A new WWFE promotion probably won't consist of the current Alliance members since, as Vince McMahon told the TORCH last week, the Alliance card has been more than played out. The goal will be to create an entirely new scenario with a completely new division among wrestlers for their rosters. The WWF is again considering holding some kind of a "draft" where the leader of one promotion (perhaps Vince McMahon) and the leader of the other (perhaps Ric Flair) take turns choosing wrestlers for their roster. To avoid the hard feelings that would result from announcing the order of the draft on the air (Wresler A may be offended he is taken four picks after Wrestler C), the draft may not be aired, but the results would be revealed on TV in a potential big ratings moment. Many other ideas are being considered, also, but everyone within the WWF seems either excited or resigned to the fact that a roster split is coming.

One of the top dilemmas in the WWF right now is how to turn Steve Austin back into a babyface and still have heels for him to feud with. Although there are some proponents of Rock turning heel, because Vince McMahon is splitting the roster, the plan is for Austin to be a top babyface in one group and Rock to be a top babyface in the other. The sentiment that Austin has to turn babyface isn't so much a indictment of how he's done as a heel, but a feeling that the fans don't want to boo him. Had the fans genuinely turned on Austin, Triple H would be returning as a babyface. Although Triple H wanted to return as a babyface, he is willing to return as a heel. He is not the least bit happy about it, though. The WWF needs heels more than babyfaces if Austin turns babyface. Austin and Rock are the top two babyfaces for each separate roster, that leaves a top four heel group of Triple H, Kurt Angle, Booker T, and Chris Jericho. That's not a bad selection to work with. As reported last week, there has also been talk of turning Undertaker, although the sentiment is that there have been too many turns recently and that Taker should be a hotter babyface before he turns so that it actually means something. As McMahon explained in his interview with the TORCH last week, he expects that by splitting the roster in two, currently underutilized talent will have a better chance to shine in key segments because they'll be starters, not back-ups, as Ross might be apt to say. Austin has made it clear in so many words that he wants to return to being a babyface. Austin's royalty checks are a lot smaller as a heel than when he was a babyface, but the main reason is he realizes the fans won't accept him fully as a heel. Jim Ross continues to be linked strongly to Austin in terms of behind the scenes political alliances, and Ross is among those pushing for Austin to be turned.

The negotiations with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash are at an impasse and no more talks are scheduled at this time. Hall and Nash feel insulted by the WWF's offer, according to sources familiar with negotiations. Apparently the WWF has offered each of them a downside under $500,000 per year, and won't budge on the number of dates per month they want them to work. Another familiar source with both side's demands says that the main problem is neither side's desire to blink first. There are still a number of WWF officials attempting to talk Vince McMahon out of re-signing Hall and Nash. Since both sides have so much to gain, it's considered by some to be inevitable a deal will be worked out, but it may be a while. It will take either business dropping more for the WWF to blink, or business getting better for Hall and Nash to blink. Right now both sides are being pretty stubborn.

Credit: The Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter. Subscription information available at http://www.ProWrestlingTorch.com