Good SpOrts
babyand me
W51
Three Jews
In Tights
Scott Warheit
AppleTree Staff Writer
B
ill Goldberg, Scott "Raven"
Levy and Dean (Simon)
Malenko — household
names for the average 4-5 million
people who watch World Champi-
onship Wrestling on a weekly
basis.
These three men have a lot in
common: all have been, at one
point, world champions, and all
share their Jewish heritage.
Bill Goldberg, the former Atlanta
Falcon football player, is new on
-: the wrestling scene. However, he
. is t n h e most popular man in WCVV
today. Fans by the thousands
chant his name during WCW's
i weekly TV broadcasts, "WCW
i Monday Nitro" and "WCW Thun-
der." After only a short time in the
sport, Goldberg found a following
: because of his athletics, move-
: ments and his quick work beating
opponents. Most of his matches
lasted under one minute as Gold-
; berg would tackle opponents with
i a "Spear" and his finisher, the
"Jackhammer."
Goldberg quickly moved up the
WCW ranks and became the U.S.
champion, having a record of 75-
O. Ironically, he defeated Levy to
: claim the title.
Goldberg racked up more impres-
1 sive wins and on a "Monday
Nitro," got his shot at the world
title. After defeating Scott Hall,
1 Goldberg defeated the best-known
professional wrestler in history, Hol-
lywood Hulk Hogan. Even Hogan
Scott Warheit, an admitted
sports fanatic, attends North Farm-
! .
ington High School.
could not fight his way out of the
"Jackhammer."
Goldberg, in a recent interview
with Blake Eskin of the Jewish
I Weekly Forward, said he was
"thinking of requesting the Star of
David on my trunks."
Levy has taken a different road to
the top. After floating around
1 WCW, and the better-known
World Wrestling Federation, Levy
-i found himself in Extreme Champi-
1 onship Wrestling of Philadelphia.
I He became champ, infamous for
his extreme and violent style of
wrestling. After he conquered
ECW, he went back to WCW and
was given time on TV to spew his
views about whatever he saw fit.
He also attacked opponents and
defeated Diamond Dallas Page for
the WCW United States Title.
Raven, while he doesn't have the
I fan following Goldberg does, has
his own "flock," a group of
wrestlers who look to Levy as their
leader.
Dean Simon, or Dean Malenko
as he is known to the wrestling
world, earned his fame as a techni-
1 cal wrestler. Like Levy, he became a
i champion in ECW before moving
1 to WCW. Simon is a second-gener-
anon superstar, as his father, Boris,
,
I also was a big name in the past.
Dean won the U.S. title and has
1 had three reigns as crusierweight
champ, becoming one of the first to
accomplish such a feat; he's now
trying to regain the belt from Chris
Jericho.
This year, Simon was named the
number one, pound-for-pound,
i wrestler in the world, by the most
1 respected wrestling magazine in the
1 world, Pro Wrestling Illustrated. ❑
,•
a/16
Witld g :
La Shana Tova
Loretta, Rita and the Girls
(248) 855-3214
We accept VISA, MasterCard and American Express
HOURS
Monday - Friday 10:00-5:30 • Saturday 10:00-5:00
6718 Orchard Lake Road • West Bloomfield, MI (1/4 mile south of Maple Rd. in the West Bloomfield Plaza)
18 models in stock... Redwood & Pine
MICHIGAN'S LARGEST PLAYGROUND RETAILER
Delivery & Set-up available • We accept Visa, Mastercard & Discover
AUBURN HILLS
2391 Pontiac Road
(248)-373-0734
"Our 52nd Year"
Hours:. Mon.-Fri. 8-5:30, Sat. 8-4
Gwr
(248) 583-1300
fax: (248) 583-1305
31051 stephenson hwy
madison heights, mi 48071
under new ownership
DETROIT
J'EWEIR MEWS
Advertise in our new
Entertainment Section!
Call The Sales Department (248) 354-7123 Ext. 209
Detroit Jewish News
9/18
1998
181