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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/sports/wrestling/8971406.htm

Sun, Jun. 20, 2004

WWE news, notes

BY JIM VARSALLONE
jvarsallone@herald.com

Ric Flair's anxiously anticipated autobiography To Be The Man goes on
sale Tuesday, July 6 at the WWEShopZone web site and wherever books
are sold. Some of the content in the book:

Flair's childhood from his adoption to a ****age affair with a married
woman.

How Flair earned a living before breaking into the wrestling industry.

Details on his first marriage, including children Megan and David.

Details on his current marriage of more than 20 years to Beth and
children Ashley and Reid.

Days of wrestling for Mid Atlantic Championship Wrestling and the NWA.

Stories about Dusty Rhodes, Andre the Giant, **** Murdoch, Ray
Stevens, Harley Race, Larry Henning, Wahoo McDaniel, Red Bastien,
Johnny Valentine, Arn Anderson, Blackjack Mulligan, Terry Funk, Roddy
Piper and many more.

Flair was taught the importance of bleeding in a match (not the
specifics of how to but more why).

How his famous robes were created.

Wrestling experiences throughout the world in places such as Japan,
Puerto Rico and even communist North Korea with Muhammad Ali.

His first stint in the World Wrestling Federation.

Going to WCW and his days with the Four Hor*****.

The good and mostly bad days at WCW.

His on- and off-screen feuds with Eric Bischoff.

How he overcame his personal struggle with a lack of self confidence
through the help of his family and a therapist.

His return to WWE.

Quotes from Ken Patera, Harley Race, Mean Gene Okerlund, Superstar
Billy Graham, David Crockett, Charles Robinson, Ricky Steamboat, Megan
Fliehr Ketzner, David Fliehr, Jim Barnett, Hugo Savinovich, Beth
Fliehr, Sgt. Slaughter, Shawn Michaels, Jim Ross, Gerry Brisco, Jim
Cornette, Arn Anderson, Chris Jericho, George South, Mark Madden,
Bubba Ray Dudley, Kevin Sullivan, Triple H, Bobby The Brain Heenan,
Earl Hebner, Steve Austin, Goldberg, Brock Lesnar, Shawn Michaels and
The Hurricane.

His honest opinions on many people in the wrestling business including
Bruno Sammartino, Ricky Steamboat, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Eddy
Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin, Bret Hart, Undertaker, Kurt
Angle, Mick Foley, Dusty Rhodes, the Von Erichs, Lex Luger, Sting,
Cowboy Bill Watts, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Brutus Beefcake, Vince
Russo, Jim Herd and Vince McMahon.

• World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. will provide its upcoming
SmackDown! brand pay-per-view The Great American Bash free to domestic
USO affiliates upon request so they can host on-base events for
military troops across the country.

The Great American Bash will be broadcast from the Norfolk Scope Arena
live on pay-per-view 8 p.m. (EST) Sunday, June 27.

The announcement was recently made at a news conference at the Scope
Arena with Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim, executive director of USO of
Hampton Roads Inc. Jeff Hill and WWE stars Sgt. Slaughter and Charlie
Haas. Also attending was Thom Prevette, vice president of Government
and Public Affairs, Cox Communications.

''Our troops and their families have shown great courage and strength
during this very difficult time, and we're proud to offer them the
opportunity to watch SmackDown!'s The Great American Bash pay-per-view
on June 27 absolutely free through their local USO,'' said Kurt
Schneider, WWE executive vice president of marketing.

Schneider said WWE will assist the USOs in working with cable
affiliates and satellite providers to work out the technical aspects
of showing the pay-per-view.

''On behalf of the City of Norfolk, I'm pleased to welcome World
Wrestling Entertainment back to Scope and to a fan base that's one of
the best in the country. We're especially pleased that next month's
Great American Bash will mark the first ever pay-per-view wrestling
event for Norfolk and the Scope arena, and I want to thank the good
folks at WWE for making this event possible,'' said Mayor Fraim.

``This will be a tremendous morale boost for our men and women in
uniform, said Hill. ``WWE has been a staunch supporter of our military
men and women, and have proven it once again by offering the Great
American Bash pay-per-view free to domestic USOs to show to the
troops. I tip my hat to the WWE and the cable affiliates and satellite
providers who are working together to make this happen.''

''Cox Communications is pleased to work with the WWE to bring the
Great American Bash free to USOs across the United States for the
benefit of our troops,'' said Prevette. ``Cox has a long record of
supplying military bases and the troops with reliable cable service.
This is a great way for us to show our support and to thank these
brave men and women for their service to America.''

WWE superstars were some of the first celebrities to visit wounded
soldiers as they returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. WWE also sent
millions of dollars worth of T-shirts, videos and DVDs, promotional
items, magazines and CDs to military personnel operating on the front
lines.

WWE SmackDown! did a Christmas special from Iraq that was broadcast to
Americans and troops around the globe on Christmas night 2003. WWE
recently received the Legacy of Hope Award from the USO of
Metropolitan Washington for its efforts in support of the troops and
USO Operation Care Package.

• Toronto Tourism is offering WWE fans a Toronto Travel Package for
SummerSlam which includes a ticket to the PPV, one night hotel
accommodation, a three-course meal at a top Toronto restaurant and a
Play-All-Day Pass to the SummerSlam Day at the Ontario Place.

Bruce MacMillan, president and CEO of Tourism Toronto said: ``We're
very excited to be working with World Wrestling Entertainment Canada,
Inc. on this new package. This offers fantastic value to wrestling
fans and gives them an opportunity to experience Toronto's unique
sense of openness, excitement and diversity.''

The SummerSlam package can be booked online at http://www.tourismtoronto.com.
The cost is $189 for Bronze, $205 for Silver and $229 for the Gold
package. Prices in Canadian dollars and do not include taxes.

• NWA Florida's Black Nature Boy Scoot Andrews, Modern Miracle Steve
Madison, Big Wiggle Norman Smiley and Antonio Banks will be wrestling
dark matches for WWE during its Florida swing on Monday, June 21 in
Miami and Tuesday, June 22 in Orlando.

Andrews just returned from a very successful trip with Portland
Wrestling. Madison recently returned from a tour of Hungary and
Austria. He is preparing for a July tour with New Japan Pro Wrestling.

Smiley is keeping busy on the independent circuit and is scheduled to
tour Egypt in September. Banks, who worked for Savio Vega's IWA in
Puerto Rico, is competing on the Florida independent circuit.

With Florida wrestling legend Steve Keirn working behind the scenes on
the SmackDown brand, it brings another voice inside WWE to promote
Florida's current talent.

• WWE Raw returns to South Florida on Monday, June 21 at the
AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami. WWE SmackDown! will be taped Tuesday,
June 22 at the T.D. Waterhouse Centre in Orlando. Tickets are on sale.

Tickets are also on sale for a Raw house show 5 p.m. Sunday, June 20
at the Teco Arena in Fort Myers, FL and a SmackDown! house show 7 p.m.
Monday, June 21 at the Leon County Civic Center in Tallahassee, FL.