BEHIND THE CURTAIN
A Look From the Inside of the AWA with Andy Mancini
As we open the New Year, there is one question on the mind of every
AWA fan: who, exactly, is the AWA World Heavyweight Champion? Well,
it depends on who you ask, since the AWA hasn't themselves made any
"formal" announcement.

Larry Zybysko - According to some, the true AWA champion is none
other than Larry Zybysko. Supporters of "The Living Legend" are quick
to point out he was never beaten for the title he won over fifteen
years ago. He also has an "ace up his sleeve" in the form of his
press agent, Mister Saint Laurent. MSL has singlehandedly turned the
concept of "spin" into an art form. Still, no one will ever get a
threatening phone call from him – that's what lawyers are for.

Ricky Landell – To many, Landell is the living embodiment of the
ideals that Verne Gagne held so dear. He is a /wrestler/, not a
sports entertainer. He is also the United States Champion; a title
first worn by Verne himself in 1953. In fact, it was Verne's reign as
US champion that started the talk of forming what is known today as
the AWA. Still, there are some who feel that he is not "experienced"
enough to be AWA Champion. This reporter wouldn't count the "New
Generation Ace" out quite yet. Landell has a funny little habit of
proving his detractors wrong.

TNT – TNT doesn't have "fan club" behind him. That's just not his
style. The controversial Australian star has a entire /country/
cheering him on instead. His claim to the AWA World Title goes back
March 23^rd 2007,when he beat then-champion Steve Corino. The title
was taken away from him two days later by the AWA board of directors,
claiming that the proper paperwork had not been filed. Since that
time, the "explosive" (pun intended) star has made it his mission to
get the title back... by any means necessary.

MSL/TNT
Another day, another comment from Mister Saint Laurent. This time
around, the always outspoken mouthpiece for Team Vision has his
sights on TNT. "I sympathize with TNT," MSL said in an exclusive
interview with this website. "I've heard about how he got screwed out
of the AWA title, but he's got nobody to blame but himself. If he had
Mister Saint Laurent looking after his best interests, I guarantee
you he'd be champion as we speak. I'm all about results." TNT could
not be reached for comment.

CHASYN RANCE/NOAH LOTT
What exactly in going on in the mind of Chasyn Rance? No one is
really sure at the moment. He still claims that he is the number one
contender to the AWA Light Heavyweight Title, despite the fact that
he recently lost a "#1 contenders" match against Noah Lott in
Wisconsin. Some say that Rance is more interested in hurting current
champ Kirby Mack than he is in actually winning the title. There are
rumors suggesting that Lott is planning a "pre-emptive strike"
against Rance in order to protect his title shot. More on this story
as it comes in.

KIRBY MACK
Speaking of Kirby Mack, what exactly has the Light Heavyweight
champion been up since returning from his injury? What are his
thoughts on Chasyn Rance and Noah Lott? Who does /he/ want to defend
the title against? All of these questions and more will be answered
when "Your New Addiction" sits down with AWAstars.com. Look for this
exclusive interview to appear in a few weeks.

DEXTER POINTDEXTER
Mr. Poindexter has been quiet... too quiet. Is he planning something?
Only TJ Mack knows, and he isn't talking.

HEARTBREAK EXPRESS/TEAM ELITE/LUMBERJACKS
On October 6^th , 2007, The Heartbreak Express beat Team Elite to
claim the AWA Tag Team Titles. Since that time, Sonny Roselli and
Larry Huntley have done everything in their power to get a rematch...
and the Davis boys have done everything in their power to avoid them
completely. Well, the wait is finally over. On January 12^th, the
world finally gets to see the rematch between The Heartbreak Express
and Team Elite. And if that wasn't enough, the January 12^th show
will also feature the legendary Lumberjacks. All this reporter can
say is that it will truly be a night to remember.

NATIVE BLOOD
A team from the Southwest who once held gold in the AWA will be
making their triumphant return in the coming months. Stay tuned...

AUSTRALIAN TITLE TOURNAMENT
According to our friends and colleagues at AWA Australia, The Shark
has beaten Carlo Cannon to win "Bracket One" of the AWA Australian
title tournament. He will be joining Bracket Three winner TNT and the
winner of Bracket Two in the next round. To discover more about the
title tournament (not to mention Shark and TNT's long standing
rivalry), please go to http://www.awaaustralia.com/index.html. Expect
more information about both the tournament and its participants in
the coming months.

DAIVARI BROTHERS
Arya Daivari has been laying low since his shocking debut against
Johnny Stewart and Sheik Adnan Al Kassie in October. There are weak
rumors floating around that he is planning a strategy against his
older brother Shawn. Shawn is definitely a "polarizing figure" in the
world of profession wrestling, and the younger Daivari is supposedly
planning to deal with him head-on.

THE PATRIOT & MR. WRESTLING III
Ladies and gentleman, let me be the first to introduce you to the
premiere of /Masked Enigmas of the AWA/. In one corner we have Mr.
Wrestling III. Not much is known about this "specter from the past,"
aside from the fact that he is good friends with Steve Corino.
Speaking of "specters from the past," we have the legendary Patriot
waiting patiently in the opposite corner. In the past, wrestlers such
as Del Wilkes, Tom Brandi, and Danny Dominion have taken the mantle.
Is The Patriot one of them, or someone new entirely? Who knows...