CONSPIRACIES On Trial - notorious wrestling matches

Wrestling Digest, August, 2001 by Steve Anderson

We take pro wrestling's most mysterious stories to court and try to separate the shoots from works

WHAT YOU ARE WITNESSING may be real. The participants are not actors ... OK, sometimes they are. But, these are actual participants in situations that have been shrouded in mystery.

They have agreed to dismiss any belief or disbelief and have the dispute settled here, in our forum: The Conspiracy Court.

The Case of the Swerving Promoter

The Summation:

WWF world champion Bret Hart was on his way out of the WWF on November 9, 1997. For budgetary reasons, Vince McMahon allowed Hart out of his lucrative, almost lifetime contract to sign with WCW. But the champion and the promoter differed as to how the title would leave Hart's possession. With producers from both the WWF and "Hit Man Hart: Wrestling with Shadows" covering the event, a shocked Hart's title was taken by Shawn Michaels in the infamous "Montreal Screw Job."

The Evidence:

The presence of documentary cameras is a significant coincidence if one is to believe that the whole swerve was an angle crafted by both McMahon and Hart. Some speculated that Hart was sent to WCW by McMahon to wreak havoc on the promotion. Eric Bischoff uncovered the plot and abused Hart with constant philosophical changes in his character and aborted pushes. All of this would lead to a grand angle leading Hart to return to battle the evil and swerving "Mr. McMahon."

The Verdict: Shoot

The number of worked-shoot angles before and since November 9, 1997, could give pause to the true believer. Nine times out of 10, an incident on camera is a work. However, the fallout following the incident reveals bitter rhetoric among both parties. Sadly, the confirmation of this situation being all too real was the all too real death of Hart's brother, Owen.

The Case of the Comedian Turned Wrestler

The Summation:

Andy Kaufman incorporated professional wrestling into his comedy act in 1981. The comedian would select women out of the audience and do battles with them. He showed up in Memphis, claiming Hollywood superiority over the local unwashed. Perennial champion Jerry "the King" Lawler took exception to Kaufman's antics, and the two men wrestled in one of the most famous matches in the sport's history on April 5, 1982. Lawler executed two illegal piledrivers on Kaufman, who was purportedly sent to the hospital. The feud did not end there, and the two battled in Memphis rings and on the set of "Late Night with David Letterman"

The Evidence:

To his dying day, Kaufman claimed to all within earshot that he hated the man who nearly crippled him. He was a master of realistic, yet macabre humor. The videotape of the famed match reveals a little more cooperation than Kaufman would admit. The backdrop by Lawler looked stiff with Kaufman's chin being forced into his chest. However, Kaufman was into yoga at the time, which would allow his body to contort in such a manner. Even as Kaufman lay "unconscious" from Lawler's first piledriver, he consciously cooperated fully for the second one.

The Verdict: Work

The controversial Kaufman biopic, "Man On The Moon," revealed that the comedian and Lawler were in on the storyline, which was one of the few facts from the comedian's life incorporated into the movie. All along, this was a case of Kaufman, a lifelong wrestling fan, fulfilling one of his dreams. Lawler recognized the value of Kaufman's celebrity status and the fame and recognition it could bring both he and pro wrestling in general. Both men were clearly ahead of their time.

The Case of the Kingly Departure

The Summation:

Jerry "the King" Lawler was firmly entrenched in his position as the WWF's top color commentator on TV broadcasts. His wife, Stacy "the Kat" Carter, was receiving a renewed push in a storyline with Right To Censor. In a day that is to this day shrouded with mystery, Vince McMahon decided to suddenly release the Kat from her contract on February 27, 2001. Loyalty to his spouse forced Lawler to walk out with her. One week later, Paul Heyman, the King's past on-air adversary, replaced him as the color man on "RAW."

The Evidence:

A convoluted situation that is lacking in concrete facts corroborated by both sides created all types of theories. Weeks before the Lawler-Carter departure, Jim Ross forecasted roster cutbacks in his online column. Could he have been speaking of them? And what does Heyman's arrival fresh out of ECW have to do with all of this? Heyman's creative influence over McMahon could have played a role in Lawler's departure, thus allowing Heyman to become the top wrestling commentator after years of being away from the headphones.

The Verdict: Shoot that could become a work

The situation seems all too real and all too resolvable. In fact, the real-life ousting of Carter and Lawler could become a compelling WWF storyline. Wrestling art imitates life. "The King" could return in the arena crowds, pleading his case that Heyman was the mastermind behind the controversy. An incensed McMahon could begin a feud with the insurgent Heyman, creating a full-blown WWF vs. ECW storyline.