. As Dave says, no details are available, but it will be more like a CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS special than a regular episode of IMPACT. The show will be taped next week. We can only hope they’ll use this valuable timeslot to shake up the World title picture.

I still can’t buy Jarrett as champ though, Raven seemed to offer more interest, ah well. But maybe TNA is missing the boat. WCW always seemed to liven up cards with NJPW wrestlers and if they could get a similar talent swap going especially as the belt is so over in Japan, it may give them one of the edges WCW never really fully exploited. It may also revitalize the Japanese cards that seem to be getting smaller and smaller but more and more ambitious.

--James Truepenny

Bowden: That scenario is intriguing, as at one time the NWA World title was over huge in Japan, though the screwjob Dusty (redundant, I realize) finish of the Flair vs. Fujinami bout in 1991 was greatly killed the title’s prestige. It’s a shame that in WCW’s struggles to mimic the WWF that they never properly handled a working relationship with All Japan and New Japan. Who can forget the six-man tag bout on the CLASH OF THE CHAMPIONS when Sting, Michael Hayes and JYD were “locked” in the dressing room by the Varsity Club because the promotion feared that opponent Sting would be booed by Warrior fans in attendance on national TV. Because Tenryu’s appearance on the show was heavily promoted in Japan, with members of the Japanese press in attendance, I recall that the scenario was an embarrassment for Giant Baba and All Japan Pro Wrestling—after all, how do you explain such a hokey finish to Japanese fans? I don’t think Baba worked with WCW again after that fiasco. While it may take some time to again build respect for the NWA title in Japan, a working relationship could only strengthen the image of the NWA championship as a true World title.

STEPH VS. BOWDEN Were you really turned down by Stephanie McMahon concerning a writing position within the WWE? Can you tell the story of how that came about and what happened?

--Billy the Kidd

Bowden: Kevin Lawler heard about the opening and suggested I apply. A year later—and coincidentally (?) a week after I’d trashed Stephanie and the writing staff in a column—I finally received my rejection letter:

Thank you for the opportunity for allowing World Wrestling Entertainment (“WWE”) to review the…“Jericho vs. Flair” Material.

This is to advise you that while [your] qualifications are impressive, WWE has decided your creative writing talents and abilities are not consistent with its needs. Accordingly, you will not be offered a writing position on its creative team. Enclosed is the Material you submitted. We wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Very truly yours, Pamla Braks Sr. Director, Human Resources Television/The World

Bowden: This letter is dated March 20, 2003—my writing sample writing was submitted Feb. 20, 2002. Across the bottom of my returned sample Material, someone (Pamla?) scrawled “Show Stephanie.” Wow—they actually showed it to Steph. Gee. First, I’m thankful for the careful yearlong evaluation of such an impressive piece of Material. Ahem.

The angle I submitted concerned the buildup for last year’s WrestleMania match-up between Chris Jericho and Triple H. My scenario called for an increasingly desperate Jericho to be obsessed with not becoming a “transitional WWE champion like Ivan Koloff, Stan Stasiak or Yokozuna.” In the same mold of “patriots like Kurt Angle and the Iron Sheik” and “honorable men like Vincent K. McMahon and Superstar Billy Graham—all past WWE champions—I will not go down without a fight.” Anyway, this all leads to Jericho getting a pinfall over Ric Flair to boost his credibility heading into the main event. During the aftermath of the win over Flair, Jericho would also attack Triple H’s recently rehabbed quad after the Game made the save. As an injured Triple H and Flair are writhing in pain (think Kevin Nash in that ill-fated NWO six-man tag), a triumphant Y2J celebrates in the ring by planting a sloppy, wet kiss on his new main squeeze: Stephanie McMahon.

Granted, none of this is groundbreaking stuff: Personal issues draw money. But then I’m sure what the writing team at that time came up with to sell that same match at WrestleMania was far more creative. Let’s see: We had the World title pushed to the background. Jericho was made to look a paper champion—not to mention Steph’s errand boy—who didn’t have a chance in hell against Triple H. The once-cool Triple H was made to look like a chump when he was duped into believing that Stephanie was pregnant. And the big angle that took up nearly an entire show: Lucy the dog’s leg injury and custody battle.

Nobody cared when Triple H won the title that year. (I can only assume custody of Lucy was on the line as well.) With the exceptions of the Big Show’s title wins, it had to be one of the most anti-climatic title victories in history, and it was an injury angle handed to them on a silver platter. Yes, during their buildup to the WM match, Jericho did attack Triple H’s quad. And Jericho was paired with Steph in a business relationship. But I would have scripted it that Jericho had been fucking her all along and stole her from Triple H. Hey, why else do you think Jericho always called her a bottom-feeding slut for more than a year? She loved dirty talk and was really a two-timing slut. Now that’s a personal issue.

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