Chicago Sun-Times: WCW coming back to Chicago with Stampede

oday will be the first pay-per-view for the new WCW. World Championship Wrestling puts on its Spring Stampede from the United Center.

The Stampede returns to the Chicago area for the first time since 1994, when the inaugural event was held at the Horizon. That card featured the classic double-pin match between Ric Flair and Ricky Steamboat. On this year's show, with all the current titles being held up by Vince Russo and Eric Bischoff, all the gold is on the line.

In the main event, Jeff Jarrett will face Diamond Dallas Page for the WCW world title. Jarrett is the chosen one, but don't count out the relationship DDP has with Bischoff. DDP is hot right now with Kimberly back on his side, so don't be surprised if Page becomes the three-time WCW champion.

There will be a tournament to declare a new WCW United States champion, with Kidman, Booker, Sting, Scott Steiner, Vampiro, The Cat and The Wall battling for the strap. In a suicide six-man elimination match for the cruiserweight title it will be Juventus Guerrera, the Artist, Chris Candito, Crowbar, Shannon Moore and Lash Leroux.

Another tournament will be held to declare new tag champions, with Team Package, The Mamalukes, Harlem Heat, and Buff and Shane Douglass entered. Buff can be heard on the hotline claiming, "All the guys who bust their butts were the ones kept down. With Eric and Vince Russo that will all change." The Hardcore title will be up for grabs between former champions Norman Smiley and Terry Funk. If "Monday Nitro" was any indication, Russo and Bischoff should be pulling out all the stops to make this the best WCW PPV in recent memory.

`NITRO' CLOSES RATINGS GAP: The new WCW sparked the interest of the fans, with "Nitro" making a bit of a jump in the Nielsen ratings last week. "Nitro" did a 3.1 off hours of 3.6 and 2.6_up from hours of 3.1 and 2.1 two weeks ago. "Raw" was down a bit as well, doing a 5.7 first and 6.6 second for a 6.2 total.

HEARD AROUND THE RING: Strong rumors indicate that The Undertaker could be making his return to the WWF at Backlash to cost HHH the title against the Rock. UT is still four to six weeks away from an in- ring return but could be coming in early to help out the ratings. . . . The WWF will be staying on the USA network. The two sides have signed a deal through 2005. . . . Shane Douglass has signed a two- year contract with the WCW and will get a major push. He could be reforming the Triple Threat with Candito and Bam Bam Bigelow. . . . Despite leaving for the WCW, Mike Awesome has honored his ECW contract and dropped the world title Thursday night. . . . The APA T- shirt of the Acolytes is now the No. 1 seller in the WWF. . . . Despite what Bischoff may have said, look for the Outsiders to reunite soon and possibly have Easy E on their side. . . . The Rock required stitches after "Raw" Monday night and is looking to take on a more hardcore persona. . . . ECW's Hardcore Heaven will take place in Milwaukee in a 3,500-seat arena. A Dreamer vs. Raven main event is likely.

HOTLINE: An exclusive interview with Buff Bagwell on option 5, a new ECW champion who you won't believe, plus all the detailed results of the Spring Stampede PPV on the hotline at (900) 454-SLAM.