Hello again, wrestling fans. It's me, your favorite reporter, Johnny Gallivan. (yes, that Johnny Gallivan) Well, instead of passing off a few sections of my diary in place of my report, this week I thought I'd actually do some work. (say it ain't so, Johnny!)

First off, let's see what's up in the world of wrestling; and by wrestling, I mean FHW. The downturn in mainstream wrestling has really hit my favorite feds as much as it has hit the competitionless WWE. I may be weary of the other feds out there, but FHW is a hot as ever. The biggest shakeup of the week has to be HCW's (Hardcore Canadian Wrestling) arrival into the Firk. The hype was big, but they somehow lived up to it as Stevie Greene and "Sensational" Scotty Richards made their debuts. Just who else makes up this group of invaders? The rumors are flying, but it looks like we'll have to wait for the answer. Everyone knows the best wrestlers come from Canada, right? The new blood will be good for FHW. SFE have been dominating lately, and they may be very talented, but as a viewer, I'm getting bored with them. But FHW has always been in a state of flux, and nothing lasts long enough to get stale. (aren't we due for a new president by now?)

Congratulations to Tumbler for finally becoming FHW World champion. But, it looks like the title reign of the self professed "greatest high-flyer in the world" could be a short one. Tumbler has a swarm of wrestlers gunning for him, and in that respect, has certainly filled the boots of one Lee Todd. How long can Tumbles hold out against new challengers every week? Well, take this as a rumor, but I've heard rumblings of Tumbler finding himself a bodyguard to (what else?) guard his body. Despite receiving several applications from one Edmund Paine, I think Tumbler is still looking.

Well, it wouldn't be a report if I didn't mention "Bad News" Leroy Brown. Despite being retired, Leroy managed to insert himself onto Friday Night Ricochet this week. Fans, I was as shocked as you to see him bailing out his former manager (and permanent foil) Ken Holbrook. But, for the record, I think that Leroy did this more to salvage his own image than to help Ken; and maybe to convince Holbrook to keep quiet about his dirty little secret. And now, Holbrook has signed himself for a match against Shinobi III and Shinobi IV. (more on them later) The question is, just where is Holbrook going to find himself a partner? Well, you wrestling newbies might forget that Ken Holbrook is a former SWWF World Tag Team champion, and his partner?... former LWA wrestler, Jack Spade. Holbrook and Spade (along with Barbra Raymond) formed the Royal Flush in SWWF, and again in the LWA. So, Holbrook's first choice would most certainly be his former tag team partner. Although I'm not a big fan of Ken Holbrook (who is?), it would still be a nice trip down memory lane to see the return of the Royal Flush in FHW. A lot of people are talking about "Bad News" Leroy Brown stepping up to bail out Holbrook again, but from what I saw on Friday, Leroy is safer outside of the ring. He looked liked he was in a lot of pain, and despite a pretty nice spinning heel kick, he looked out of his element.

Speaking of the tag match, with Bad News' arrival last week on Ricochet, speculation is now rife on just who is under those Shinobi masks. So, as a gift for my patient fans only, I present a shortlist of possible names. Here are the usual suspects, with my thoughts on each:

"Lone Gunman" Kevin Burke
Burke was the man who first went under the Shinobi IV guise, as a play on Bad News' performance as Shinobi III in the LWA Gauntlet. (videos still available. See the LWA section for details!) Burke was also a member of the failed LWA Invasion of FHW, but hasn't been seen since. Although Burke left on good terms with Bad News, it was no secret that the Invaders were not happy with Ken Holbrook. Could it be a case of disgruntled employees? Burke is a pretty solid guess as one of the masked men.

The Sentinel
Could The Shinobi's actually be Industrial Sex and Violence? It makes sense if you look at it.

Marcus Ash
We haven't seen the bad man lately, after his latest run with Crusader in another non-affiliated fed. But, Ash and Leroy's paths have always seemed to cross, so I wouldn't put it past him to return to FHW.

Lee F'n' Todd
Shocked? Well, you shouldn't be. Lee has shown up backstage at several FHW shows in the last few months, and those-in-the-know know that Lee's current commitments are the only thing keeping him away from an FHW contract. Could it be that Lee is looking to get a taste of FHW? Is he testing the waters for a return? You might say, "But what is his connection to the LWA and the Shinobi's?" Ah, how soon they forget. Lee Todd is still the reigning LWA/Beast World Champion. And Holbrook's lack of promotion of this very fact might be reason enough to encur Lee's wrath.

Nightwing
For the same reasons and IS&V, Nightwing could be looking to get a little revenge on his former boss.

Al Snow
Just kidding. Or am I?

Pimp Daddy Pug and Hoser
The LWA's resident party pigs apparently felt "dissed" when the LWA Invasion started, and they weren't invited. As former LWA Tag Team champions, if PDP and Hoser were to arrive, they would definitely shake up the floundering FHW tag team division.

Nobody
Ok, not nobody, but nobody famous. It's possible that the Shinobi's are rookies looking to break into the business. And what better way to do it than insert yourself into a show?

Of course, I have another theory on the whole Shinobi III and IV thing. As hated as Ken Holbrook is, what if he planned the whole thing as an elaborate trick? Could this just be a ruse to try and coerce Leroy Brown back into the ring? This lends a little more weight to the chances of IS&V being under those masks. Maybe the LWA Invasion isn't cancelled... it's just on hiatus.

Well, we only have to wait a few days for the answer when Ricochet comes to us from the Cow Palace this Friday. FHW is leading up to their next big pay-per-view Takeover on August 18, and with everything going on in the Firk, they might have to book 6 hours of satellite time for this one. Reserve your tickets now!

That'll do it for me, fans. Six Feet Under is on tonight. That, and a 15-year-old single malt scotch and ice will complete my Monday night ritual. What? You thought I'd be watching wrestling? Nah. So, until next time, keep your laces tight, and your powder dry.