Sept. 17, 1998

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

News and notes from around your favorite federation:

- Friday Night Live may become two hours every week if John Leary signs more wrestlers.

- The 2-hour October card shapes up like this right now:
Raider and Orion vs. Magnus Murray Head and Puncture
The Prowler vs. Heat Seeker
Bram Corbett vs. Daniel Ryder
Serpent or Bat vs. Hack Viciously
Victor Slaughter vs. Chris Slaughter
A lot is up in the air about the last two matches, however.

- Dead End and Daniel Ryder are good friends. Dead End and Bram Corbett are best friends. Dead End is in a tough spot.

- Dead End should return to action in October.

- Look for a controversial end to a Puncture + Magnus Murray Head tag title match. The titles are on the way out, and the company needs a cover story.

- John Leary's next star: Monkeywrench?

- Look for Adrian Lucas/Edan LePage to get an XWL Title push by November or December. Raider may be champ by then.

- A Python vs. Victor Slaughter feud is in the works.

- One more season of elimination wrestling? It's a possibility for next spring, Stay viewed.

- The HVC may break up once they lose all their titles and Hack Viciously may form a new stable with Bram Corbett.

- A new singles title will mean another tournament. It is unclear what the title will be named, but it may be called the hardcore champion, and matches will be ECW style. Time will tell.

-Hack Viciously is looking to renegotiate his contract. His proposal: a two year extension worth $495,000 to $550,000 a year.

He's expected to be one of the top 10 guys for the next two years, which is why he is demanding the top pay. But right now, XWL has a stranglehold on all these guys who were all out of the spotlight for the last few years.

The only way Hack could get the money is by waiting until his contract expires and then heading elsewhere.

- Serpent is becoming the Hollywood Hogan of XWL. Other than John Leary, nobody has more power than him. At least Serpent can still wrestle and has some interesting angles.

Though, have you noticed that he could be in about five feuds if he wanted? Hack Viciously, The Prowler, Alley, Zohar and now Daniel Ryder.

At least Hack is working to take some of that power away now that he’s champ. It was his idea for Serpent to earn a rematch. While the concept isn’t original, the execution is. Look at the Bat/Hack vs. Serpent/Badger match and Friday’s surprising elimination match.

But I hope XWL realizes if Serpent wins, their match will have to take place before the two hour edition.

- XWL may launch a Sunday show featuring unseen footage from arena shows. While the mainstream TV matches/stories are interesting, the arena shows feature hard-hitting, extreme, bloody and dangerous matches.

Just got a report of a balcony match between Heat Seeker and Nihilist (the loser got thrown to the floor from a balcony), and a street fight between Serpent/Python vs. Magnus Murray Head/Victor Slaughter. XWL looks like such a blend of ECW/WCW/WWF it's scary. And they're pulling it off with all the right moves so far.

- Put Crusher on the unhappy list. He feels that he is being ignored in favor of Edan LePage and Adrian Lucas. Crusher is nearing the end of his career, but he should get a decent feud. May we suggest Nihilist? Crusher was very impressive in July, but it's politics, as usual, holding him back.

- Bram Corbett says he is excited about his upcoming battle with Daniel Ryder, whenever it happens. He said he has been promised a title by the end of the year. We'll see.

- Kevin Block may join the HVC tomorrow. Also look for some heat between Alley and Zohar.

- XWL plans to break up one of its cliques. Looks like the HVC will get the ax, which is fine. XWL says they don't want the group to go on forever, especially since all the heels are wrapped up into the Lair and HVC. Look for HVC to break up once all their titles are spread around elsewhere. Or, look for a loser’s clique breaks up match between the Lair and HVC. Once their feud ends, the Vipers will get a more prominent role since they are the most popular group of late.

- FNL matches may include Nihilist vs. Heat Seeker in an extreme match, Raider vs. an HVC member, perhaps an interview with Bram Corbett, Monkeywrench vs. Issei, Python vs. CNN, among others. XWL seems to plan their shows out at the last minute, so we'll see.

Oct. 19, 1998

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Look for Victor Slaughter’s suspension to split up the HVC completely. Hack Viciously hasn’t been committed to the gang in recent weeks anyway. His grudge with Bat is occupying most of his time.

The HVC should get the titles next week, once John Leary realizes Magnus Murray Head and Puncture weren't at fault for Victor Slaughter's punch.

- Crusher may threaten to retire if he doesn’t get a heavyweight title push. He says his legs aren’t as strong as they used to be and he’s been exhausted after recent matches. Crusher is the oldest wrestler in XWL.

- Dr. McMann may step back in the ring in November with Monkeywrench to wrestle Lowlife and Tomax.

- TNL got a 2.3 rating.

- CNN will miss a week with a neck injury.

- Look for Lowlife to try and take over the HVC or at least form an alliance with Puncture and Magnus Murray Head.

- The November FreePPV shapes up like this so far:
TV title finals
Monkeywrench vs. Lowlife
Chris Slaughter vs. Raider
Crusher vs. Nihilist
Alley vs. Zohar
Death Stalkers vs. Bram Corbett, Dead End and Daniel Ryder.

- Next week’s main event should be Alley vs. Crusher in a locked room brawl or street fight. Alley is lobbying for an alley fight.

- John Leary wants to get some of his new signings into feuds shortly. He said Coldblooded has already proven he will be great in a short time and thinks Ill and Seizure may get a tag title push and feud with CNN and NBC.

Leary still says the tag titles are on the way out. He said the Slaughter suspension is just foreshadowing controversy around the titles and eventually he'll get ''fed up'' and end the division. Before then, he plans to create some heat with Serpent and Hack Viciously teaming up, Vipers, Magnus Murray Head and Puncture and CNN and NBC. Newcomers the Death Stalkers also will figure in, he said.

- The Edan LePage/Serpent feud will likely happen around November or early December. By then the Lair and HVC will be fractured and a new rebel group may form.

Jan. 7, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- John Leary announced today the format for For Whom the Bell Tolls, the March FreePPV.

The XWL Champion will defend the title in the opening contest. After that, there will be nine matches to determine a number one contender for the belt.

Ten top contenders will be put into a lottery. Two names will be drawn. Those two will wrestle in the night's second match. The loser is out, the winner will wrestle again in a gauntlet tournament. He keeps wrestling until he loses.

The next eight names are chosen by lottery. The last man standing gets the title shot at the next two-hour spectacular.

- Issei is about two weeks away from returning to the ring.

- EBN will take full control of XWL at the end of January. John Leary will remain the top booker. The other bookers will be Dr. McMann, Michael Hawk, Mark Weight and Serpent.

Since the agreement, EBN has been putting some cash into XWL in an attempt to create a solid organization for the next few years at least. With this stability and cash, they plan to recruit new talent.

There are several rumors about at least two former heavyweight champions in other organizations and a tag team. No names have yet been confirmed. But XWL says they have contacted more than 15 soon-to-be free agents.

Could one of those be Kobra? His was the only name which has been coming up in the last few days. Kobra apparently has recovered so well from various back surgeries that he may consider making a return. It would be a huge plus.

Sources also say XWL is close to signing five wrestlers. The only sticking point is salaries.

- John Leary will be discussing some changes to XWL in the coming months tomorrow on the Internet. Send any questions to us and we will pass them along.

Jan. 6, 1999

By John Leary
XWL Vice President

In this, my first State of XWL address, I will discuss a new owner, new wrestlers, and a new show. These just the changes I know about right now for the coming year. These are the resolutions I have made, I guess you could say. Over the past few days I have been meeting with our roster and gotten some great ideas and now have many angles in mind. But before I get ahead of myself:

NATIONAL CHAMPION

A few months ago I decided to create a Hardcore Champion. It's true we have some of the toughest bastards on the planet, Alley, Coldblooded, Heat Seeker and Monkeywrench to name a few, but I felt the belt would be silly since the whole company is moving towards it's name, Xtreme Wrestling. That would limit all the excitement to one title. It would also force the champion to bleed and be bruised in every match, and probably end his career early. Moderation is the key to violence, and we try to stick to that philosophy.

On a side note, who gives a sh*t about the WWF Hardcore chump? Who, besides Mick Foley, do they have as h-c? Sorry, the Rock, Kane, Stone Cold and Shamrock...no way. Who's left. Too Much? The Oddities? Mark Mero B. Badd? I guarantee that belt will be forgotten like it never existed.

NEW OWNER

Extreme Broadcasting new owns the Xtreme Wrestling League. We debuted our first show on EBN in December. And since then, I guess they liked what they saw, so instead of just showing us, they're going to own us!

On a related note, EBN has bought the rights to our syndicated show since its debut in July. Starting tomorrow (Friday) at 8 p.m., our old timeslot, EBN will rebroadcast highlights from the first six months and recap the storylines. As you know, with our syndicated deal we were not on in close to every market and amazingly our ratings have been great. EBN potentially has a much larger audience by 3 million. Here is the schedule of these five one-time only specials.

Show 1: Includes highlights of Serpent's rise to the heavyweight title tournament. Serpent's Lair forms. Serpent feuds with Alley and Annihilator. The Lair vs. Dr. McMann's group. Hack Viciously's path of destruction as he forms the HVC and wins a triple threat match for the heavyweight title. CNN and NBC make a surprising run as tag champs and defend against Issei and D.J. Torrid. Recap the giant feud between Edan LePage, Adrian Lucas and Crusher for the TV title.

Show 2: The Vipers form. Vipers feud with Heat Seeker and the Lair. Raider's roll. Victor Slaughter recovers from a horrible start. Bat becomes a thorn in Hack Viciously's side and stays there for a while. Monkeywrench revives his career. Bram Corbett and Daniel Ryder get testy. Nihilist vs. Heat Seeker in a balcony match. Serpent's quest for a title shot against Hack Viciously. Chris Slaughter shocks the world. Puncture and Magnus Murray Head are tag champs. And more.

Show 3: Vipers fight with Zohar, Crusher and Fred Verge. Lowlife targets Nonkeywrench. Highlights of Edan LePage vs. Adrian Lucas in a classic. Death Stalkers debut. The Lair and HVC splinter. The Slaughter war. Coldblooded. And more.

Show 4: TV title tournament. Alley vs. Crusher gets uglier and uglier. Death Stalkers continue their terror. Tag team controversy. Lowlife and Monkeywrench have some more fun. Serpent and Hack Viciously team up and battle Chris Slaughter. Coldblooded beats 'em bloody. A new Lair forms.

Show 5: Coldblooded/Orion feud. Electo emerges from the Death Stalkers. Raider fights the Death Stalkers. Two Lairs? Death Stalkers get more titles. Highlights of Black & Blue spectacular. The more recent bad blood recaps, including Crusher/Chris Slaughter, Python/Bram Corbett, Heat Seeker vs. the old-timers, and Lair vs. Lair.

NEW WRESTLERS

XWL has contacted eight wrestlers to date and has spoken briefly with five others. Rumors of Kobra returning to the ring are true, though he has not set a date and nothing is yet certain. There are several others who have expressed interest in joining us in the next year. Some we may sign, some we'll pass over. We must decide on their talent. We will refuse the Barry Horowitz's of the world. I believe all of our wrestlers are talented, even those who have had a bad year. Badger is a former tag team champion. So is Kevin Block. But not everyone can be judged by titles. Look at Heat Seeker. He never held a title, but he has some of the greatest talent.

Look at this list of former heavyweight champions: Serpent, Edan LePage, Daniel Ryder, Zohar, Chris Slaughter, Hack Viciously, Orion.

Former US/TV champs: Edan LePage, Python, The Prowler, Adrian Lucas, Victor Slaughter, Puncture, Kevin Mash, Orion. (US Title goes back to the CWF days for those clueless.)

Former tag champs: Alley, Raider, Dead End, Lowlife, Nihilist, Orion, The Prowler, CNN, NBC, Bram Corbett, Serpent, Victor Slaughter, Magnus Murray Head, Puncture, Ulysses, Bat, Badger, Issei, D.J. Torrid.

Once some new talent clashes with these great athletes, we'll be better than ever. I hope this list includes all their titles, it's hard to keep track.

A NEW SHOW

Instead of expanding every Tuesday show to two hours, making our ''FreePPV'' irrelevant, we will debut a new show in the Friday timeslot. A lot of wrestlers feel they are slighted by the one hour a week show and would like more of a role. This can only help us as our talent pool spreads. The WWF and WCW each occupy something like six hours of time a week. We do one hour. The WWF doesn't have many more wrestlers than we do, and we should be equal to them by the end of the year. We hope to rival WCW's size by 2000.

The Tuesday show may go back live after our first Friday Night Live debuts on EBN.

... What else ...

I have been trying to develop some new gimmick matches. The balcony match was ]ust one from the past year. I've been toying around with the idea of putting wrestlers into different places and letting them brawl. A bar, maybe a house. A high school. It might not be good for the fans in attendance, but ... any TV shows are geared for TV viewers. The non-TV shows are guaranteed to be bloody and stay in the arena. The locked room fight between Alley and Serpent was great. You already know about For Whom the Bell Tolls. A literal street fight would be cool. Fighting out on the city streets. It might cost us too much money though.

THE CURRENT ROSTER

I've graded all our wrestlers. I know I had a lot to do with the feuds and the wrestlers can only do so much, but I plan to get everyone involved more in the coming year. Here are my highlights and grades:

Crusher: He is the heavyweight champ and won a brutal match. He came up short against the other big two, but had a solid year. He started attracting some heat recently to match his July/August heat. As long as he wrestles more this year, I see nothing negative about him. Grade: A-

Chris Slaughter: He was the XWL Champion. He came from nowhere and now stands as the longest champion in our history. Lots of people want to wrestle this guy now. Fans like him again. B+

Hack Viciously: Since he started, he caused trouble, but backed it up. Great mic skills, talented wrestler and one tough bastard. Former XWL Champion and motivated the HVC to overachieve. A

Serpent: Great heat as champ. Interesting new association with Hack. Had a couple of tough losses lately, but is still one of the best out there. Every wrestler expressed interest in fighting him. A-

Raider: Fantastic undefeated year, if I'm not mistaken. Great matches with the DEATH STALKERS and dominated his opponents. Huge fan favorite. A

Edan LePage: Great heel. Epic battle with Adrian Lucas may have been the best match of the year. Was the TV champ. Great rivalry with Serpent developing. Some recent tough losses, but he will recover without a doubt. B+

Alley: Great year. He proved to me during his wars with Crusher and Serpent that he is worthy of main event status. He is an exciting wrestler and the fans love him. A

Nihilist: Great battles but no real feuds yet. The tag scene might be a better way to go with him. He will be more prominent this year. Another of the toughest bastards we've got. B

Python: Was TV champ. Too talented to be underused as he has been. Great matches with Adrian Lucas. The feud with Bram Corbett is not over, it's just heating up again. Crazy has some serious hate for Python. B

Monkeywrench: What can I say? He's better than ever, the Diamond Dallas of XWL. The fans have taken to him. His wars with Lowlife are classics and some of the best angles of the year. A

Lowlife: The heel equivalent of Monkeywrench. Everyone hates Low, but respects him. After terrible misuse for the first few months, he excelled. A-

Heat Seeker: Despite injuries, Heat had a classic match with Nihilist. He is moving up to main event status as a heel. He is the hardest worker and is becoming one of the greatest performers. AThe Prowler: Had his moments in his run for the heavyweight title, but hasn't been involved in any feuds. Some changes are coming. B

Zohar: Had ups and downs, but of late has been performing great with Serpent and Hydro guiding him. Great heat with Edan LePage. B

Coldblooded: Since his debut, he has been great, though the medical costs haunt me a bit (haha). His feud with Orion has no rivals in this sport. A great performer who will be moving up. A

Orion: Still a great performer and is getting a chance to show it against Coldblooded. In the middle of things for most of the year. Nice feud with Puncture and Magnus Murray Head. B+

Adrian Lucas: All of his matches, wins and losses, were superb. Former TV champ. Epic battle with Edan LePage. Still not used as much as he could be.

Puncture: Horrible start, but has been great since. No real feud yet. Former tag champ. B+

Magnus Murray Head: Unused until the HVC formed. Since then, I have never seen such talent. He's been looking like Rey Mysteno Jr. with the strength of Lex Luger. B+

Victor Slaughter: Rocky year, but he was the TV champ. When he's on, few are better. Moving back into feuds with Dead End. B

Electro: Great performer, has a bright future. Already has the TV title and will no doubt compete for more. Looks like the best of the DEATH STALKERS. B+

Malik: Tag champ, great mic skills. Good heat with Bram Corbett, Dead End and Daniel Ryder. Good commander of his troops. B.

Reave: Tough losses to Raider, but shows great potential to destroy opponents. B-

Spector: Tag champ. Great moves. More to learn. C+

8666: If used more, he could be a terror. C-

Sapper: Talented, but underused. C-

Seizure: Shown great promise as a suicide king. Fans took to him quickly after splitting from Ill. B

Dead End: Injury hurt him (no pun intended), but he has shown hardhitting talent and strength against Edan LePage. Good job for what he was given. B

CNN: Great start as tag champ. No real life to the tag team scene though. B-

NBC: Ditto, but good brawl with Coldblooded. B

Bram Corbett: Tough losses, big wins and good heat with Daniel Ryder and DEATH STALKERS. B-

Daniel Ryder: Still good in the ring. Some tough losses and good matches.

Kevin Mash: Good start in his wars with Adrian Lucas. Then nothing. What is he up to now? C-

Bat: A lot of heat with Hydro/Serpent. C-

Issei: Some tag success. D+

Cain: Talented, but D+

Ill: Talented, but D

Ulysses: Interesting recovery. C-

D.J. Torrid: Nothing sustained. Lots of talent. D

Fracture: Good job against Ulysses, but D

Fred Verge: Sorry, but F

Badger: Still good, but F

Hiro Lee: Talent, but F

Kevin Block: F

Announcers: Mark Weight B+

Dr. McMann A

Hawk B

THE FUTURE

I hate to give away angles and pushes, but I will give you these Christmas lists I was given. Who wants to feud/wrestle who the most?

Crusher vs. Raider
Chris Slaughter vs. Adrian Lucas
Hack Viciously vs. Adrian Lucas
Serpent vs. Heat Seeker
Raider vs. Edan LePage
Edan LePage vs. Python
Alley vs. Heat Seeker
Nihilist vs. Reave
Python vs. Serpent
Monkeywrench vs. Coldblooded
Lowlife vs. The Prowler
Heat Seeker vs. Serpent
The Prowler vs. Nihilist
Zohar vs. Crusher
Coldblooded vs. Alley
Orion vs. Lowlife
Adrian Lucas vs. Dead End
Puncture vs. Bram Corbett
Victor Slaughter vs. Serpent
Electro vs. Seizure
Malik vs. Nihilist
Reave vs. Zohar
Spector vs. Daniel Ryder
8666 vs. Zohar
Sapper vs. Magnus Murray Head
Seizure vs. Heat Seeker
Dead End vs. Hack Viciously
CNN vs. Serpent
NBC vs. Lowlife
Bram Corbett vs. Daniel Ryder
Daniel Ryder vs.. Heat Seeker
Kevin Mash vs. Hack Viciously
Bat vs. Monkeywrench
Issei vs. Serpent
Ill vs. Orion
Ulysses vs. Bram Corbett
D.J. Torrid vs. CNN
Fracture vs. Coldblooded
Fred Verge vs. Zohar
Badger vs. Lowlife
Hiro Lee vs. Issei
Kevin Block vs. Kevin Mash

Will some of these happen? Yes. But which ones ... stay tuned.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I would like to address questions I am asked often. The first is how I decide who gets a push. The wrestlers decide that. If a wrestler puts up a fight and doesn't get down on himself, I take notice. There are going to be stretches where main eventers are losing. The young talent will force them to up their skills if they want their contracts renewed. A guy like Coldblooded, Seizure, Magnus Murray Head or Reave could be heavyweight champion based on what they've shown in the ring. But politics often are more important.

Veterans like Serpent, Crusher and Victor Slaughter carry a lot of weight, not to mention contracts. How could we justify Serpent making so much if he is never on TV? There are those considerations. And honestly, I do put a lot of weight into my decision making. Python has a one-0ear contract. Notice he won a title. Same with Crusher.

Right now there are guys looking for a big pay day. While money is one motivator, pride is another. To sum up a boring logic, here are the factors: talent, contract, fan response, and politics.

Next, a lot of wrestlers contracts run out in seven to ten months. How will we re-sign them all? By making them happy and building something as a team. That's why I will be in constant meetings with wrestlers this year, to make sure they're where they want to be. Some guys say they want major changes to their character. Some want title shots or prominent feuds. I'll do my best.

Who are my favorite wrestlers? Alley, Heat Seeker, Python, Victor Slaughter and Monkeywrench right now. I watch the show like a fan and have decided to try and stay in the office and out of the ring. I got sick of Steroid McMahon and Eric Bitch-jerkoff. Keep those a--hole chants going. They are. I read the chat rooms for story ideas.

I'd like to end by sharing my vision of wrestling with you. When you watch the NFL, you never know if the Atlanta Falcons will beat the Dallas Cowboys or the St. Louis Rams will beat the 49ers. It takes a grueling 60 minutes of twists and turns. And even if you win one this week, you may be destroyed next week. You may be like the Denver Broncos or the Washington Redskins. Regardless, the games are usually close and exciting as hell. You stick by your favorites at their best and worst. That's what I want. To make you passionate about one of the toughest sports. These men bleed their own blood and have doctors in their locker rooms after their matches when they're at their best.

It's not about individual wins and losses. Wrestling is about being a rebel, being a bastard. Being a hero once in a while. There are prizes, but there is legitimate entertainment and unpredictability. Everyone is a team out of the ring, and brutal enemies inside of it. It's not about getting rich, being cool or movie deals. It's men being men and beating the piss out of each other!

See ya...

Jan. 11, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Prior to today's TV taping for Tuesday Night Taped, John Leary announced that he has signed two new wrestlers from the indie level.

For those who like Coldblooded, get ready to meet the man who gave him his only two losses in their only two meetings. His name is Crowbar, and he is hardcore as they come. According to our sources, Crowbar was released from his contract in late December because of a knee injury which they thought would end his career. Turns out, Crowbar is alive and well.

Leary said Crowbar will be ready to debut before the end of the month. Crowbar teamed with Cain about a year ago and has been a tag team champion.

Also, relative unknown Gunner has been signed by XWL. Leary said Gunner has lots of potential, but will likely be stuck in the cellar for at least a year, unless his talents develop quickly. Leary said Gunner is like ''Lowlife on a bad day.''

Leary said he expects Crowbar to compete for a title this year, if not win it. He will play a large role on the TV shows also.

- Serpent is angry again at his character's direction. He has threatened to make all of his matches sloppy. Apparently he wants out of XWL.

- Another day, and Leary announces more new signings. Both come from some independent organization in Mexico, and both sound like bad asses.

The first is known as Flashfire (he has also been known as the Gravedigga) . He is considered one of the strongest men in Mexico and sports and unbeaten record of 290-0.

The second is Fixxxer, who has some kind of voodoo gimmick. He has put countless people into hospital outside of the ring. He is considered to be one of the riskiest people to employ because he cannot be controlled at times. Leary said ''those incidents'' were in his early days, and after two years, Fixxxer has grown up.

The youth movement continues...

- Serpent is scheduled for a major meeting with John Leary tomorrow. Serpent is considering retiring. Let's hope he doesn't run for president.

- Three more wrestlers have joined XWL. Fox and Wolverine, former tag champs in other organizations, have been signed, as has Sharc, a sadistic wrestler if there ever was one. Still getting info about these guys, who have mainly wrestled in Japan.

- The negotiations for several wrestlers new contracts has already begun. With 24 wrestlers who are in the last months of their contract, Leary has a lot to finish by July to re-sign his men, including Python and Monkeywrench.

Jan. 17, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- John Leary and Serpent met at 9 a.m. earlier this week for three hours. Neither one has talked yet. We will update you as soon as we know.

It must be noted that Serpent was scheduled to wrestle Chris Slaughter at a house show, but since he was at XWL HQ, he couldn't be in two places and the card got shuffled.

- John Leary announced the re-signing of one of XWL's biggest stars, The Prowler, to a three-year pact valued at $570,000 a year. Leary said The Prowler will be more prominent as the hours expand next month on EBN,

- John Leary finalized a renegotiation with Bram Corbett earlier this week. His new pact will be valued at $430,000 a year for the next two years. Surprising, since Corbett is one of the most underused guys in XWL. Corbett is out of action due to a shoulder injury he suffered during his match at Assault and Battery against Python.

- Those ''in the know'' say Kobra may be able to return to the ring by late March if he wants. It is still unknown how he would be used if he signs. Another veteran's name has also been coming up in recent days, but we have yet to confirm if it is true or not. Be patient.

- National Championship update: The tournament to crown XWL's first National Champion will begin next month. Odds on favorite to win is Heat Seeker, who Leary seems to think highest of right now. Heat, Coldblooded, Lowlife or Adrian Lucas all probably have a shot, though look for Coldblooded to snag the TV strap first.

Jan. 25, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- According to our sources, Nihilist has been guaranteed a heavyweight title reign sometime this year. As always, we like to point out who else was scheduled for title reigns: Raider, Edan LePage, Adrian Lucas, Python and Alley. They are all under contract for a while and are getting good pay.

Crusher got his title reign and probably won't retire at the end of his contract this July. Apparently, Crusher is close to signing a two-year deal worth $350,000 a year. Not bad for a 44-year-old giant, huh?

- Is anyone else confused about why there is no build up for the Crusher/Chris Slaughter rematch? I'm guessing it won't be the main event, which is a shame.

Don't (PLEASE) become like WCW, just throwing out matches with no build up. It's hard to complain about the other angles being set up, especially the way the show ended with the four way confusion. Alley vs. Zohar looks hot, as does a Edan LePage vs. Serpent match.

The Death Stalkers and Vipers still are warring, not spectacular. Heat Seeker and Daniel Ryder are due for another run-in. And where are Lowlife and Monkeywrench. Both were sizzling, now they're invisible again. Be careful.

- Earlier this week Serpent announced he now has the second most booking power in the company, behind John Leary. He will be in charge of all house shows and the new Friday Night Live show, which begins in February. He will also have input into the monthly two-hour specials.

He also said Fred Verge, Dr. McMann, John Leary, Hawk and Mainframe will be involved with developing new angles.

Fred Verge was a surprising name, and Serpent said Fred wants to recover from some nagging injuries before making a final decision about retiring.

- Serpent's new character is apparently going to be a ''sadistic killer.'' He said he enjoyed WCW's Raven recently and decided to play Raven the way Raven was meant to be played. A guy who loves to bleed, be injured, hurt others quickly and without warning, and injure opponents, ala the Hitman.

He won't play to the fans shortly, he tells us. His interview on this week's show was one of his last.

''The whiney Shane Douglas/Hollywood Hogan is gone,'' he said proudly. ''I'm in this game, I guess, to disgust viewers or make them happy in a dirty kind of way. Like, the viewer will be smiling, but suddenly will be ashamed because you shouldn't be smiling at what I'm going to do. Take WCW's Starrcade pay-per-view for example. I stood up and cheered when Scott Hall zapped Billy. (Expletive) everybody, Serpent is reborn.''

- Look for Serpent's Lair to fall apart in the coming weeks as the changes continue. Serpent will likely become a loner with no allies, only enemies.

- Victor Slaughter is due to get a character overhaul. He has no focus, and at his salary, needs to start delivering.

- Coldblooded is due back for the two-hour special where he will be confronted by Crowbar. Also confirmed for Meltdown in February are Chris Slaughter vs. Crusher, Serpent vs. Edan LePage, Death Stalkers vs. Nihilist + The Prowler, Seizure vs. Magnus Murray Head, Alley vs. Zohar, and Heat Seeker vs. Daniel Ryder.

Leary also tells all fans that there will be at least one huge surprise.

- (In case you missed this)

EBN PRESS RELEASE

XWL President John Leary and the Extreme Broadcasting Network are pleased to announce the arrival of the Xtreme Wrestling League Tuesdays and Fridays on the cable station.

EBN currently airs Vengeance at 8 p.m. Once a month this program will be two hours and pack in more entertainment for free than any other federation or organization in existence which charges fans $30 a month for their special once a month ''pay-per-view extravaganzas.''

Also, starting Feb. 5, EBN will restart Friday Night Live, the program which redefined wrestling last summer. Both shows will be broadcast live as they happen and will be UNCENSORED (within reason). The program will be rated TV-MA.

Feb. 2 XWL will present their February FreePPV, Meltdown. Scheduled matches include an XWL Title bout between Crusher and challenger Chris Slaughter. Also in action will be superstars Alley, Zohar, Serpent, Edan LePage, Raider and Victor Slaughter.

- XWL will begin selling T-shirts and merchandise on this web site. T's will sell for $10 and other items will include posters and videotapes of every episode since the company began. Videos will cost $15 and feature two one-hour episodes per tape.

''We're about the fans, not making money," said John Leary. ''We won't be like barbed wire city and charge more than $30 per tape or the big two and sell shirts for $25. Our fans aren't rich. And we only care about putting out the best wrestling products.''

Feb. 1, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- John Leary today announced the re-signing of Crusher to a two-year contract. Look for the big man to retain his belt for a while as a result of the contract, which will be for $390,000 a year.

Ot appears the match will also be used to show Chris Slaughter the importance of contracts, as his is up and the bookers must consider it. Chris Slaughter said he wants to stay in XWL. We'll see.

- The signings continue. Those familiar with the history of this company may be surprised to hear this, but Trey Risont is returning. Our sources say he is close to signing a two-year deal worth nearly $200,000 a year.

Trey Rison has been wrestling around the country and the world for the last few years. Victor Slaughter told us his best friend left elimination wrestling because of an injury and political struggle.

During the first year, Rison was on a team with Alley, Kevin Mash (then MX) and NBC. During a match, oddly enough against Victor Slaughter's team of Zohar, CNN and Monkeywrench, Zohar delivered a DDT which caused nerve damage to Rison's neck.

What followed was confusion. The company's president said Rison would never wrestle again. The president then told Rison if he said otherwise, he would be suspended until his contract expired. That happened.

The president persued legal action but the case was settled out of court with Rison being paid out the remainder of his contract and released.

Rison quit for two years before deciding to return to his love. What resurfaced was a cocky son of a bitch who captured several single titles. Once Rison learned late last year about the sale of XWL, he gave his buddies John Leary and Victor Slaughter a call. They agreed to a deal in principle and were waiting for Rison's contract to expire. He is now free of all obligations and may return as soon as the next show.

There has been talk of Rison joining up with Victor Slaughter to resurrect a confusing tag team division. And, no doubt, he will see Zohar in his near future.

- Alley has renegotiated his contract. John Leary and he agreed to a five-year deal, effective Feb. 1, which will be worth $620,000 a year, making him the second highest-paid wrestler in the organization. Look for Alley to get a title push soon, especially for the huge commitment he just made.

- Several injured wrestlers should be back this week, making it the healthiest time in recent history in the company. Kevin Mash, Coldblooded and Bram Corbett are all set to return to the ring.

- Serpent said he is willing to negotiate an extension of his contract after all that has gone on. Now the number two man in XWL, he he has apparently made several deals with John Leary.

The first was to keep his political gripes off the air. The second was to never mention Dr. McMann without approval; this is also true of all bookers, unless he is being interviewed by one of them. Another was Serpent's new direction. He turned on Zohar last Tuesday, and though house shows don't count for much, Serpent has helped out the Vipers and attacked Zohar again last night. Only Serpent knows where it is all heading.

''It's not about the hero vs. the villain. It's all shades of gray. Get ready for the twilight of the XWL!'' he said.

- Adrian Lucas signed a new contract today, as John Leary continues to tie up his biggest stars for the next few years. Lucas's new pact is valued at $280,000 for the next four years. Could this be yet another example of signing long contracts. Lucas has one of his biggest matches tomorrow against Raider. We can't help but wonder who will win.

Feb. 4, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Confusion reigns following one of the greatest wrestling shows in history. Here are a few:

Serpent, Edan LePage, Lowlife, Dr. McMann and darkness. It is widely speculated in the locker room that John Leary's big surprise was this idea (or was it Serpent's?). Lowlife and Edan LePage were laid out by chair shots to the skull. Is it too soon to draw conclusions or name suspects? It is unclear if this is Lair related or possibly the work of another clique. Could Trey Rison be involved? Heat Seeker? Zohar? We just don't know right now.

Adrian Lucas, Raider, Python and Hack Viciously. When will it be settled. And how did Adrian Lucas get the clean pin against the unbeatable Raider? Is it contract related? It has been rumored recently that EBN wants to lock up XWL stars for up to five years.

Alley and Zohar. Why did Alley lose cleanly?

The Death Stalkers/Crusher. Why did they lose the tag belts in such strange fashion? Is Spector hurt? Did Electro intentionally give Nihilist a weapon? And where will the confrontation with Crusher lead? It's obvious the Death Stalkers want to take over XWL, they have said as much. But honestly, they haven't beaten anyone handily. They look inexperienced, except for Malik and Electro. Let's hope they get some believability, though the fans despise them.

Bram Corbett and Daniel Ryder. A surprise, definitely. Where will the always good guy Bram Corbett go with this new development? Does this signal the ''twilight of XWL?''

Coldblooded and Crowbar. Why not establish both of them before getting into a history nobody knows about? Great segment though. Crowbar came off as a real scumbag.

- More contract extensions were announced today. Raider signed a new deal valued at $570,000 a year for the next five years. Edan LePage also re-signed for $560,000 for the next four years. Chris Slaughter re-signed for the next three years at $290,000 per year.

John Leary said he is still working on longer-term deals with Serpent, Zohar, Nihilist and Heat Seeker. He will then turn his attention toward several wrestlers who need to be re-signed before July, including Daniel Ryder, Python, Dead End and Magnus Murray Head.

Feb. 8, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- WOW! What a wild show last night's redebut of FNL was. Everyone was buzzing about the return of Kobra. Is is just me, or are the XWL shows becoming as confusing as the X-Files? Where is it all heading? It looks like a wrestling Armageddon. So many factions are going to be fighting soon, there will be no way to keep track of loyalty or enemy. Some speculation:

Since Serpent was laid out, look for Kobra to resurrect the ONLY Lair with Deuce, but no Edan LePage, Heat Seeker or Lowlife, we can assume.

- The contract signing was made official today. Kobra signed a one-year deal worth $300,000.

- More signings announced. Veterans Omega and Alpha were added to the XWL roster today. Both signed three-year deals worth $150,000 a year.

- Nihilist re-signed today for three years at $575,000 a year. Nihilist now makes more than Raider, which has always been an interesting out of ring rivalry. What does it mean? Maybe we'll know after For Whom the Bell Tolls. Could Nihilist win the tournament and face Crusher or Adrian Lucas in April at Anarchy?

- Kevin Mash's new angle will be similar to Heat Seeker's short-lived attack on the ''old-timers.'' Kevin Mash will instead attack the rich stars. Why? We'll see...

- Kobra's first opponent will be? Odds on, Heat Seeker will get the call in his first main event match. A tag match with Kobra and Deuce against Heat and Edan LePage will likely follow. As for the unavoidable Serpent vs. Kobra bout? Our guess, late summer after Kobra wins the XWL belt from someone. Until then, Serpent will be his sadistic self.

- There may be a showdown between the Kobra Lair and the Viper Lair to kick off a new angle tomorrow or Friday. Apparently Trey Rison and Victor Slaughter will join the Kobra Lair, along with newcomers Omego and Alpha as part of another invasion.

Feb. 15, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Kobra has apparently stolen the old Sting angle and Deuce is playing the Kane angle. The whole concept is that Kobra was dead, but is now back to seek revenge on those who have hurt him in the past. Why Heat Seeker and Lowlife is still confusing. But it's still early. Look for the Kobra Lair to also go after Zohar and Serpent shortly.

- Orion will miss a few weeks with a knee injury sustained from a poorly placed Lowlife chair shot.

- Serpent re-signed this week, a five-year deal worth $750,000 a year.

- Heat Seeker re-signed for the next five years. Read a lot into this amount: $430,000 a year. That's more than champion Crusher and the same as Bram Corbett. He will probably get a title and is heading towards the main event as well as becoming ''hardcore.'' No doubt he will wrestle for the top title by next year at this time.

- Zohar agreed to a two-year extension of his contract at the same price, but a ''guarantee'' of at least two title reigns. All the big guns are signed at least until 2001.

- Site news: Starting soon, the XWL site will begin making some changes to this section. We hope to expand the scope of the material by going more in-depth with the behind the scenes news and gossip. Our first in-depth story will take at look at what the hidden clause behind all the recent contract extensions entails.

- Kobra may speak this week. Deuce will probably wrestle against Heat Seeker. Lowlife will be targeted again by Trey Rison. Omego and Alpha likely will capture the tag titles, which will probably by held by the Death Stalkers next month.

THE HARD LESSONS -Feb. 18, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

When Crusher pinned Chris Slaughter cleanly at Meltdown, it was a lesson. Days later, Chris Slaughter re-signed and nearly won the TV title.

After re-signing, Adrian Lucas cleanly pinned Raider, a man who had not been pinned since July. Days later, Raider signed an extension.

John Leary once said contracts don't have all the influence. After all, one person can't win all the time. If that were the case, Serpent would still be playing the part of Hollywood Hogan right now, Adrian Lucas would be the TV champ, and CNN and NBC might actually be on television defending their tag belts.

Instead, Crusher is being beaten to hell by the Death Stalkers, Electro is wowing all with a few moves and Nihilist and The Prowler who make a combined $1 million a year (just about) are regularly defending and are fan favorites.

And elsewhere ... you've got Edan LePage chokeslamming Victor Slaughter through a table, Serpent mutilating himself, Bram Corbett being destroyed in a bathroom (Python being backflipped into a toilet!), Heat Seeker getting demolished by metal chairs night after night, Crusher diving over the top rope, Coldblooded and Orion throwing each other into a van, and Serpent brainbusting Zohar on the floor.

You want hardcore? Welcome to the XWL.

If you happen to have the first Friday Night Live on tape, go back and look at how tame these wrestlers were. In those days, a match between bitter enemies Serpent and Annihilator saw nothing but wrestling. Serpent's Lair were the bad guys. The Vipers were not even a unit. No blood spilled. Matches were dominated by guys making the most money:

Serpent, Victor Slaughter, Zohar, Python, Bram Corbett, Nihilist, The Prowler, Alley, Edan LePage and Raider.

Fast forward to this month. They all get raises. Now they all bleed. Now they suicide dive into the fans. now they swear. Now they eat chairs are crunched through tables, and, oh yeah, BLEED.

Is it survival, or is Leary giving them an out. Either lose for two years and retire or re-sign for more money and put your body through hell and you will get titles. Reigns only last three months, but hey.

Leary has told many wrestlers that he envisions XWL like the NFL. Anybody can beat anybody as long as there are a number of variables existing. One team is unprepared, distracted or whatever. It's not about pure talent, but determination.

In the NFL they play injured. They work once a week and make millions. But they play for three hours. They train and practice the rest of the week.

Wrestling matches are at most a half-hour. Sometimes wrestlers don't work at all, sometimes they have four matches a week. You take the good with the bad.

But football isn't fixed (we think), and Leary holds the answers. He has careers. He has the leverage.

Now he's got all his ''big guns.'' He's got good ratings using them this month. So right now he looks like a genius. But what happens if the company has to endure tough times this year or next? Where will all these high-priced wrestlers be? Here? Or gone?

XWL is hardcore. But it took a few lessons to get the big stars even bigger contracts and to bleed themselves.

...

- Look for Heat Seeker and Serpent to wrestle a brutal match before they join forces to battle the Kobra Lair. An idea being considered is the formation of another Serpent's Lair with the rest of the Vipers and Crusher.

- Lowlife suffered a broken wrist when the shelves fell on him last night.

Also, Malik suffered bruised ribs when Electro fell on him. He will be out of action for about a month. Where does the takeover bid go from here? Look for 8666 and Reave to get the tag titles.

- Victor Slaughter will probably join Cobra's Lair after he unsuccessful ly feuds with the DEATH STALKERS.

Feb. 22, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Did Victor Slaughter really hit Heat Seeker? Consider the following:

Victor Slaughter was involved in one mess with Cobra's Lair and Victor attacked the Death Stalkers. Adrian Lucas is in the Death Stalkers. The Death Stalkers got in the way of Kobra once, which may have been enough. Trey Rison, Victor Slaughter's best friend, is in the Lair. But he just almost became a fan favorite.

Our guess? It gets dragged out for a week, then Slaughter pops Heat Seeker and joins the Lair.

- Look for Electro to lead the Death Stalkers. Under him, 8666 + Reave will win the tag titles and Spector will get a title run. It is widely rumored that Electro will win For Whom the Bell Tolls.

- Heat Seeker vs. Kobra will be the main event at Anarchy. The usual heavyweight title match will happen sometime before then. Which raises several questions, like, huh? XWL breaking format at a two-hour show. Huh?

- The National Champion will be crowned at Anarchy. Those competing for the new title, which will be the equivalent of a number one contender title, will be: Heat Seeker, Coldblooded, Kevin Mash, Victor Slaughter, Alley, Edan LePage, Hack Viciously and Dead End.

THE I IN UNION - Feb. 26, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

Kevin Mash claims many things on the air which, unfortunately, have a ring of truth. The biggest was that John Leary has overspent in recent weeks.

Leary justified the dollar days by saying in the next five years, the profits from advertising, merchanside, and ticket sales will be huge, so huge that the salaries will be under budget. But what if...

What if the company folds in three months?

What if there is a good free agent you can no longer afford?

What if you can't re-sign your mid-carders?

What if the Adrian Lucass, Raiders, Serpents and Kobras get boring. What if the fans are sick of Victor Slaughter or Crusher, and Heat Seeker just isn't the franchise in development?

Granted, Kevin Mash does not deserve $400,000 a year. But does Bram Corbett, who has been the richest mid-carder in recent months? He can't break into main events consistently. Only when the big stars take a night off do the Bram Corbett and Chris Slaughters get their chance outside of a giant push.

Mash's concept is good, but obviously he is thinking of himself. He was not kidding about being offered a salary based on matches, but it was actually $1,000 per match. Unstable money. And it would be easier to say goodbye than make a commitment.

Is this all an angle? Time will tell. Hack Viciously said Leary may have about 15 of the best who are being paid the best. But you can't keep going with so little talent, especially if some get injured. And let's not forget the age issue. The highest paid guys are all pushing 40.

- Crusher was injured during the main event against the Death Stalkers. It is unknown the extent of the injury, or exactly what the injury is. Raider is also banged up according to our sources, which is the reason why he has lost a few matches recently.

- Kevin Block officially retired today. He had been down to one match a month, but he says his body can't take the hardcore abuse. He would like to get into booking or some other role in the organization.

March 1, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Coldblooded was released from the hospital early this morning. Hospital officials would not comment on specific injuries. Most believe the accident was a set-up, but others report hearing the call go over the police scanner. Time will tell.

-Kevin Mash apparently refused to go to the hospital and got into a brawl with Bram Corbett off camera. Both men were almost arrested, but Mark Weight smoothed over whatever was wrong.

- Crusher's injury was to his shoulder. He is expected to be at Tuesday's For Whom the Bell Tolls.

- Raider says he has been losing to set up an underdog angle for For Whom the Bell Tolls. He says he must overcome this slump if he ever wants to get at the champion.

- Friday Night Live will become two hours starting in April or May. John Leary wants to start showcasing more guys and feels that this will help develop more in-depth feuds than what has been seen this month. Fans say this has been once of the greatest months in XWL. Go figure.

- As for Kevin Mash's accusation? If the Bram Corbett thing didn't happen, there would be no doubt it was all part of a brilliant plan. But these other events are a monkeywrench. Maybe Crowbar was sent to end Kevin Block's career.

- Look for The Prowler to get, and hold onto, the TV title. Leary wants to do something to The Prowler, and has been meeting with the man all week, we hear.

March 8, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- John Leary was upset by Raider winning at For Whom The Bell Tolls, our sources say. Several reliable sources reported Leary was yelling at Raider in the parking lot minutes after the show went off the air. Raider apparently didn't even realize he won because he had fainted from exhaustion before Nihilist nailed the superplex.

- In case you missed it, Crusher did not give up or pass out. His shoulder was too injured to even lift. He was admitted to an area hospital that night and will have several tests done.

- Nihilist has become XWL's number three booking man. Now, the only person with more say over Nihilist's matches is Serpent, but only if they face each other, which now is unlikely as they are heading down different paths. After losing the match to Raider, Leary granted the booking power as compensation.

On a side note, Serpent and Nihilist are good friends. There has been a rumor of Serpent, Heat Seeker, Nihilist, Alley, and The Prowler forming a stable, but Serpent probably won't agree to it. Right now.

- It is widely being rumored Serpent is setting up the fans and the wrestlers he is helping. Why? Remember, Serpent said he was annoyed by his character a couple of months ago. At first we saw a sadistic wrestler. He's still sadistic, but now he's helping out his old enemies. When Serpent starts being helpful, look for something worse than just a sucker punch and a speech.

- Could Heat Seeker be champion by the time he is scheduled to face Kobra? Why else would Kobra and Heat Seeker be in the main event? Every two-hour special has featured a heavyweight title main event, except the last special.

- Seizure has impressed Leary in matches against Edan LePage. Look for a short feud which will push him up higher on the depth chart. Seizure has yet to pin a quality opponent.

March 11, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

- Electro, the REAL Electro, was wrestling March 9 in Japan (along with other stars like Alley, Adrian Lucas, Raider and Heat Seeker). So who attacked The Prowler and jobbed to Spector? Is this legal?

- Crowbar and Coldblooded both went to an area hospital after their match. Crowbar was in stable condition this morning and Coldblooded was released late last night. Everyone has called this match one of the best hardcore matches.

- Will there be a Raider vs. Adrian Lucas match at Anarchy? Doubtful. Look for the Death Stalkers to weasel out a match and/or injure Raider severely.

The other possibility is a match between Victor Slaughter and Adrian Lucas. Nobody is still sure if Adrian Lucas was even supposed to win. If Adrian Lucas escapes with the title, he'll have to eventually face Raider, and Crusher is contractually owed a rematch this year.

And now...onto spoilers/rumors. Read at your own risk.

DEATH STALKERS SCHEME REVEALED (SPOILERS GALORE)

If you don't want to know where the Death Stalkers takeover is heading, don't blame me after you read this information XWL doesn't want you to know. I'll give you a moment to decide.

First, a history lesson. When the Death Stalkers signed, it was announced that a seven-member group was under contract. Malik, Sapper, Reave, Electro, 8666 and Spector. You see? Those are six people, not seven.

Fast forward a few weeks. It's Oct. 27. Electro has just won a match against Bram Corbett. Then, suddenly, we cut to the back where six people are assaulting Raider with a pipe, ruining Raider's match (and shot at a title) later that night. Electro is still in the ring.

Now, the reality is that the assault could have been filmed anytime. That's what Leary wants you to think.

Jan. 8. Electro vs. The Prowler at a house show. Electro sustains some kind of injury, according to several sources in XWL. His match against The Prowler is scrapped for the Jan. 12 show. Adrian Lucas takes the spot.

All night long, the Death Stalkers ruined matches and kicked ass. Electro wasn't even at the taping. Look at the video. Six guys.

Now, the present. Electro, in Japan, the same night attacks The Prowler in America and jobs to Spector. Electro doesn't speak, despite apparently taking the reigns a week earlier in Strauss' absence.

Complicating things a bit, Electro twisted an ankle and won't be wrestling for a couple of weeks. Which, amazingly, works in their favor again. Planned injury? Fake injury?

Yes!

Our sources say Electro will claim he didn't do several nasty deeds while everyone gets pissed off at him for sneek attacks. Electro claims a set up.

After weeks of ass kickings and forgetting about the unimportant TV title, Strauss returns. Electro is kicked out of the group until he does things the old-school way, like family.

One week Electro will be with the Death Stalkers, another he will not. Electro will finally run into Electro. Strauss will tell Electro to meet the new Electro. The better one.

Electro is attacked by Death Stalkers, especially the fake Electro. Strauss will win the National Title at some point. The fake Electro causes the real Electro the match and an Electro vs. Electro match happens.

Electro wins, or does he? Death Stalkers claim no, but Electro says he won. More feuding. Strauss vs. Electro is signed. Electro wins. A rematch fails for Strauss. Strauss says the takeover isn't going to end like this.

After a while, Electro takes a chance to challenge the world champ. A ''mutual respect'' rivalry becomes more personal. Electro asks for more authority in XWL. Champ grants it.

Fake Electro resurfaces. He reveals they are identical twins. Death Stalkers jump Electro and when the big match finally happens, there's one final swerve. The fake Electro is in the ring.

We see Electro fight through the Death Stalkers with help from security. Electro runs out. The fake one and the champ are shocked. The champ and Electro knock out the fake one.

The champion extends his hand. They shake hands. And then, Electro delivers one hell of a knockout punch. Then a reign of terror begins. Electro rejoins the Death Stalkers.

Interestingly, August's FreePPV is titled Reign of Terror.

Electro will have the heavyweight title. Strauss will probably win back the National Title, Spector will have the TV title, and they'll likely have the tag titles around this time.

SERPENT TO SAVE XWL? - March 18, 1999

By Mack "The Knife" Hunter
XWL Staff

Rumors about Serpent turning evil, blackly evil, still are circulating among XWL's top bookers. He has made friends with the now popular Heat Seeker and will likely become friends with the rest of the Vipers as they feud with the Lair. Serpent has already saved Alley on a few occasions. And he just tried to save Raider last week.

Serpent will be at an interesting point by the time the Death Stalkers are in the driver's seat (see last week's column for more information) His match with Kobra will likely happen on a Friday show in May or June. Or ... Serpent could shortly turn on Heat Seeker, thus alienating the Vipers and Raider, if the betrayal is sickening enough. Thus, a long string of matches is set up. Serpent vs. The Prowler. Another Serpent vs. Alley. Serpent vs. Nihilist. Then the ultimate showdown as Serpent fights Heat Seeker.

Could Serpent end up taking over the Lair then. Or could Serpent get even lower. Reform the Lair, and then turn on them. The only thing that would make that happen is if Kobra gets the XWL title.

If he stays like he is though, Serpent would conquer the Lair first and then betray the Vipers. If the Union is the wild card, Leary will recruit Serpent to take care of Kevin Mash like he did the last time. For a price. Serpent agrees. A shot at the champion. In some type of gimmick match. Possibly and electrified cage match with no escape where the loser must submit.

Or, Serpent could stay a fan favorite all the way. Problem is, the bookers can only propose these ideas to Serpent, who has full control over his character. While these may pose some interesting angles, nothing is for sure.

- Serpent with his booking power, has decided to tone down house show violence, especially the blood and high-risk moves. Serpent believes all the best should be put on TV.

He convinced John Leary of this by reminding him all the carnage shortens careers. He said several wrestlers are working injured, mostly sustained because their bodies were not allowed any recovery time. He also feared XWL becoming even more violent than ECW.

- Leary has been misusing Monkeywrench. He has wrecked what was going to be a great successful rise to the top from the bottom. Unless a contract is worked out though, look for angles to remain unclear around guys like him, Dead End, Python, Lowlife and others.

April 3, 1999

- EBN will air the replays of the live programs starting at 11 p.m. instead of the curent midnight replay. The company will also occasionally run a special ''informerical'' at various times which will focus on the best matches ever held in XWL and advertise all of XWL's merchandise, like the ECW syndicated paid program. There is discussion of that show being put onto other cable channels to help get viewers and will have a second motive: to get more cable companies to pick up EBN.

April 7, 1999

- It looks like the Snake Pit, which was supposed to contain the Vipers, Heat Seeker, Serpent and Raider, has been scaled down to only feature the latter three. This was hinted at by the end of Anarchy. Early indications are that Anarchy is equal to or surpasses the last two FreePPVs. To voice your opinion, click on the link at the bottom of the page.

- Looks like the two hour Friday Night Live will not debut until May. No reason was given for the delay.

April 8, 1999

- One of the main events at May Day could be Serpent and Heat Seeker vs. Kobra and Deuce. The other will likely be Adrian Lucas vs. Raider, a match which will happen after Adrian Lucas's brutal attack at Anarchy.

- Possible feuds: look for Hack Viciously to feud with former Serpent's Lair cohort Zohar. It got started when Zohar tossed Hack into an exposed steel post and continued with Hack giving Serpent a chair to knock out Zohar. Of course, the Lair reunion was completed when Hack knocked Serpent's head bloody with the same chair. Could we see a triple threat match? Dead End vs. Bram Corbett comes to mind now as the Union has expanded. Also, John Leary may be forced to fight with Kevin Mash on screen after the two lay downs in the national tournament. Raider will want Adrian Lucas's blood. And the obvious Death Stalkers vs. Vipers and Serpent and crew vs. Kobra and crew. Can't wait to see what else is in store.

April 11, 1999

Look for Fred Verge to get one last match against Zohar or Bram Corbett to continue the Union vs. management angle. Fred will get ''seriously injured'' and be forced into retirement a year before his contract is done. John Leary will use it to point out how dangerous wrestling is, while Kevin Mash will use it to show John Leary as a heartless boss. The JFK film is in production, by the way. It will create a shadowy conspiracy at the top level by John Leary to punish wrestlers and end careers.

April 12, 1999

- Who else might join the Union? It looks like the original HVC could be reunited after the Union save Puncture from serious injury on FNL. Puncture's nose was broken and he will miss about four weeks. Apparently, Puncture's collapse was not a set up, as he was brought to an area hospital, where it was determined he passed out from pain from a migraine which the broken nose set off. Magnus Murray Head will likely be invited to join this week.

Other possibilities remaining: Ulysses, Badger, Issei, DJ Torrid, Python and Monkeywrench. Monkeywrench is an unlikely candidate since Lowlife and he are bitter enemies.

April 13, 1999

- JFL (John F*ckin' Leary), the conspiracy movie produced by the Union, will debut on FNL this week.

- John Leary is keeping the following off TV unless they sign contracts by the end of this month: Daniel Ryder, Backstop, Issei, DJ Torrid, NBC and Ulysses. As for the Union and future members, look for them to be kept out of the ring and Kevin Mash to be stripped for not getting booked for the next 30 days. They'll probably protest and form a (violent?) picket line near the ring entrance area.

April 15, 1999

- John Leary is considering getting rid of disqualifications and count outs. So far, bookers have been mixed about the idea because any shot at becoming a "legitimate" family organization will disappear, and no doubt the bloodshed will skyrocket.

Serpent agreed with the idea, as long as run-ins don't increase. He says there is no point to having no rules if men will hide behind their cliques.

- FNL will kick off the two hour edition in May. Money concerns were said to be the cause of the delay.

April 17, 1999

- The Union FNL will set up a feud with the Death Stalkers. It looks like the feud will be ugly for a couple of weeks, then just die to let the Death Stalkers ascend. Once at the top, and they put out some of John Leary's main eventers... enter Union. The strongest group in the company will re-sign, beat down the Death Stalkers, and John Leary will apologize and vow to never treat anyone like an employee again. Unless they can't work out an agreement. The whole problem with this angle is not being able to tell if this is all planned out or not. Python showing up is the biggest giveaway.

But if (a big if) this is not a set-up, well, XWL will have some tough times filling out their cards. New additions of Fixxxer, Cain, Ill, Sharc, Fox, Wolverine and Gravedigga have yet to dent the XWL scene. While they fill out the opening act slots at arena shows, they haven't been allowed to get into a feud because of XWL's depth. Crowbar vs. Coldblooded, which has great potential, and was even the main event of one FNL, has been bumped due to the Union vs. management and Kobra's return.

April 19, 1999

- Victor Slaughter vs. Deuce, which was bumped from Friday's show, will likely undercard the main event tomorrow. The main event is rumored to be a big title defense for Adrian Lucas to lead up to a showdown with Raider.

- Look for The Prowler's heel turn shortly. XWL has set up the Viper rift recently to move this story along.

April 21, 1999

- Adrian Lucas was pissed he had to lose so soon after winning the belt in one of the greatest matches in XWL's history. Especially since it was obvious Raider wasn't doing too well from the start.

Serpent is another person upset by the constant turnover at the top:

"It's like, when you win the title, suddenly you can't win cleanly anymore. This attitude disgusts me. I mean, you build up a guy's character for a couple of months or longer, and he wins a title. He never defends it on TV, and when he does, it's a loss to the next guy. Raider is a phenomenal performer, but mark my words: he will fall soon. There has only been one guy who used the title to create angles every week: me. Hack Viciously lost the title after putting together the greatest string of matches together leading up to the win. Chris Slaughter. What a move that was. He is the longest champ in our history and had two feuds! Crusher got robbed. He should still be champ and should have beaten ME back in August. Adrian Lucas? He had potential to (expletive) everybody for a year. He was creating a rivalry with Raider which got cut way too short. He was pissing off wrestlers left and straight and behind and right. But whatever. We'll see where we're going with this."

April 22, 1999

- The Prowler may fight Nihilist at May Day. Look for it to be ugly if it happens. Speaking of ugly, the barbed wire match between Deuce, Kobra, Heat Seeker and Serpent will be the first of its kind to be shown for free uncensored. Look for those four to get a lighter wrestling schedule for the next couple of weeks, but their interview time to increase.

April 24, 1999

- Infomercial XWL ("In Your Face") has been taped and will begin airing Wednesday on EBN. It is scheduled to run four days at various times. The hour-long show will be on: Wednesday at 6 p.m., Thursday at noon, Saturday at 11 a.m. and Sunday at 3 a.m. Michael Hawk will host the show, which will feature extended highlights of the greatest matches in XWL history. Matches included on the first show will be:

• 12/1/98 Orion vs. Coldblooded.
• 2/2/99 Zohar vs. Alley (ladder match)
• 10/2/98 Adrian Lucas vs. Edan LePage (no DQ)
• 12/15/98 Magnus Murray Head vs. Seizure.
• 9/18/98 Nihilist vs. Heat Seeker (balcony match)

XWL will also hype its EBN shows and XWL merchandise.

April 26, 1999

- In case everyone forgot: Crowbar is feuding with Coldblooded. It's been just about a month since their last encounter. Earth to XWL! Your hottest feud could help fill out one of your shows. Don't invest all the time into Serpent, Kobra and the Union. This is the worst execution of a feud in the history of this company. It started in February, didn't it? There's only been one match with no gimmicks or major hardcore carnage. Can we get this done and elevate these guys to midcarders soon, please?

April 28, 1999

- With sweeps just around the corner, XWL will again try to recreate its most explosive month, February. It doesn't look like any Kobra-like talent will be reappearing, but look for feuds to be ugly. At May Day, there will be a barbed wire snake pit match and a garage match. A big title match for Nihilist is also set. The Union will be less active in wrestling as the members are ''barred'' from XWL sanctioned matches. Translated, if, say, Kevin Mash were to somehow get into a match and used a weapon, he'd probably be taken out of the building or beaten. Electro's twin? The Prowler gets dirty. And Python will be back, and very angry.

April 29, 1999

- May Day looks like this so far: Heat Seeker + Serpent vs. Deuce + Kobra (snake pit barbed wire match); Coldblooded vs. Crowbar (garage match) ; Edan LePage vs. Orion is some type of chair match; Nihilist vs. The Prowler; Kevin Mash vs. Chris Slaughter; Zohar vs. Hack Viciously; and Bram Corbett vs. Dead End (very unsure) . Also, look for a tag title and TV title match. There may be a three-way dance for the tag straps between Death Stalkers, Union and Lair.

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