He is ansanely jealous of Sable. And Bill Apter saw it coming. During a photo shoot 18 months ago, Marc Mero reprimanted Apter's son for "looking at Sable". Now the whole world is witness to Mero's insecurity.

Bill Apter, the senior editior of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and it's sister publications, is one of the most respected men in the mat world. In his 28-year career, Apter has photographed some of the greatest and most memorable matches ever and interviewed just about every top star in the sport. His name commands respect. His presence demands attention.

Exept when he shows up for work. When Apter walks through the front door of London Publishing's Ambler, Pennsylvania, office every weekday, he becomes just another member of the PWI staff, to be treated and abused like any other.

"Hey, Bill!" Publisher Stu Saks will scream out without even saying hello. "Got those Starrcade pictures back from the lab yet?"

"Hey, Bill!" Editor-in-Chief Dave Lenker will yell out. "What did Hogan have to say about last night's match?"

"Hey Bill!" Managing Editor Brandi Mankiewicz screetches. "The Blue Meanie is on the phone". Pause. "Again."

So when Apter returned from photographing a WWf card 18 months ago, the staff of PWI wasn't exactly sitting around waiting anxiously for his account of the card.

"You're not going to believe what happened," Bill said a few minutes after arriving from work.

Nobody responded.

"Doesn't anybody want to hear what happened?" Bill asked again.

Nobody heard a word Apter said. Lenker was transcribing an interview from tape. Mankiewicz was checking her e-mail. Saks was on the phone with Senior Writer Dave Rosenbaum, asking Rosenbaum when he planned on filing his overdue copy.

Apter walked over to Lenker's desk and screamed in his face.

"You're not going to believe what happened!"

Lenker took off his headphones. "Okay, Bill," Lenker said. "What?"

"Well, I was at the WWF card last night," Apter started.

"Bill, the short version."

"Okay, and I'm backstage with Brandon..."

"Brandon?" Lenker asked. "That's very professional, Bill. What was your son doing on a photo shoot?"

"Don't worry. It was fine. He was there watching the matches, and all the wrestlers like to see him," Apter explained. "Anyway, I'm backstage shooting poses of Marc Mero, and Sable is standing right there.."

"Don't tell me. You stopped taking pictures of Mero and started shooting Sable," Saks interjected, having completed his conversation with Rosenbaum.

"Believe me, I was tempted, because she wasn't wearing much. A leather outfit," Apter said. "And anyway, Brandon's with me.."

"Bill, you took your son to a shoot?" Saks asked, having not heard Apters explanation.

"I explained that already," Apter said. "Then all of a sudden, Mero stared at Brandon, and he starts yelling at him. He's shouting, 'Why are you looking at her? Why don't you find somebody your own age, kid? What's wrong with you? Don't look at her that way!' We got out of there a few minutes later. I couldn't believe it! Here's a grown man yelling at my eight-year-old son for looking at Sable!"

"Bill," Saks said, "he was kidding around. He was fooling with you. he probably had a good laugh about it after you left."

"No, I don't think he was," Apter insisted.

"Bill," Lenker said, "don't be stupid. I've interviewed Marc Mero. He's a terrific guy with a great attitude. He loves kids."

"I don't think I'm being stupid and I don't think he was kidding at all," Apter said. "I know when people are kidding. If you ask me, he's gone a little off the deep end. That man's in big trouble. He doesn't want anyone looking at Sable. I think he's mentally unbalanced."

Everybody forgot about the incident for about a year. Then, suddenly, Mero's jealousy of Sable became public knowledge. Sable would wear tiny outfits to the ring and Mero would try to cover her up. One night, he made her wear a potato sack to the ring. When he ordered her to take off his robes for him, she instead took off the sack, revealing a skimpy bikini.

Months earlier, while he was recovering from a serious knee injury, he would fume backstage when Sable modeled WWF T-shirts on Raw.

According to Sable, she was trying to keep their names in the spotlight while Mero was injured. According to Mero, she was trying to make a name for herself because she didn't care about him.

According to Tom Brandi, Mero should stop being jealous and treat Sable with more respect. According to Mero, Brandi shouldn't stick his nose where it doesn't belong.

And, according to Apter, he predicted Mero's mental collapse.

"See," Apter said the other day. "He wasn't kidding with Brandon. He was serious. He used almost the exact same line when he thought Butterbean was staring at her the wrong way. He's unbelievably jealous of the attention she gets."

"What are you talking about?" Lenker asked, having forgotten the incident of a year-and-a-half earlier.

"Remember, he yelled at my son for 'looking at Sable'!" Apter said. "He wasn't kidding! I saw it. That was the first sign he had gone off the deep end."

"Maybe you're right for a change," Lenker said.

"You know something, Bill?" Saks said. "I think we might have a story here."

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