Steerpike

Oh jeez, I am really sorry about that comment then. I must have misread something somewhere; either way, makes sense why your English was fine. 🫣 Credible show, especially you thwarting the fact that OG Lone Rider wanted his son to go over. It is really an interesting trip up to constantly have to deal with the nepotism tendencies of Lone Rider, while also handling pretty much everything else in SZW. It makes sense having two of the veterans battling for the title for a bit, while Lone Rider builds up some credibility with Rubennick. Glad you like the Strap match idea, you can have it for free. Looking forward to the next show!

WCW Saturday Night Wk 2, Saturday, September 1995 Big news coming out of Saturday Night, as the WarGames is shaping up to the showdown of the year. In lieu of Vader being out of the match, Hogan needed to find a fourth man to join him, Randy Savage and Sting. Lex Luger was put on the table and while both Hogan and especially Savage had their doubts, Sting was adamant and told them to watch Luger prove himself in their special attraction tag match tonight against The Blue Bloods. Speaking of having something to prove, Alex Wright went up against The Taskmaster and almost got the up on the harbinger of the Dungeon of Doom, if it wasn’t for Zodiac who blindsided Wright as the referees back was turned, leaving Das Wunderkind furious. Blindsided was Gene Okerlund as well, as he tried to get some answers from Diamond Dallas Page on what was going on with him and Mr. Wallstreet. DDP dodged the question, however, and went on to take a jab at Jimmy Hart and The Renegade, saying that “The TV gold is coming home where gold belongs, with the 13 million dollar man, baby!”. Saturday Night went off the air with Luger and Sting hugging after a victory over Regal and Eaton, as Fall Brawl neared. Sting suggest Luger as a fourth man to Hogan and Savage [82] Dean Malenko def. Chris Ford [43] DDP dodges questions about Mr. Wallstreet [44] Johnny B. Badd def. Allan Morley [47] Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Scott Armstrong [14] The Taskmaster readies the Dungeon of Doom for Fall Brawl [69] Kamala def. James Scott [42] Okerlund interviews Brian Pillman on his upcoming Fall Brawl match with Johnny B. Badd [67] The Nasty Boys def. Alex Bower and Scott D’Amore [36] The Taskmaster def. Alex Wright [52] Ric Flair warns Arn Anderson [89] Lex Luger and Sting def. The Blue Bloods [63] WCW Main Event Wk 2, Sunday, September 1995 The lead-in to Fall Brawl saw quite a few hellacious matches, getting the crowd ready for a pay-per-view you don’t want to miss! Gene Okerlund was on the scene with Luger, who solidified his place with the Hulkamania Alliance against the Dungeon of Doom at WarGames, saying that he had to be there for his buddy Sting. Col. Robert Parker debuted a new member of the Studd Stable, as the mentor of Kurasawa, Takamoto, made his swift work with his protege of Bobby Walker and Pez Whatley, leading into another debut of the dancing Disco Inferno who took on Brad Armstrong. The newly formed tag team of Marcus Bagwell and Scotty Riggs, the American Males, teenage heartthrobs, fell short against the Blue Bloods. Top of the card, the debut of popular luchador Eddy Guerrero raised some eyebrows in a clear match of the card against Mr. JL. Elsewhere, a smitten Sister Sherri noted how much she had fallen head over heels for Col. Robert Parker and the final Fall Brawl Control Center dared to ask, “Where is The Giant in all this?!”. Fall Brawl ‘95: WarGames is happening tonight! Lex Luger joins the WarGames [71] Kurasawa and Takamoto def. Bobby Walker and Pez Whatley [17] Okerlund interviews the Blue Bloods about the American Males [55] Disco Inferno def. Steve Armstrong [29] Gene Okerlund catches up with Sister Sherri [55] The Blue Bloods def. The American Males [53] Fall Brawl Control Center asks, “What about The Giant?” [95] Eddy Guerrero def. Mr. JL [59] ____________________________________________________ World Championship Wrestling presents... FALL BRAWL '95: WarGames "Fall Brawl explodes unto pay-per-view with a stacked card of prime wrestling matches, all from where the big boys play! Cobra finally gets his hands on Sgt. Craig Pittman, the man who left him at the frontlines of the Gulf War, Diamond Dallas Page challenges the seemingly unstoppable Renegade for the Television championship and Alex Wright looks to avenge his blindsided loss to The Taskmaster by stepping into the ring against the mysterious Maniac from the Arabian deserts. Harlem Heat look to regain the WCW World Tag team titles, while Sister Sherri has her eyes on Colonnel Robert Parker, while Flyin' Brian Pillman takes on Johnny B. Badd for the right to challenge Sting for the United States Heavyweight championship down the line. Then, in the dual main event, Arn Anderson and Ric Flair finally settle their differences, after weeks of explosive tension, while Hulk Hogan looks to put away the Dungeon of Doom in the fearsome WarGames. Don't miss the action, call your pay-per-view provider now!" Cobra vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman WCW World Television Championship Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Renegade Alex Wright vs. The Maniac WCW World Tag Team Championship Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater vs. Harlem Heat WCW United States Heavyweight #1 Contenders Match Brian Pillman vs. Johnny B. Badd Arn Anderson vs. Ric Flair WarGames The Dungeon of Doom (Kamala, Meng, The Shark and The Zodiac) vs. The Hulkamania Alliance (Lex Luger, Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage and Sting) ____________________________________________________ PREDICTION CONTEST: "Choose a new talent for WCW!" - Whoever has the most accurate predictions, gets to choose a new face for the roster going forward (out of a selection of five). I will get in touch with the winner through personal message following Fall Brawl.

Oh, this is a very exciting idea, especially if you are new to old-school wrestling; hopefully you get sucked in enough to expand beyond WWF. New eyes and such. The presentation centered around WrestleMania each year makes this a breeze to read, and it fits, seeing as it does not seem you want to be heavy on the writing or the intricacies in each show, but rather playing to the big pay-off each year. Now, I will admit, I am not the biggest fan of vacating all the titles. I would have rather seen you work around the title holders (and their egos, cough Hogan cough), but it is as it is. Especially seeing as you seem to be pushing towards crowning workers who were champions anyway (or would be very soon) to which I struggle to see the point of vacating all the titles in the first place. That being said, I do see how it is in the spirit of the game you are running and how, this being more of a exploratory diary rather than story-driven, it makes sense. Plus, you noted that you have turned on the minor variance option, so having a completely fresh start for potential rising variance makes sense. As I have said elsewhere, I love a good old-school diary so I am definitely going to follow along to see where you take the WrestleMania spirit. Huge push for Giant Gonzalez in the 90s, lets go! 😝 Going to throw in my five cents with the predictions too;

In relation to how I have noticed that prediction contests are a staple of this forum; how do people feel about prediction contest prizes? I was thinking of maybe giving out small prizes for prediction contest winners in my WCW gig (like, "Out of this selection you get to choose which worker I sign" or "Out of this group, you get to decide who I try and push", something like that) and such, or is that frowned upon?

Big fan of how intimate this is; the first person view is really a cool thing with such a small promotion. You have really found a fun way to present the ebb and flow of a TEW game, instead of just listing the various challenges and goals set for you. You mentioned that English wasn't your native language; as someone who isn't a native speaker either, I think you are doing a fantastic job. Perhaps give everything a thorough extra read, just to pick up on typos and such. Otherwise, your English is great. I really like this idea of having a bunch of older, established workers (some past their prime) bulking up the main card and roster, supported by future stars. The whole deal with The Lone Rider is a great idea, especially since it seems like he really is not very bankable to build a company around. Looking to forward to seeing how you handle that challenge and how you make it an interesting read. The Kipper versus Lone Rider could be fun, especially since they share Cowboy personas. Strap Match down the line? I am just thinking out loud here. I have always struggled with getting into the CornellVerse, and C-Verse diaries as well, but this drew me in, so I hope you keep it going. 😃

Second week of Turmoil... still a great name, and you seem to be working with the themes of it as well, as turmoil is definitely happening in your WCW right now. I love the intricacies of the promos, not only because they are fully written out, but the comments in between each line of dialogue. I imagine that matches are not following the same formula due to workload (which is fine), although I wish you would flesh them out fully as well; lots of potential with this style you are writing in. That said, it is clearly just me wanting more. 😁 However, I did notice some small typos and oversights in the promos, and it kind took a bit away from the immersion. Just a heads up for future shows. I love the classic setup to The Great American Bash, though, with the tag team of faces versus heels leading into the event (also the fact that you kept the "The" as part of the official title, like in the WCW of old). I don't know if it is intentional, but Turmoil has kind of a WCW Saturday Night-feel to me, with cuttng between the studio promos and in-ring matches. And, of course, the classic WCW duo of Schiavone and Heenan. It gives it a really good vibe going forward, compared to the chaos that Nitro and Thunder ended up being the final years of WCW. Same with the focus on the young talent; I had hoped for a victory for Johnny the Bull instead of Candido, but it makes sense given that you are starving over more over performers. In the long run, though, I hope you can cash in on the potential of not just Johnny, but all of the Natural Born Thrillers. They could be a good meal ticket. Moreso than AJ Styles currently, I think. It seems a bit hasty you are giving him such clear cut wins, even if WCW in real life were (slowly) pushing his pool of wrestlers as well. But that is just my brain being stuck a bit too much in realism perhaps. La Parka being back, though, I am fully onboard with; make him the US champion! 😆

WCW Monday Nitro Wk 2, Monday, September 1995 Nitro is once again LIVE on TNT, with Eric Bischoff, Bobby Heenan and Steve McMichael on the announce booth. Bischoff wastes no time in reminding the audience, live and at home, that tonight might be the BIGGEST main event in televised wrestling history, as HULK HOGAN takes on LEX LUGER for the WCW World Heavyweight championship. “Only thing more slippery than these two is dishwasher liquid”, pipes Heenan, as Bischoff admonishes The Brain with a, “Would you shut up?”, before the broadcast is off to its first match, the debut of Mr. Wallstreet against Marcus Alexander Bagwell! (64) Mr. Wallstreet def. Marcus Alexander Bagwell (46) ■ The spiffy and well-dressed Mr. Wallstreet looks to take the victory in his WCW debut, as he takes on the young stud Marcus Alexander Bagwell. Bagwell will not give it away laying down, as he immediately lays into Wallstreet with some clobbering forearms. After being driven to the corner, however, Wallstreet fights back and decks the youngster with a hard clothesline. Making sure his hair and attire is still on point, Wallstreet starts laying in Bagwell, who is primarily known for his tag team prowesses of yesteryear. Once again, the youngster would not go away that easily, as he burst out with a slap and a knee-lift! Bagwell ascends the top rope, looking for a double axe handle… WAIT, THAT IS A MAXX MUSCLE! What is he doing at ringside?! Bagwell gets momentarily distracted by the sight of Dallas Pages enforcer, allowing Wallstreet to tear him from the top rope into a powerslam for the three count! Maxx Muscle has slinked away again, what was he doing here?! “What just happened?!”, shouts a shocked Bischoff back at ringside. “I told you last week, Bischoff, we need more security!”, Heenan answers, as he nervously looks around. “Don’t worry, Bobby the Schnitzel, you got me here”, laughs McMichael. Nitro then goes to the gloomy Dungeon of Doom, where The Master and The Taskmaster are flanked by two snarling, keffiyeh-wearing men, one with a muzzle on. “The maniac from the Arabian desert is here, my son, to fight the red and white bengal tiger”, The Master ominously exclaims as Sullivan cackles in anticipation; “We shall unleash him at Fall Brawl, father, yeeessss, ha-ha-ha!”. As Nitro returns, a confused silence has befallen the arena and announce table, clearly disturbed at the sight of The Maniac and his handler. (38) Scott Norton def. Jim Duggan (43) ■ Two big men locked horns next, as Scott “Flash” Norton looks to make an impact on Nitro against the American icon Jim Duggan, who stepped in his way last week. Flag waving abound, before the two immediately began brawling both inside and outside the ring. Norton looks the sharpest, clobbering Duggan with right hands, as they got inside the ring once more. An irish whip and forearm later, and Duggan is on the canvas. Norton is known for his time in Japan, one of the hard hitters from NJPW. Norton shows those hard hits off, as he smashes Duggan over the back with forearms… but the tough American powers out! He is not doing down without a fight! A running clothesline and Norton is down! 1-2… but a kick out! Norton is just as tough, however, and counters another running clothesline with a vicious running shoulder tackle, before climbing the top rope and landing a flying elbow! Norton lifts Duggan up for a bodyslam! 1-2… 3! Flash takes his first win in WCW in strong fashion. After Nitro returns from commercials, Gene Okerlund is inside the squared circle with Arn Anderson, as Bischoff explains that Okerlund is here to get some answers from Arn Anderson about what is happening between him and Ric Flair. “Arn Anderson, what is going on?”. As the Enforcer gave a cold stare to Okerlund, he reiterated his words from a month ago, in that he was not implying anything anymore. “A decade is a long time to get to know a man, only to see him smoulder before your eyes”, Anderson noted with cold efficacy. “At Fall Brawl, I, the Enforcer, is going to make sure my dues are paid in full to Ric Flair and that I do my duty as a Horseman.” None were the wiser as to why this rivalry between age-old friends had grown so bitter, though, as Nitro geared for the main event. (78) Hulk Hogan © drew Lex Luger [WCW World Heavyweight] (77) ■ “The biggest main event in televised wrestling history!”, was the lead-in to what would be a clash of titans. Hogan and Luger squared up quickly, Luger intent on making his bid for the WCW World Heavyweight championship come to fruition while Hogan knew he had to settle this before WarGames on Sunday; one way or another. Equal in strength, neither man would budge an inch in the lock up. Hogan retaliated to a slew of punches, before sending Luger to the ropes, only to be decked with a fierce shoulder tackle. Quickly on his feet again, the two big men stared each other down, as the crowd ate it up. It continued blow for blow like this, as neither heavyweight could gain the upper hand. They traded clotheslines, shoulder tackles, forearms and fists on the inside and outside, for the better part of ten minutes, neither gaining the upper hand. “This is one heck of match, Eric!”, McMichael noted, as the announcement went out that five minutes remained of the allotted fifteen minute time limit. Just then, Hogan clotheslined Luger to the mat, only to pick him up and bodyslam him! The Atomic Leg Drop was inbound! But no, Luger rolled out of the way! Cover and pin for a 1-2… no! Hogan is hulking up! Luger looks like he has seen as a ghost, as he tries to keep Hogan down with punches, but the finger-point is coming! A fruitless attempt at a running shoulder tackle is countered with a big boot, but Luger rolls away from the Atomic Leg Drop again! This time all the way to the outside… three minutes remain! Hogan is quick to the outside, not wanting to retain the title on a technicality, but Luger decks the Hulkster with a clothesline. Both men are exhausted, as the referee is slowly counting his way to the ten mark, urging for the two combatants to enter the ring again. Luger snaps Hogan up and irish whips him into the barricade surrounding the ring! “Finally someone gives that snake what he is due!”, snaps Heenan, as Luger rolls his opponent into the ring and both escape the count out just in time. 1 and 2, but no! Hogan kicks out again! What does Luger have to do?! He only has one minute left! As he drags Hogan to his feet, the champion swings out, landing two punches and irish whips into an attempt at another big boot, but Luger sidesteps and hoists the champion up for the Torture Rack! The most painful submission in all of wrestling! Hogan and Luger are in the center of the ring, Hogan has nowhere to go! Oh no, the time! 5! 4! 3! 2! 1! Hogan did not give up; the championship contest has ended in a time limit draw! “Oh my god, what a main event!”, shouts Eric Bischoff from the announcers desk, as both men collapse in the middle of the ring, out of exhaustion and fatigue. As the referee hands the belt to Hogan, he wobbles his way to his feet, clutching his side. Luger is still laying dejected on the mat, his energy fully spent from the epic showdown. Hogan helps his challenger up, as the two eventually shake hands, with Luger raising the arm of Hogan in a sign of respect. As Nitro comes to a close, the WCW World Heavyweight title still rests on Hulk Hogans shoulders, but Luger has certainly solidified his presence where the big boys play. Mr. Wallstreet def. Marcus Alexander Bagwell Scott Norton def. Jim Duggan [WCW World Heavyweight] Hulk Hogan © drew Lex Luger via Time Limit Overall Rating: 75 Attendance: 7,680 TV Rating: 2.52

I love the realistic approach to the booking, even if it is clearly tanking your popularity in-game and probably not doing you any favors in terms of TV ratings. However, it makes the diary much more enjoyable to follow. I do hope, though, that you can at least manage to get The Great Muta somewhat over before he actually debuts, because that rating of just 4 was brutal. The Heenan Family being such vicious and aggressive heels fits so well with the over-the-top style of WWF at the time, in terms of who was the good guy and who was the bad guy. I have been watching some of the old World Championship Wrestling programs (back when it was just a program and not a promotion) from around this time and the differences are so much more night and day than I remembered, comparatively. 😅 I might be lean more to liking the product from "down south", even though old-school wrestling in general still is a goldmine, but I see you bringing in some interesting wrestlers to shake it all up a bit; which makes sense with McMahon being a poacher. I concur with throwing Kamala or Abdullah the Butcher in the mix could shake things up even further, even though Abdullah might be too much out of line for the WWF product at the time (big Abdullah fan over here, by the way, as a fan of deathmatch wrestling), but still... Looking forward with how you progress to WrestleMania!

WCW Saturday Night Wk 1, Saturday, September 1995 The first Saturday night show of the Nitro era had quite the surprises for the audience, both live and at home. Breaking news came from the Fall Brawl Control Center, as it was reported that Vader was injured and out of the WarGames, leaving the Hulkamaniacs one man short against Dungeon of Doom. Who will be there to take his place in just one week? Speaking of the Dungeon of Doom, The Master himself appeared with The Taskmaster in tow in the dungeon and foretold the coming of ‘The Maniac from the Arabian desert’ at Fall Brawl. The show opened with a surprisingly hellacious match as the masked Mr. JL flew around the ring with young Chris Ford, in a match that showcased some never-before-seen aerial action. Perhaps a sign of the future? In the special attraction match, a battle of old school grapplers pitted Arn Anderson against Paul Orndorff. The match ended in chaos, however, as Flair rushed the ring to pull Orndorff out first, before assaulting Anderson, seemingly manic with anger over the implosion of the storied friendship between the two. Their Fall Brawl showdown is going to be one for the ages! Fall Brawl Control Center [52] Mr. JL def. Chris Ford [27] “Mr. wallstreet debuts next week on Nitro!” [44] Gene Okerlund interviews Johnny B. Badd about his US title contention match with Brian Pillman at Fall Brawl [65] Johnny B Badd def. Terry Richards [38] Gene Okerlund talks to Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri about their upcoming tag team title match at Fall Brawl [64] The Master foretells the coming of The Maniac [58] Meng def. Chris Kanyon [38] The Shark def. Dave Sullivan [46] “Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger fight for the title on Nitro next week!” [61] Arn Anderson drew Paul Orndorff after Ric Flair interfered [47] Arn Anderson and Ric Flair brawl to the back! [75] WCW Main Event Wk 1, Sunday, September 1995 The major news coming out of WCW Main Event was that the WCW championship committee, by way of Chris Cruise in the Fall Brawl Control Center, announced that Diamond Dallas Page would be taking on The Renegade at Fall Brawl for the WCW World Television title. In a vein similar to Mr. JL and Chris Ford, Brian Pillman took on Chavo Guerrero Jr. in a high flying encounter that took the audience by storm. Again, the question if these aerial athletics are the future could be asked. In the featured bout, Col. Robert Parker had paid for the favors of Big Bubba Rogers against The Nasty Boys and the wonderkid from Germany, Alex Wright. Rogers paid his dues, as he picked up the win over Brian Knobbs with a roll-up after Col. Robert Parker distracted one half of the Nasty Boys from ringside. “Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger fight for the title on Nitro next week!” [63] Cobra def. Ricky Santana [22] Fall Brawl Control Center [40] Diamond Dallas Page def. Pete Gunner [50] Brian Pillman def. Chavo Guerrero Jr. [57] Gene Okerlund interviews Col. Robert Parker about he has grown scared of the lovingly rabid Sister Sherri [61] Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater and Big Bubba Rogers def. Alex Wright and The Nasty Boys [42] ____________________________________________________ ============================== WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER - WON ============================== Wk 1, September 1995 The Monday Night Wars begin! The unavoidable story of this weeks newsletter is, of course, the debut of WCW's new flagship program Nitro on Monday evenings. This puts the two biggest wrestling promotions on US soil right up against each in open television war. Who 'won' the first showdown is not yet available, as, unlike Nitro, RAW is running on tape delay, whereas WCW has opted for a live broadcast. However, the general feeling is that while Nitro had the shock of a returning Lex Luger, WWF is pulling the long end of the stick right now. Even so, the WWF has made a rather left field move and re-contracted none other than the Ultimate Warrior over the weekend. Their flagship 'New Generation' brand seems to run contrary to such a signing, but what plans Vince has for Warrior is yet to be seen. Regarding talent, it is rumored that WCW and WWF recently tussled over Jeff Jarrett who was coming to an end of his tenure in the WWF. However as the rival company reached out to Jarrett, McMahon and gang were quick to massively counter-offer the Turner-owned WCW. Jarrett is coming off the storyline of "With My Baby Tonight" which might continue now that his contract has been extended. WWF is handing out more than one piece of paper, though, as they have upscaled their Women's division throughout the week. The grapevine reports that several young and veteran women performers have signed with WWF, in something of knee-jerk move in comparison to the current state of the Women's championship after SummerSlam. WCW seemingly has divisional extension on the drawing board as well, as rumors are abound that the Light Heavyweight title might be revived for a new run. The recent showcase of Mr. JL, Brian Pillman and Chavo Guerrero Jr. (and the confirmed debut of Eddy Guerrero coming soon) has only fueled this. Finally, in news from overseas, New Japan Pro-Wrestling - already working with WCW in the US - has broadened their reach over the national market, opening up a talent trade with Tenryu's Wrestle Association R and agreeing to send talent on excursions to the shoot-based UWFi. Not all is well, though as the big news coming out of Japan is that Wild Pegasus, whose mortal name is Chris Benoit, has signed an exclusive contract with rivals All Japan Pro-Wrestling on the eve of winning the IWGP World Tag Team titles with Riki Choshu on Sunday. The returning original Tiger Mask, who many suspected would resurface in NJPW after his stint in shoot wrestling, has also been confirmed to have signed with All Japan Pro-Wrestling, which begs the question whether Benoit is set to work a program with Satoru Sayama. That concludes the newsletter for this week, catch you again next week. Meltzer Markdown Television rivalry between WCW and WWF intensifies, as WCW debuts Nitro live. The Ultimate Warrior returns to WWF in an as of yet unknown capacity. WWF and WCW rumored to be tussling over Jeff Jarrett. Harley Race getting involved with ECWA. WWF bolsters womens division, as WCW surprises with light heavyweight and lucha libre-style matches. AJPW and NJPW hostility, as Chris Benoit signs exclusively with AJPW after winning the IWGP Tag Team titles. Satoru Sayama surprisingly returns to puroresu in AJPW instead of NJPW. ____________________________________________________ I absolutely appreciate the thought, but as I wrote in the introductionary post, the Fall Brawl card is not finished (still needed to flesh out some storylines) therefore I asked for no predictions yet. It is no biggie, though, I hope you want to give your two cents once I showcase the full card. Thanks for reading and commenting, though! Expect the full card up for prediction after the second week of shows; which will include only Nitro and Saturday Night as I want to keep the status of Main Event as a special presentation on PPV days. Speaking of, now that the first week of shows are done, I would love some feedback on whether the presentation is as succint as I want it to be. As Saturday Night, Worldwide, Pro and Main Event were immediately relegated to lesser status following Nitro in reality, I wanted to keep that feel (Worldwide and Pro are not in the actual game, but the way I am looking at it, Main Event is the summation of the three smaller shows, while Saturday Night is the in-between of Nitro and the B-shows). Is it easily readble enough? I am not a fan of a lot of pictures, but the presentation would be helped along by a few visuals, I would not object to adding them. I have opted not to do the WCW Hotline, because I did not have much of a concept for it to make it different than has already been done elsewhere. I hope the Wrestling Observer Newsletter updates are an apt replacement, as I also wanted there to be a view inside the larger game world, even though this is a WCW first diary. Either way, thanks for reading along so far! I genuinely the appreciate it. o/

WCW Monday Nitro Wk 1, Monday, September 1995 Eric Bischoff opens THE DEBUT EPISODE of Nitro, LIVE on TNT, with his debuting broadcast partner and sportscaster Steve McMichael alongside Bobby Heenan, as the trio talks the double main event header tonight; Ric Flair against Sting and Big Bubba Rogers against Hulk Hogan. “Three titles are on the line tonight, gentlemen! This is where you should be, if you want PROFESSIONAL wrestling!”, Bischoff notes, as the bell rings, signifying the opening bout, as Nitro goes straight to the action. (74) Flyin’ Brian Pillman def. Jushin Thunder Liger (67) ■ A an aerial clinc, the hellacious Flyin’ Brian welcome Jushin Liger from Japan, in a bout not short on high flying action. The two tussle back and forth, flipping out of each others armlocks, before Liger sends Pillman to the padding outside with a snap hurricanrana. As they fight back inside the ring, a tall top rope suplex gives Liger a close two count, before Pillman lands a massive dropkick to counter a body splash from on top. Flyin’ Brian gets his own 2.95 count, as they continue to daze the Bloomington crowd; this time with Pillman taking a more aggressive approach and sending Liger to the ropes to land a beautiful spinebuster, reminiscent of Arn Anderson. The Japanese sensation won’t give in, however, and fights back to land a sudden powerbomb for the cover! 1! 2! No, Pillman rolls Liger up in a cradle and gets the three count! The two shake hands afterwards, the crowd cheering for two talented wrestlers. Back with the announcer trio, Bischoff wipes the sweat of his brow, commenting on what an opener that was to the program. McMichael concurs, as Bischoff sends the broadcast for a look at Mr. Wallstreet, who will be debuting next week. The former Irwin R. Schyster, sporting a black suit, dollar sign brouch and golden tie, says that “the new generation is the few generation” as he is here where the money is, the prestige is and where the big boys play. “Money talks, ladies and gentlemen”, Mr. Wallstreet announces, as Nitro comes back to the ring, where The Renegade with Jimmy Harts makes his entrance for his title defence. (45) The Renegade © def. Lord Steven Regal [World Television] (44) ■ The Renegade is revved up, bent on defending his championship, as the former WCW World Television immediately lays into him with sharp forearms and elbows. It is not to much avail, however, as Renegade counters an irish whip into a hard clothesline. Robert Eaton tries to get involved, but before referee Nicky Robinson can admonish him, Renegade has knocked The Earl off the ringside with a running tackle. Regal tires for the quick roll up in the confusion, but Renegade kicks out, once again decking the Blackpool native before landing a running splash for the inevitable three count victory. Tussle back at the announce desk, as “Flash” Scott Norton is waving a contract in the face of Eric Bischoff, demanding to wrestle tonight on the debut episode of Nitro. Steve McMichael steps in front of his broadcast partner, before Jim Duggan comes to save the day. He pushes Norton before taunting the hot-headed Norton to get into the ring. Bischoff counters that if Norton gets into the ring, he will never wrestle in WCW, as McMichael exclaims that they need more security here, with how this evening is progressing. As Duggan and Norton leave separately, Ric Flair and Sting enter separately as Nitro goes to its co-main event of the evening. (36) Sting def. Ric Flair by DQ [United States Heavyweight] (76) ■ As the two eternal rivals are set to lock up, the camera suddenly switches to the ring entrance… IT IS LEX LUGER! LUGER IS HERE, LIVE ON NITRO! Is he here to support his friend Sting?! Is he here to spoil the party for Flair?! Luger was on ‘the other program’ just last week! Why is he in WCW now?! “We DO need more security!”, exclaims Bischoff, as the crowd is left wondering, while Luger quietly leaves the ring area once more. (70) Back to business, Sting and Flair lock up, with Sting clearly still shook from the sight of his old friend, former rival and one-time WCW World Heavyweight champion. Flair gets his opponent to the corner with stinging chops, until Sting himself finds his footing and powers out. An irish whip and a gorilla press slam later and the US champion is back on top. But what is this? Arn Anderson, the Enforcer, arrives at ringside! It is now Flair who is shaken as Sting takes the advantage. A dropkick sends Flair to the corner, but he rolls out of the way of the Stinger Splash! The Figure Four is locked up, but Flair is grabbing the ropes for leverage! Anderson storms to that side of the ring, draws the attention of referee Randy Anderson, slapping Flairs hands from the ropes! Flair is disqualified! As Sting limps to a corner post, Anderson is immediately inside the ring, going face-to-face with his friend of over a decade… until it all comes to blows! Flair is quick to escape the wrath of the Enforcer, as Anderson simply stares a hole through the fleeing Nature Boy. Sting gets a similar stare, before Anderson grabs his jacket and takes off. This debut episode of Nitro is pure chaos, as the show goes to commercial! (74) Hulk Hogan © def. Big Bubba Rogers [World Heavyweight] (57) ■ The world champion set the Mall of America ablaze with cheers, as he came out for his defence against the bully, Big Bubba Rogers. Rogers did just that at the onset of the bout, bullying Hogan to the corner with his weight before landing a hard running clothesline to the turnbuckle. Rogers continues to peper Hogan with hard shots, until Hogan reverses with a right hand of his own! As he powers Rogers to the corner, Hogan is overheard by the camera shouting, “Nothing! You are nothing!”, much reminiscent of his steel cage battle with Vader. An irish whip and a running clothesline later and Rogers is center of the ring, ready for the big leg drop! But Rogers rolls out of the way, into a cover of 1 and 2… and a kick out. The big bully knows this is his chance, he crashes down on the champion with a big body splash, but the count is barely there before Hogan hulks up! The finger pointed, the body slammed, Atomic Leg Drop for the academic three count. BUT WHAT IS THIS?! The Dungeon of Doom rushes the ring! As a dazed and defeated Big Bubba roles to the ringside floor, Kamala, The Shark, Zodiac and the dangerous Meng surrounds Hulk Hogan, directed by The Taskmaster! Meng has the Golden Spike on his thumb! HERE COMES THE CAVALRY! Sting, Randy Savage and the returning Lex Luger storm the ring, chasing off the Dungeon of Doom seconds before Meng can spike Hogan! Each fight off their own, until Hogan and Luger bump shoulders and turn with raised fists! “Woah, woah, woah!”; Sting holds back Luger, Savage holds back Hogan, as Mean Gene comes in between it all! “Gentlemen! Gentlemen!”, he intervenes, but Hogan is quick to snatch the mic and tell Luger that he knows where the Total Package came from, so he wants to know what Luger is doing here. Luger is quick to answer, saying that he is here where the big boys play, having won it all at you-know-where, and now he is here to win the WCW title. “Brother, you came out here, and had my back, so let me tell you something; I ain’t one to run away from my problems, and I think you and I are going to have a problem, so stick ‘em there and next week, you got your title shot, dude!”, Hogan surprisingly exclaims, as he goes the handshake. Luger looks around at the Mall of America crowd, before accepting the handshake! “What a closer to Nitro! Folks, we got ANOTHER WCW World title match NEXT WEEK! Mr. Wallstreet debuts, Scott Norton in the ring, don’t miss it!”. (78) Flyin' Brian Pillman def. Jushin Thunder Liger [WCW World Television] The Renegade © def. Lord Steven Regal [WCW United States Heavyweight] Sting © def. Ric Flair by DQ [WCW World Heavyweight] Hulk Hogan © def. Big Bubba Rogers Show Rating: 65 Attendance: 7,216 TV Rating: 2.05

First of all, I love the name Turmoil. Such a fitting name for the show with the concept you are running. While you said this is not an Invastion-style diary, I do like the that you left the idea of a WCW vs. WWF out there still; with the simulcast, the Shane interview, the small jabs throughout. I want to see where you are going with it, if there is an end goal. Likewise, I am very excited about you challenging yourself, and sticking it out without Hogan, Flair, Goldberg, Sting... plus, the added pressure of not being able to simply scoop up all the cool ECW talent. Speaking of, however, Rob Van Dam showing up is a good choice. His style can work well in several divisions you seem to be establishing. I do hope Mike Awesome get some utilization as a proper big man in this new WCW, his tenure in real life was downright embarassing after the initial month or what it was. Don't need another Fat Chick Thrilla or 70's Guy. 😵 Excited to see where you go with the US title tournament. I will say, I think DDP against Booker T would have had a bigger impact, but I am sure you got something in store for Bagwell and Booker to (that does not involve either of their mothers suspended in a cage). Definitely dropping a follow for this diary! Also, perfect choice for the Turmoil theme track!

Oh, man, you had me in the first half with that Terry Funk swerve! 😅 I do like it as a way of making sure Hogan keeps his title, which just has to be par for the course during this time, but Terry Funk is still seen as a dangerous adversary. I do hope you keep the spirit of the time, so to speak, and don't slip into replacing people like Hogan, Bundy, Studd, The Iron Sheik and what have you, with all the "cool guys"; no matter the match ratings. With that being said, The Great Muta on an excursion in WWF is awesome; his facepaint and strange mannerisms would fit in perfectly. Definitely looking forward to seeing where you go with that! Introducing a TV title during this time, where pay-per-views weren't really a monthly occurrence or an expected thing yet, is a solid idea. I will say, I hope someone like Orndorff or Junkyard Dog wins it; could be a lot of fun seeing that. Speaking of, I hope you take it slow with an eventual Bret Hart push (seems like the plans are at least there), mostly because The Hart Foundation was such a great tag team at the time, such a great pairing, and a good meal ticket to eventually build a division around. You got a reader in me, that is for sure, and I am excited to see where you get this going into WrestleMania!

______________________________ It is the onset of the Monday Night Wars, an era of fierce promotional hostility and television rivalry between the two biggest wrestling corporations on United States soil. In one corner Vince McMahon championing a new generation of young talent, in the other Eric Bischoff relying on the megastars of wrestling. With a dash of international spice, as WCW is well entrenched still with New Japan Pro Wrestling, while the World Wrestling Federation has decided to circle the wagons. History taught us that great wallets and bigger names still were not enough to quell the northern titans of attitude, as greater egos caved the floor beneath the rampant train of WCW. The coming of a New World Order was both a blessing and a curse for Eric Bischoff. The precursor, however, almost made World Championship Wrestling the laughing stock of the wrestling world. In this reality it is time to take a fresh look - a different look - at what happened in September of 1995 and beyond… This is “WAR FOR THE RING”. ______________________________ THE STORY SO FAR… Hulkamania is running wild, once more. This time in World Championship Wrestling. Throughout the summer WCW has shown that Hulk Hogan stands almighty in the face of adversity, overcoming the monstrous Vader at Bash at the Beach, and taking on a new onslaught of enemies, as he faced Kamala from the Dungeon of Doom led by the villanous Taskmaster in the main event of WCW Main Event, right before Clash of the Champions XXXI. Now the debut episode of WCW Nitro beckons, live from the Mall of America, where Hulk Hogan is set to once again defend the WCW World Heavyweight title. He will be joined on the card by a rivalry as old as time, as Sting defends his newly won United States Heavyweight belt against Ric Flair, who has been tussling all summer with both Randy Savage and lately his old friend Arn Anderson, after they lost to Vader at the latest Clash of the Champions. Sting captured the vacant title back at the Great American Bash in the tournament finals against Meng, who at that time was under the supervision of Colonnel Robert Parker. Meng has since appeared in the Dungeon of Doom, being given the mystical Golden Spike by The Master, a weapon found by The Taskmaster north of the temples at Katmandu. Along with The Shark, Kamala and Zodiac they make up the bid to finally end Hulkamania at the WarGames. Likewise, the rumbling rumors of The Giant, the son of the legendary Andre, continue to stir. Whether or not The Taskmaster will deliver his troops on Nitro will remain to be seen. What is known, however, is that Flyin’ Brian Pillman will welcome the New Japan Pro Wrestling high flying start Jushin Thunder Liger to US soil, in a bout certainly set to blow the roof off the Mall of America. Surely a championship that will be a hot potato on Nitro going forward is the WCW World Television title, as the enigmatic and energetic Renegade is set to make yet another defence on the debut episode on TNT. His opponent? None other than the Blackpool aristocrat, British royalty and former Television champion in his own right, Lord Steven Regal. Taking a short hiatus from the tag team outings with Earl Robert Eaton - who will share the ringside with The Renegades handler Jimmy Hart - Regal will hope to bring class, manners and majesty back to the television screens of US families around the country. Speaking of tag teams, the triple threat of the Blue Bloods, the Nasty Boys and Harlem Heat went back and forth all summer, until Colonnel Robert Parker got Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater involved. Parker has a romantic eye for the handler of Stevie Ray and Booker T, Sister Sheri, but at Clash of the Champions XXXI the Harlem Heat and Sherri pinned The Stud Stable for a shot at the titles at Fall Brawl. This came around after Sister Sherri hit her head after a missed top rope splash attempt on the Colonnel and, seemingly in a bout of delusion, kissed Parker for the pin before chasing the southern gentleman to the back, shouting “I love you!”. Elsewhere the yet-to-be-pinned Sgt. Craig Pittman is continuing his dominance with the brutal Code Red armbar, awaiting his former private Cobra at Fall Brawl. A mysterious morse code appeared after his match with the Italian Stalion on Worldwide recently, which sent the 17-time Marine Forces champion in a state of fear as he left the ring. Was it a message from the man he left in the battlefields of the Gulf War, Cobra? Speaking of armbars, Kurasawa - the newest and most fearsome member of the Stud Stable - has built a reputation with the bone-breaking maneuver, taking out Road Warrior Hawk at Clash of the Champions XXXI and then a hapless Pony Johnson on WCW Saturday Night, days before the debut episode of Monday Nitro. The landscape of World Championship Wrestling is akin to the Wild West coming up on the biggest revolution in televised wrestling history, as Nitro is set to debut LIVE on the first Monday of September! Monday Night Nitro Wk 1, Monday, September 1995 ALL MATCHES SUBJECT TO A 15 MINUTE TIME LIMIT Jushin Thunder Liger vs. Flyin’ Brian Pillman The Renegade © vs. Lord Steven Regal [World Television] Sting © vs. Ric Flair [United States Heavyweight] Hulk Hogan © vs. Big Bubba Rogers [World Heavyweight] Fall Brawl ‘95: WarGames Wk 2, Sunday, September 1995 Preliminary Card Cobra vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman Johnny B. Badd vs. Flyin’ Brian Pillman Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater © vs. Harlem Heat [World Tag Team] Arn Anderson vs. Ric Flair WarGames: The Hulkamaniacs (Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Sting and Vader) vs. The Dungeon of Doom (Kamala, Meng, The Shark and Zodiac) If the Hulkamaniacs win, Hogan gets five minutes alone with the Taskmaster inside the steel cage! ______________________________ RESULTS LEADING INTO THE MONDAY NIGHT WARS… Clash of the Champions XXXI Wk 1, Sunday, August 1995 WCW Main Event: Hulk Hogan © def. Kamala [WCW World Heavyweight] Sting and Road Warrior Hawk def. Meng and Kurasawa (/w. Col. Robert Parker) After the match, Kurasawa broke Hawks arm with a snap armbar Diamond Dallas Page (/w. Diamond Doll) def. Alex Wright The Renegade © (/w. Jimmy Hart) © def. Paul Orndorff [WCW World Television] Harlem Heat and Sister Sherri def. The Stud Stable After the match, a delirious Sherri chased Parker to the back, shouting "I love you!" Vader def. Arn Anderson and Ric Flair After the match, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson got into an argument and left separately, as they stared each other down