Ep. #403: April 26-May 2, 2001

Kris and David are guestless this time out as we discuss the week that was April 26-May 2, 2001. Topics of discussion this week include:

• The WWF's plans for their version of WCW, with Jim Ross meeting with prospective talent such as Rob Van Dam, as well as WCW contracted talent. We also have possible announcers discussed, including the potential return of Jerry Lawler to the WWFE fold.
• A busy week in the WWF proper, as we have not only the regular TV shows, but also the Backlash PPV featuring Steve Austin and Triple H becoming the new tag champs, which meant they owned all the major titles at the time. We also have the DUCHESS OF QUEENSBURY, Steve Blackman getting in on “Chains of Love,” Shane McMahon taking yet another insane bump, Lita and Chyna starting up their Women’s Title “feud” of sorts, Stone Cold and Hunter joining Howard Stern for the Crazy Cabbie vs. Angry Black boxing exhibition, and tons more.
• The international scene, where we talk about Antonio Inoki's meeting with Mike Tyson, Rey Misterio Jr. being banned by Time Warner from wrestling in Tijuana, and all of the other news and results from outside the mainland United States.
• The U.S. indie scene, featuring a Massachusetts state senator being the figurehead commissioner in NECW, Bret Hart making a special appearance in New York, John Boy & Billy receiving the ECW TV Title belt from Rob Van Dam, Women of Wrestling having issues outlined in their latest SEC filings (because yes, they were a publicly traded company), Vince Russo laying down the law on his message board, Hulk Hogan trying to start a promotion, and a Wake Forest University study looking into how violent wrestling fans are on dates compared to the general population.

This was quite the show, and it also includes a free previous of our new Patreon deep dive special (about the real life Ric Flair-Eric Bischoff feud from 1998) at the end, so everyone check it out!!!

Timestamps:

0:00:00 WCWWF

0:50:58 WWF

2:45:58 Classic Commercial Break

2:48:45 Halftime

3:13:53 Japan: AJPW, Antonio Inoki/Mike Tyson, NJPW, Zero-One, BattlARTS, BJPW, DDT, FMW, Michinoku Pro, Osaka Pro, Toryumon, Pride FC, AJW, Arsion, GAEA, Jd’, & JWP

4:00:20 Other North America: ECCW, AAA, CMLL, IWRG, Monterrey, Tijuana, IWAPR, & WWC

4:18:50 Other USA: NECW, UCW/ICW (NY), NAWA (NY), Wrestling Zone, MarylandCW, Armstrong family, IWAMS, USACW (Prentice), Terry Taylor, MidwestCW, John Boy & Billy, Stevie Ray, Rev Pro, WOW, VinceRusso.org, Hulk Hogan/Universal, Sting on “Walker: Texas Ranger,” Athletic Commissions, & Wake Forest violence study

5:11:40 Patreon Preview: Ric Flair countersues Eric Bischoff and WCW

To support the show and get access to exclusive rewards like special members-only monthly themed shows, go to our Patreon page at Patreon.com/BetweenTheSheets and become an ongoing Patron. Becoming a Between the Sheets Patron will also get you exclusive access to not only the monthly themed episode of Between the Sheets, but also access to our new mailbag segment, a Patron-only chat room on Slack, and anything else we do outside of the main shows!

If you’re looking for the best deal on a VPN service—short for Virtual Private Network, it helps you get around regional restrictions as well as browse the internet more securely—then Private Internet Access is what you’ve been looking for. Not only will using our link help support Between The Sheets, but you’ll get a special discount, with prices as low as $1.98/month if you go with a 40 month subscription. With numerous great features and even a TV-specific Android app to make streaming easier, there is no better choice if you’re looking to subscribe to WWE Network, AEW Plus, and other region-locked services.

For the best in both current and classic indie wrestling streaming, make sure to check out IndependentWrestling.tv and use coupon code BTSPOD for a free 5 day trial! (You can also go directly to TinyURL.com/IWTVsheets to sign up that way.) If you convert to a paid subscriber, we get a kickback for referring you, allowing you to support both the show and the indie scene.

And if you'd like to support us while checking out the various promotions available on FITE TV, including their FITE+ subscription service, like BKFC, GCW, our friends at AIW and Black Label Pro, and more, you can sign up at TinyURL.com/BTSFITE.

To subscribe, you can find us on iTunes, Google Play, and just about every other podcast app's directory, or you can also paste Feeds.FeedBurner.com/BTSheets into your favorite podcast app using whatever “add feed manually” option it has.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/between-the-sheets/donations

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands