In the TV control truck, Edwards says, "The good news is, it's an 18-minute tape," and he steps out to grab a smoke. In the wrestlers' lounge, basketball's Charles Barkley yuks it up with the guys, asking Ric Flair to join him for a drink across the street. First the platinum-haired Nature Boy will have to do his bit in the arena, give a trademark "Whoooa!!" and confront the show's evil wrestling boss, who--in the WCW's story line of the moment--has been conspiring to keep him from wrestling.
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The Ultimate Grudge Match
Thirty-five million viewers. Two wrestling impresarios. One steel cage. (OK, we made that last part up.) But Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff are going toe to toe inside and outside the TV ring.
COVER STORY
For the Record
Los Angeles Times Sunday November 29, 1998 Home Edition Calendar Page 87 Calendar Desk 2 inches; 38 words Type of Material: Correction
Wrestling czar--A Nov. 15 Calendar article incorrectly reported the disposition of a New York case in which Vince McMahon, the head of the World Wrestling Federation, faced federal steroid conspiracy and possession charges. McMahon was acquitted on all counts in 1994.
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Bischoff is a busy man tonight. Taunting Flair. Cozying up to Hogan. Drawing all those boos. And running the whole show, for real, backstage.
"You know, if I really wanted to milk it for ratings," he says of the Goldberg tape, "I would have put it on at the end of the show. Then we could have talked about it for two hours, really built it up."
*
Staff writer Sallie Hofmeister contributed to this story.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
The Wrestling War: Tale of the Tape
World Wrestling Federation
Titan Sport Inc.
Stamford, Conn.
Star Wrestlers: Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Undertaker, The Rock
Headed By: Vince McMahon
Quote: "We're competing against someone (Ted Turner) who has unlimited sources and doesn't have to make money and has a superior vehicle in terms of male demos, the TNT network. . .He's done all kinds of things to crush us, really. His intent was to drive us out of buisness. . .It hasn't worked out I'm happy to say."
TV Offerings*
Sat. 10-11 a.m.; WWF Livewire; on USA
Sun. 10-11 a.m.; WWF Superstars; on USA
Sun. 7-8 p.m.; WWF Sunday Night Heat; on USA
Mon. 9-11 p.m.; WWF Raw, WWF War Zone; on USA
Plus: Twelve live pay-per-view shows per year
In Syndication: WWF Shotgun and WWF Shotgun Saturday night shows in 110 countries and 10 languages
***
World Championship Wrestling
Turner Broadcasting System Inc., Atlanta
Star Wrestlers: Goldberg, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair
Headed By: Eric Bischoff
Quote: "Advertisers have to look at us as viable entertainment, a good place to move their product. . . .Wrestling has had to overcome years of being thought of as a low-rent form of entertainment no one wants to see their product on. (McMahon) is further stigmitizing our genre as not a good place to be."
TV Offerings*
Sat. 3-5 p.m.; WCW Saturday Night, TBS
Monday 8-11 p.m.; WCW Monday Nitro; TNT
