Introducing WWF’s “Smackdown!” An All Women’s Pro Wrestling Show?!?!

I receive a cold call from Bruce Prichard, then second-in-command, to Jim Ross, of WWF’s Talent Relations Department.  Although we will later become pretty close, and partiers-in-arms, I do not yet know him.  Bruce has heard that we are doing good things in Southern California. He explains to me that WWF is about to start up a new brand called “Smackdown.”  It’s to be a stand-alone all-women’s program for the Fed, and he wants to know if we can organize a Casting.  I jump at the chance, and my team and I assemble virtually every  freaky and physically astonishing woman that SoCal has to offer, from Pro Bodybuilders to American Gladiators to martial artists such as Kathy Long and Cynthia Rothrock.  Bruce shows up at EU with JR himself. We had really gone the extra distance in putting the event together and they were both very thankful and visibly impressed.  I also arrange for my Students, Sylvester “Bear” Terkay, Stefan Gamlin and  Russ McCullough to ACCIDENTALLY happen by.  Each is uniquely charismatic and has a great physical presence; collectively, they weigh in at nine hundred and twenty pounds.  Seeing these specimens, JR goes nuts, and asks if they by chance have their gear (slang for wrestling uniforms) with them.  Why, of course they do.  While all three ultimately end up getting WWF contracts, JR goes particularly nuts over Bear.  Thus begins a lengthy and protracted negotiation process, which in the end well exceeds WWF’s then-standard start up (aka “Development”) deal, landing Bear in Louisville, along with Stefan and Russ, thus depleting the UPW ranks to the benefit of WWF for the first of what would be many times.