Bob Barnett

Was doing some digging around looking for certain things & came across a bunch of news/notes I saved from when Bob Barnett was a main source of news from Mexico or anything re: Mexican wrestlers, especially ones in WCW. Moreso he was one of Vamp's best friends - or his lawyer if you believe anything Vamp & a lawyer say. Bob was always entertaining, one of the original internet wrestling trolls. He'd post stuff you'd really want to believe, just for the asburdity in most cases, but in general it mostly all turned out to be total horseshit either intentionally deceiving or just fucking around to see who would buy what he was selling. I don't share all this stuff to humiliate him or anything, I just think it's worth having out there somewhere since much of it is not on the internet any more or if it is you gotta go digging deep in various archives just to pull bits & pieces. I honestly look back on all this with a smile on my face remembering fun times bickering back & forth. I was a dumb kid trying to learn everything about lucha & Bob was a much older man who didn't like a kid talking back to him so we became natural enemies for a while. No idea what happened to Bob in life or whether he's still with us. If you are, shout out to Bob Barnett! Thank you for the free Stern DVD's you sent when I was getting into Howard! I hope Vamp took care of you well later in life because you were his #1 fan & probably got him gigs he'd never have been able to get on his own.


Lucha News by Bob Barnett
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*Is Promo Azteca going under? It Looks like it's going belly up. They've started bouncing checks, and the movers are at Konnan's house.
*Konnan is moving to Miami where he will get married.
*The Promo Azteca TV show is on hiatus and may not return to the airwaves until after the World Cup ends in July, if it all.
*Promo Azteca crowned it's first Heavyweight champion over the weekend in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. On Sunday night May 3, 1998, Pirata Morgan upset favorite Vampiro Canadiense to win the title. It was a screwjob ending that involved Super Crazzy. A highlight of the match was a Michinoku Driver by Vampiro on Crazzy on a steel concession stand.
*On April 24, Pirata Morgan lost a match for the IWC Heavyweight Title to Vampiro Canadiense. It's unknown if there was a title change or not as the match may have been deteremined to be a non-title event.


More stuff from Barnett
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Tommorrow's show features Vampiro's Rudo turn on EMLL champ Rayo de Nabisco during the Grand Prix tournament. Rayo forgets to put his hand up and gets a legit foot to the eye. As Vamp was leaving up the aisle, a fan came at him with a knife, and was carried out by security. Not sure if that's on the video.


News from Bob Barnett
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Looks like they are all re-signing,-maybe for 3 yrs. Most were sent letters in Spanish, stating (effective Sept 1) they couldn't work in Mexico. But Parka still is, and Psic was mentioned on a Sunday TJ show.

Vamp officially signed today-when he starts?????? I guess the week after Flair.

Pirata sold the Azteca/IWC belt to a Japanese promoter. Super Delfin has it now. Pirata is joining Pierroth and Jerry Estrada in Puerto Rico, to work fulltime. Obviously Promo Azteca es morte.

EMLL isn't drawing. Now that Vamp quit (was supposed to get the belt Sept 25), they are floundering w Rayo de Nabisco and the Diahhrea Bros on top.

Pena is drawing by selling cheap kids tickets-just look at the crowds on Galavision Monday nites.

The peso has dropped again. Some of the headliners are making about $90-$100 per show.

Lucha Looneys 7 this weekend, if the surf goes down.


Tidbits from Barnett
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It must be good! Vamp was in Atlanta today, and saw the new Konan video. He said both the song and the video were great. No-that's not a typo.
Vamp wants to play with the Misfits before some of his matches-and have a mosh pit. They said he starts between Stuporbrawl and the WCW Toronto show-which he will be on.
Both Telemundo, and WCW production, were not happy with the lucha tapings 2 weeks ago. There is no scheduled air date now. Another taping is scheduled soon.
Emilio Charles, Super Astro, Fantasma, and more are at the WPW show in Anaheim this Sunday.


Barnett in TJ
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There was no mask match. The commission decide not to allow the match after Rey had already lost it at Stuporbrawl. They threatened the promoter, Mora, with a suspension. They threatened never to allow Rey to work in TJ again, and they threatened Psicosis-by stating they would allow Pena's phony, and really shitty, Psic, to work in TJ. Rey Jr looked genuinely pissed when the fans started whistling (booing) at him after he unmasked before the match. The match was good, but short. And f'd up by a double screwjob ending featuring Rey Sr. As a sign of friendship and respect, Psic gave Rey Jr his mask when he lost-but covered up his head. The rest of the matches were nothing special. The Auditorio was nearly sold out. The magic that existed in 1996 in Tijuana is gone.
Rey v Psic will be on my new Lucha TV comp, WR12A, on Monday-along with the Vampiro heel turn v Rayo angle-Dec 4, 1998 from Arena Mex (featuring Juvi acting like a great "punk"), that was never shown in the US. As of today Vamp still doesn't have a start date.


Stuff from Barnett
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Calo passed out during his Sat match, as he was working with an unset broken nose.
Lizmark Jr broke his foot after a tope from La Porka (now 250lbs). It's a compound fracture. He may be out a long time.
Vampiro was scheduled for Nitro-and then axed when he got to Cedar Rapids. When he finally got a mgmt person to talk, he was told he was working "too Mexican?" This after 3 nights working vs Chris Adams. Of course, this mgmt person had not seen any house shows, and stated they were waiting for the axe to fall on Nash and his pals. Vamp told him he wants out. There's a booking meeting tomorrow. Maybe Vamp will get lucky and be released. The attitude backstage gets more negative by the day.
Felino did not quit CMLL-he was fired for bitching about having to job. Pena pays even worse than Lutteroth. Plus the lousy payoffs put a lot of pressure on him, as he's supporting a family, and a female luchadore mistress.
Psicosis was MIA all week-no showing the tour, and his wife saying she didn't know where he was, whatever that means.


Stuff from Barnett
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Last nite in Columbus, WCW only drew 1800. Their Weds house show was cancelled due to an advance of 300 tickets.
Rey Jr's wife found out he's having an affair with a Nitro Bimb-the small blonde.
Vamp was flown up to be on all US TV this week. This am he found out it was all a lie-as the 800 talent number had no TV bookings for him.
Bischoff didn't know what had happened to Norman Smiley-according to last week's interview. He had neck surgery-and Bischoff didn't know that?!
According to El Hijo de Assmaster, EMLL workers have gotten mugged regularly leaving Arenas Coloseo and Mexico in Mexico City-because thieves knew they'd been paid in pesos rather than checks, and had cash on them.
Zorro, Crazy, and Mr Aguila, and the minis, are taping Stuporastros today in Long Island.


News Update from Barnett
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WCW's Luchadores, most of whom are in Mexico, pulled themselves off Mexican shows, (where they work with a wink from WCW even tho they're not supposed to) and are paranoid right now-stating that a Mr K Head of Chula Vista and Miami Beach, told WCW that he wants to go to the WWF and that he wants to get most of the Luchadores off WCW. While most of this may not even be true-the Luchadores haven't a clue about their legal rights, or what their contracts even say. Maybe wanna-be rapper Mr Head is peeved over the rug being pulled out from the rap angle, and lack of prospective "rub" from Master Urine, as well as any prospective discounts on automatic weapons.


Konnan vs Vampiro stuff
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So he flies into Jacksonville on a red eye, not knowing what's going to happen on Nitro. When he gets there, Nash tells him he's going over Konehead. Vamp thought he (Vamp) was dreaming. They had never wrestled a singles match against each other. When Nash told The Head what was happening, he flipped, and tried to do the famous Konehead-filibuster-til-you-drop on Nash. Nash then told Konnan and Vamp, in front of the booking committee, that Vamp was going over strong-period, despite the finish you saw. Konnan wouldn't go over the match in advance-he was pissed. I was on the phone with a long time Head hater when Konan came down the ramp. 1 pair of ruined underwear! Konan screwed up his arm while falling wrong, and got the stuffing knocked out of him from the JUVY DRIVER. Vamp said everyone was watching the monitors, after listening to Konan badmouth Vamp for the last year. There was no shooting-just some stiff work. I thought Vamp sold good for Konan. I think he made Konan sell for him. Vamp beats Van Hairdresser this Weds, and he's involved in an angle next Monday. He got some heat for "fuck that," but it sold the DQ.