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Could you please explain the "forgotten" title changes. Were the accidental 3 counts in the ring, last minute changes?
In some cases, they were title changes that were done locally (such as Ric dropping and regaining the belt from Harley Race in New Zealand) that were done without the NWA's permission or the night Ric chose to drop the belt to Jack Veneno (as seen in the video above) in The Dominican Republic because he rightfully realized that if they did a screwy finish, the crowd would riot. In those cases, the change was done and ignored in the official mythology of the NWA, but they happened.
Was Antonio Inoki the WWF champion or not?
He was, but it's pretty much ignored in the WWE pantheon. He beat Bob Backlund for the title in Japan, but it was never acknowledged here in the United States. There was a disputed finish against Backlund that led to the title being declared vacant, but again, it was never announced in the United States. Backlund then defeated Bobby Duncum in a match at Madison Square Garden, but didn't come out with the title. He was handed the belt when he won the bout, so technically, he regained the belt there but again, it was never officially announced to the fans. WWE's website listed Inoki as an official champion years ago for a brief time but then yanked that and even when he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, the title win was never announced.
Any chance of The Undertaker vs. Abyss at Wrestlemania?
No. Abyss was hired to be a producer.
I've read that in the old Apter magazines, several of the writers were simply Bill Apter using a psuedonym. I'm curious if this is true, particularly in the case of heel columnist Dan Shocket who supposedly died of cancer.
Dan Shockett was a real writer. There were times that Bill and others wrote as other characrers including Matt Brock and Liz Hunter. I can tell you that Stu Saks, Bill Apter, Andy Rodriguez, Bob Smith, Brandi Mankiewicz, Steve Anderson, Dan Murphy and Eddie Ellner are all actual people, although knowing Apter, he could have been lying to us about his identity all this time!
Do you think WWE will remove Sunny from their Hall of Fame?
I think if it was going to happen, it would have by now. Instead, they will quietly ignore her.
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