Wcw Serves Up ‘Torture Rack’

Thu., Sept. 18, 1997

By Winda Benedetti windab@spokesman.com

Is it real?

It depends on who you ask.

Fans and promoters of a certain type of wrestling - the kind in which participants are prone to wearing masks and bearing snazzy nicknames like The Undertaker or Jake the Snake - would tell you it’s all very real.

Moves like the “torture rack” and “rolling leg-split” couldn’t possibly be faked. And those are real punches, too, man.

Skeptics, of course, would scoff at such a notion. They’d say it’s all a bunch of hooey cooked up by over-muscled, over-coiffed big mouths.

To say the least, it’s a touchy subject.

Certainly more than one journalist has been manhandled upon questioning the authenticity of professional wrestling to the wrestlers themselves. (Here we use the term wrestlers loosely.)

But who really cares about reality?

When World Championship Wrestling rolls into the Spokane Arena tonight, real broken bones or not, the fans are gonna gobble it up like a couch potato eats up the afternoon soaps.

Only they’ll get to see it live.

And who doesn’t want to be on hand this evening when Diamond Dallas Page faces “Macho Man” Randy Savage in a Death Match. (For those unfamiliar with this … uh … sport, it appears no one is actually expected to die.)

Konan will take on Rey Mysterio Jr. in a Grudge Match while the Steiner Brothers grapple with the Harlem Heat for some tag-team action.

In the main event, “Total Package” Lex Luger teams up with the Giant (he stands 7 foot, 4 inches and weighs 450 pounds) for a tag-team battle against Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.

And as if all this weren’t enough, fans can also watch as Curt Hennig battles Jeff Jarrett and Alex Wright takes on Ultimate Dragon.

The show, er, I mean the competition begins at 7:30 p.m.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: World Championship Wrestling will be held tonight at 7:30 in the Spokane Arena. Tickets are $10 to $20, available at the Arena box office, G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.

This sidebar appeared with the story: World Championship Wrestling will be held tonight at 7:30 in the Spokane Arena. Tickets are $10 to $20, available at the Arena box office, G&B; Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT.

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