The May 2000 fight card has been released, and while the mainstream media is buzzing about the “Boxing Invasion,” the hardcore underground is asking much darker questions. As a historian who has tracked combat from the smoke-filled gyms of Bangkok to the neon lights of Tokyo, something about the current WWF hierarchy doesn’t add up.
The question on everyone’s lips: Why is “Stone Cold” Steve Austin fighting a 54-year-old executive like Vince McMahon when Hulk Hogan is right there?
The Hogan Enigma: Finals Bound, But Untouched
Hulk Hogan is currently on a collision course with destiny. After his February 13th victory over The Iron Sheik and his April 1st dominance over Yokozuna, “The Hulkster” has punched his ticket to the Intercontinental Tournament Finals at SummerSlam against Andre the Giant.
On paper, it’s the greatest match in history. But in reality? It looks like protective booking. Hogan is the Federation’s golden goose, and the Commission is keeping him far away from the “Indie” strikers. Austin has begged for a “tune-up” fight against Hogan to prove the 25-year-old “Rattlesnake” can take down the icon. Instead, the WWF hands him Vince McMahon—an aging administrator with zero sanctioned fighting experience.
Is this a fight, or a stalling tactic?
The “Street Fighter” Rumors: Mafia & Scripts
For months, rumors have circulated among the hardcore “Street Fighter” community that the WWF isn’t a true combat organization, but a scripted hierarchy handled by various “Mafia” interests to ensure the same legends stay on top.
These fans point to the absence of the world’s most elite “invisible” fighters as proof. Where is Sagat? Why hasn’t the “God of Muay Thai” signed a WWF contract?
The word on the street is that Sagat—once thought invincible—was actually defeated in a non-televized, underground tournament just months ago. Reports suggest a young, wandering Japanese fighter named Ryu (or possibly his American rival Ken) delivered a devastating “rising strike” that left Sagat with a massive, jagged scar across his chest.
If this is true, the WWF’s current rankings are a lie.
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Ryu (1-0 in WWF after defeating Super Mario in a sanctioned crossover)
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Ken Masters (1-0 in WWF after defeating Adon)
If Ryu and Ken have already neutralized the man who terrorized Thailand, then they, not Hogan or Andre, are the real Undisputed Champions of the world. Yet, the WWF continues to book “entertainment” matches like McMahon vs. Austin while the real world-beaters like Dhalsim and Zangief remain in the shadows, reportedly refusing to participate in what they call a “staged circus.”
The San Antonio Ultimatum
The May 31st bout between Austin and McMahon is being billed as a “Grudge Match,” but it smells like corruption. If the WWF wants to maintain credibility, they need to stop feeding their top prospects to old men and start signing the warriors from the World Warrior circuit.
Until Steve Austin is standing across the ring from a man like Sagat or Hulk Hogan, the “World of Fighting” is just a world of make-believe.