Chicago Sun-Times: 'Raw' ratings continue to drop

On Monday night, "WWF Raw" drew a 3.9 national Nielsen rating, representing a 60 percent drop from the same period a year ago. That fact has not been lost on WWF management, which will need to shake things up in the coming weeks.

In fairness. the low rating had nothing to do with the quality of the show; in fact, it was one of the better "Raw's" in recent memory, with all the titles changing hands. The disturbing fact is that this low rating came the night after a pay-per-view event, which usually is a highly rated show.

As for the shakeup, look for the WWF to emerge victorious at the "Survivor Series" PPV in November and force the Alliance out of the federation TV space. The Alliance then would find a network home of its own, and things would return to normal--if there is such a thing.

HEARD AROUND THE RING: A new wrestling promotion based in Orlando, Fla., will kick off in November as many former WCW and ECW stars will film 14 shows to be played over three months on an unspecified cable network. Though there is no confirmation Hulk Hogan is the mind behind the organization, don't be surprised if the Hulkster is a big part of any new promotion to rival the WWF. . . . WWF stars HHH, William Regal, Booker T, Lita, Trish Stratus, Big Show, Stephanie McMahon and Kurt Angle have taped an episode of "Weakest Link" slated to air Nov. 12. . . . Steve Blackman has fully recovered from numerous injuries, but WWF bookers still are looking for a way to get him in the fold. ... Scott Steiner is considering a lawsuit against AOL Time Warner for what is being called a career-ending injury. If successful, Steiner would be prohibited from joining the WWF. . . . Earl Hebner was kept off the "WWF Smackdown" tapings in Montreal last week as fans continued their "You screwed Bret" chants, referring to Bret Hart. . . . The original plan for the "Survivor Series" was to have Steve Austin defend the WWF championship vs. Rob Van Dam with a rematch of The Rock vs. Chris Jericho for the WCW championship as the second main event. Triple H would interfere in the Stone Cold-RVD match, costing Austin the WWF title.

HOTLINE: I will reveal the angle Stephanie McMahon wanted to do on "Raw" this week that her mother, Linda, would not allow. You won't believe your ears on the hotline: (900) 454-SLAM ($2 per minute).