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December 25th, 2019: Christmas with the Richters
Jackson Richter opened the front door and leaned against the wall as he took his shoes off. For the first time in over a month, he was home. He could hear the commotion up stairs as the realization that he was back became clear, and he ascended the stairs. When he made it to the top, Alison came around the corner and gave him a hug and a kiss. “Merry Christmas,” she said. “How was Ricky’s place?”.
“Good. He agreed to come on for the tapings,” he said.
“That’s great!”, she said. “What’s he gonna do?”.
“He’s gonna be doing guest commentary and we’re going to have him be the mentor to one of the guys.”, he said.
“Do you know who”, she asked.
“I’ve got an idea, but we’ll see.”, he said. “How was the homefront?”.
“Oh, you know. Myles was at University, Lyla broke up with her boyfriend and Fred’s been a hassle, but that’s nothing you don’t already know.”, she said. “It’s good to have you back.”.
“I am very happy to be back, you have no idea.”, he said. He looked around the corner and down the hallway towards the kitchen. He walked down and poked his head in the kitchen. Myles was leaning back in his chair, leg propped up on another. Lyla was getting things set up around the table, and Fred was eyeing up the presents under the tree.
Lyla saw him first, and said, “Hey, Dad. How was Montana?”.
“Cold.”, he said with a smile. He looked to Myles and asked, “How’d Finals week go?”.
“Passed everything.” he said. “It was actually quite boring.”
“You’re getting a degree in Math,” Lyla said. “Of course it’s going to be boring.”.
“Economics. Not math.”, Myles said.
“Same thing,” she said.
“Well, how abou-”, Myles began to say before Fred interjected.
“Dad, can you get them to shut up?” he asked. “They’ve been doing this since he got back.”.
“Oh, I’m sure they’ve got to catch up on their sniping quota,” he said. “It’s good to see everyone again.”.
“Didn’t like being on the road?” Myles asked.
“Not necessarily, but I can say that it wasn’t something I missed.” he said as he sat down. “It’s good to see you all getting along.”. Myles and Lyla laughed. Fred pulled out his phone and acted like he was engrossed in it.
“How’s training coming along?”, Jack asked to Myles.
“Fine enough, I suppose. Can only do so much during the winter, and the field house isn’t the best place to practice digging out plays,” Myles said. “We’re pretty much just working on cardio and weight training through the winter.”.
“That’ll be good. Maybe get some power behind your swing. Hit home runs instead of doubles,” Jack said.
“If it were that easy, Dad,” Myles said. “You heard about the scholarship Lyla got?”.
“I was gonna tell him that later,” she snapped at Myles.
“You got a scholarship?” he asked.
She sheepishly nodded and said, “UofM offered it. We were waiting for you to get back to tell you.”.
“And we did,” Myles said. Lyla threw a kitchen mitt at him, which he caught, laughing all the while.
“That’s great, honey,” he said. “You been looking up dorms or apartments?”.
“Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to go.” she said.
Alison walked into the room and said, “Still on the fence?”.
When Lyla nodded, Jack asked, “Why?”.
“I don’t know if I can take four more years of volleyball,” she said.
“I thought you liked volleyball.” Jack said,
“Oh, I like volleyball. Just nothing else around it. Practice is a bore half the time because we just keep doing the same routine over and over again.” she said.
“Well, you guys did win the conference championship the last three years. I’d say it’s working,” Myles said.
“It worked alright, but it became work. I wasn’t having fun with it anymore.” Lyla said. She looked to Jack and said, “And what did you always tell us.
“If you get a job doing something you love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” he said.
Lyla shrugged. “I just I don’t love it anymore.”.
That statement created an awkward air around the table that, after a minute, Jack broke by saying, “If that’s what you want to do, then i support you in that. However, you need to start thinking of what you’re going to do. If you’re going to turn down a scholarship, you need to pay, and you’re going to have to get a job.”.
“I’m not too worried about that,” she said.
“You got something lined up already?” he asked.
“Yeah. I can just go work for you?” she said like it was nothing at all.
“Oh, you want to be a wrestler?” he asked.
Lyla laughed. “Nothing like that. But you’ll need workers, right?”.
“I will, yeah.”, he said.
Lyla shrugged. “So I guess theres nothing to be worried about on that front. Hey, who knows? Maybe Myles here can help too.”.
“Keep me out of your schemes,” Myles said. “Besides, baseball is gonna start here in a month. We’ll be down in warmer climates for a while. Season doesn’t end til Mid-May.”.
“So we can count on your help for the summer!”, Lyla said, slugging Myles in the arm while he just seemed annoyed at the whole affair.
Jack smiled. It was nice to be back home.
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December 23rd, 2019: Meeting an Old Friend
It had been some time since he had been at this ranch. Back when he was wrestling with the Texas Wrestling League in the early 90’s, this was like a second home. He couldn’t have thanked Ricky more for housing him while he was down here, and there were many fun times here. A few bad, but that wasn’t much to hamper his memories of the place. It surprised him that it was so renovated and clean looking. Although, he supposed that retirement afforded one the ability to do some home maintenance.
The rental car he nabbed came to a stop just as a familiar face came outside the house.He put the car in park and hopped out. From the front porch, he heard his old friend shout, “Hey, Jack. Long time, no see!”.
Richter smiled, walked up the steps and shook the hand of Ricky Dale Johnson. He had met him working the independents in 1990, and wrestled him a handful of time both in America and in Japan. When Ricky went to TWL and tagged with Skully, they gained so much heat that people were getting frustrated that they weren’t getting any comeuppance. So they got a manager, and Ricky got him a job there as their #3 guy. While those two went out and dominated the tag division, he would win meaningless matches and be the guy the babyfaces got their revenge on, along with the manager. It was one of the funnest years of his career. Of course, when his contract came up, he wasn’t brought back, and he went back home to Minnesota and ended up with NOTBPW. Skully went to SWF and Rick went to TCW, eventually putting the legendary Rip Chord into retirement at the beginning of 2005. He would wrestle for another decade before he retired.
While he was out of the business for some time, Ricky just retired a few years prior, and as Jack could see on the way in, was using his retirement to spruce up his abode. “How’s retirement treating you?”.
“I’m bored out of my mind,” Ricky said. “Finally had time to work on all those home improvement projects. You know, they always seemed like they’d take forever. Next thing I know, I’ve got all that done, and I’ve got nothing else to do except tend to the animals.”.
“You got any ranch hands?” Jack asked.
“I did, back when I was doing the home improvement stuff. Now? I’ve got all the time in the world and not a whole lot to do. I heard about the company up there.”, Ricky said. “Congrats.”.
“Thanks.” Jack said. “It was a surprise.”.
“But a welcome one, I imagine?” Ricky said. Jack nodded, and Ricky continued. “You know, I’m happy for you. To be gone for as long as you were, and get that chance? Treasure it. You might not get another one.”.
“I’m aware,” Jack said. “What about you? If you got another chance, would you take it?”.
“If TCW came around, I would. I never wanted to retire, you know. My contract was coming up and they felt that it was time for me to retire and move to being a color commentator or do something in the back. Maybe train some of the younger guys they had. I disagreed, and I started talking with SWF and USPW. That’s when I realized that I wasn’t going to get a better offer from them. They all thought I was too banged up. Didn’t want to pay someone big money to do nothing.”.
“So you retired anyways?” Jack said.
Ricky laughed. “I got the last word in that regard. I retired before they had me put someone else over on the way out. They didn’t get to take that from me, at least. Didn’t make them happy. Not one bit. That’s why they haven’t brought me back, you know.”.
An uneasy silence came down as the two looked out over the landscape. A nice little breeze came through, carrying a warm wind that gently shook the trees. Ricky spoke up first. “You want me to come up there, right? It’s why you’re down here.”.
Jack tentatively nodded. “Yeah. Having a big name would’ve helped get TV. Put us on the map.
Ricky nodded. “Have you asked Sean?”.
“Skully? God, I think he’d rip my head off for asking.”, Jack said.
Ricky laughed. “Maybe, maybe. It’d sell a few tickets though.”.
“I’d hope,” Jack said.
“So, how much were you going to offer?”, Ricky asked.
“I didn’t really have a number. I was just going to ask you what you wanted, and go from there.”, Jack said.
“Bad idea. Never let the talent pick their pay,” Ricky said. “That being said, I do appreciate it. Forty.”.
“Forty?”, Jack said.
“That’s what TCW offered me at the end. It would’ve been a pay cut of about twenty thousand. They needed more money to keep Aaron Andrews, so they planned on taking it from me. I guess in the end, that’s just what they did, but I wasn’t there anymore.”.
“And you’re fine with coming up north for that much?”.
“Well, I did tell them that I’d rather go work for some Pittsburgh Steel Wrestling for that much than take a pay cut,” Ricky said. “Different company, but it works all the same. Does that sound fair to you?”.
Jack laughed. “Yeah, that sounds fair.”.
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December 21st, 2019: Established Names
Jackson Richter walked through the pre-event fan experience and looked forward to this day to end. It was the last day he had to be on the road, and he longed to return home. He yawned when he saw all the fans meeting some of the more prominent regional names and the autograph signings. He was here for a purpose, but god was this exhausting. It didn’t help that his neck was aching something fierce, which probably came from how poorly he slept throughout his 6-week travel.
Finally, he saw who he wanted to see. At an autograph table sat Grace Harper, formerly known as Helen Wheels. The two had met several times during her NOTBPW tenure, which only lasted five years. She was signing autographs and taking pictures, so Richter decided to wait until a moment of reprieve. When it showed up, he walked up to the table, and she looked up at him, probably expecting another fan.
“Jack?” she asked.
“I’m surprised you recognized me, considering how many faces you’ve seen in the last hour,” Richter said.
“You have a distinct face.”.
Richter tilted his head. “I don’t know if that’s a compliment.”.
“Take it how you will. Regardless, it’s nice to see a familiar face. How’s the job going?”.
“Well, today’s the last day of my scouting trip.”.
“Ah. Congrats.”.
“Thanks,” Richter said. He didn’t have a good way of segueing into the question, so he just came out and asked, “How would you like to be my color commentator?”.
“You know, I was expecting that question to come up once I saw you, but I wasn’t expecting it to be that quick,” she said. “You have TV?”.
“No,” Richter said. “A few broadcasters are interested, but they want to ensure that we don’t fold within a few months. Although, our deals with 5*SW and QAW are definitely helping our case. We also have to show that we’re professional and can deliver a good product. Good announcers and commentators help a good product become great, and we have tapings in mind. We do well, we can get on TV.”.
Harper laughed. “Nice pitch.”.
“Thank you. I practiced it on the way here.”.
She smiled and paused for a little bit. At the same time, she thought about it. “How much?”.
“That depends.”.
“On what?”.
“How much you want.”.
Harper smirked and thought for a little bit more. “$400 a taping.”.
Richter nodded. “It’s a deal.”.
“Just like that?”.
“Just like that,” Richter said. “I don’t have a contract on me. I’ll send one for you to sign.”.
“Great,” she said. She looked behind him and sighed. “The line formed back up behind you.”.
“Oh, well, I apologize.”.
“It’s fine. You going to watch the show?”.
“Yep.”.
“Cool. Maybe I’ll see you out in the crowd.”.
Richter laughed. “Where else would I be?” he said as he walked away. He sauntered through the fan experience for a bit longer before he felt someone tap on his shoulder. He turned to see someone he didn’t recognize, a young kid, maybe sixteen. The kid handed him a pen and paper, and Richter stared at him.
“You’re the guy from Minnesota, right? You look like him.”, the kid said.
“Look like who?” Richter said coyly.
“SPW? I read that you were up in Seattle a little while ago. I was curious who you were, so I looked you up, and you look like him,” the kid said.
Richter smiled. “Then i suppose that would be me, yes.”.
“Can I get your signature?” the kid asked. Richter was surprised. He took the pen and signed the kid’s paper, which had many other signatures. “Thanks!” the kid said before he left Richter standing there.
He thought back to the last time he had signed anything. Still, he was coming up with nothing. “Always feels good, doesn’t it?” he heard from behind him.
He turned around to see an old friend. “Krissy!” he said, surprised.
Kristabel Plum smiled. “Nice to see you too, Jack.” she said. The two had met each other back when Richter was an active competitor. He remembered first meeting her in Seattle for a NOTBPW event; she was one of the local talents. Considering she was a rookie, it amazed him how laid back she was. She had that reputation even now of being a very calm person. Not only that, she was one of the better female wrestlers in America. They had met multiple times since then, considering she had been with NOTBPW since 2008. Whenever they were in town for a live event, he and Krissy would go out for drinks after the show with a couple of the other NOTBPW talent, and on one occasion, he vaguely remembered Grace Harper had joined them too.
“What brings you out here?”.
“Same reason as Gracie over there.”.
“You have a booth?”.
“Had. Technically, I’m supposed to be there, but I felt like having a break for a little bit. Don’t like sitting down for too long.”.
“Fair enough.”.
“Heard you got the book over in Minnesota. Congrats.”.
“Thanks.”.
“I’ve also heard you’ve been making one helluva women’s division.”.
“Wasn’t my original intention, but things have a way of working out.”.
“Seems that way,” she said. “I take it you and Gracie were talking business?”.
“We were.”.
“Can’t say I’m surprised. She’s all business, all the time. You get her to come on board?”.
“I did.”.
“Huh.”, she said. A brief moment of silence passed. You got room for one more?”.
Richter looked at her sideways. “You want to come work for me?”.
“Work with you.”.
Richter shrugged and nodded. “Same difference. I thought you retired.”.
“I did. Granger wasn’t the only one who burnt some bridges when North and CGC combined. They didn’t see me as a contender, and I didn’t much see of a reason to stick around.”.
“I remember reading about it, yeah.”.
“So, do you see me as a contender?”.
“I guess that depends. Do you think SPW can last?”.
“I think it will.”.
“Then I think I see a World Champion. How much do you want?”.
“Eh. $300 sound good?”.
Richter extended his hand, and Plum shook it.
***
The show began, and it was another electric crowd. The matches were pretty good, but only one wrestler caught his eye: Onslaught. He was a high flyer and watching him wrestle reminded him that he did not sign many of them. He noted that in the back of his mind, he made his way to the back once the show was over, only after convincing the guards.
He waited for Onslaught to leave the room, and that’s when he pitched the idea. The guy clarified that his loyalty was with CZCW, but Richter explained that he understood that his first commitment was with CZCW and that working with SPW would be an opportunity to gain exposure to a new audience. When that didn’t appear as though it would be enough, he asked if he was worried about travel expenses, which Onslaught confirmed. Richter then explained that hotels were covered and that SPW would be for the plane ride to Minnesota and back. That was enough to get Onslaught to agree to terms.
Once that was over, he returned to his hotel room and fell asleep. When he’d wake up, it’d be back on a plane, but not back home. He had one last stop to make.
The Wrestling Spectator
December 27th Edition
A Couple of Christmas Presents for SPW!
According to our sources who were at CZCW’s Christmas Cage Chaos, Jackson Richter was present at the fan experience before the show and was in attendance. Before the show, he met with Grace Harper and Kristable Plum. It has been confirmed that Grace Harper has signed with SPW as a Color Commentator, to be paired with Dane O’Hara. Kristabel Plum has also been signed. Many here at the Wrestling Spectator believed she would be hired in a Color Commentator role due to her recent retirement from in-ring competition. However, we can now confirm that this is not the case and that she has been signed as a full-time wrestler. This is a surprise, as she only retired six months ago. Plum, a former 3x NOTBPW Women’s Champion, joins a strong women’s roster in SPW. Along with these reports, we have also learned that Wilson Granger, Owner of SPW, has been in talks with broadcasting companies to get a TV deal. Nobody knows how those efforts have gone, as they have been very close to the chest on that subject.With WrestleWorld set to launch at the beginning of March, one has to wonder whether that will be the future home of Sidewinder Pro Wrestling, or if they will sign a traditional television deal.
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December 14th, 2019: Talent Scouting Pt. 4
Jackson Richter leaned back in the metal folding chair and massaged his neck. This was the last region he would scout, mainly because he didn’t want to get too close to the big companies in America. His little trip through Mid-South made a lot of noise, based on what he was reading, and that was as close to TCW as he wanted to get. Luckily, the other two big companies in America were east of the Appalachians, so that helped. TCW had been in California but moved to San Antonio a few years back, which made him more comfortable coming out to the West Coast, and why he went to QAW. He wanted to see how a company close to one of the big 3 in America could survive and thrive. Now that he had seen it, he was ready to continue his trip.
Which brought him to Seattle. Combat Zone was running a show before their big event back in California: Christmas Cage Chaos. Based on what he saw, they would use some independent wrestlers in matches against their guys. The one thing he was happy about was that this was a company-promoted show. He had been to enough high school gymnasiums for the time being.
The show started with Hugh de Aske, a CZCW wrestler, face against a local wrestler, Dop Kix. If the ring announcer hadn’t said that, you wouldn’t have known that Kix looked far better than Aske. That worked out for Richter, as he felt it would be easier for the local guy instead of one with a contract with an established regional company. Then the next few matches went through, and nobody caught his eye, CZCW or Indie alike. Then he saw Wolfie Tagg, perhaps the biggest guy he’d seen compete so far. The guy had a phenomenal look. While Wolfie was the biggest, his brother Kalder was the tallest, and the two just exuded a menacing tag team aura. When the ring announcer stated they were local guys from Montana, Richter could have jumped for joy. He didn’t even wait for the show to end before going to the back.
It took some convincing, but he could make it to the Independent Locker Room, where Kix was just walking out. He pulled him aside and offered him a contract, and the 25-year-old kid said ‘yes.’ The Taggs were waiting outside the locker room when they saw them walking toward him.
“Get out of here,” was all Wolfie said. Richter handed him a business card as he got closer, and the look on Wolfie’s face softened “Ah. I thought you were a fan.”.
“You aren’t the first one to think so.”.
“Hmph,” Wolfie said, handing it back to him. “I take it you want to talk about a contract, yes?”.
“ I do.”.
“We’re a package deal.”.
“Good. I planned on hiring you both.”.
Wolfie chuckled, and Kalder smirked. “That makes you smarter than any of the clowns here,” Kalder said. “They wanted just Wolfie. We made it clear to them, we go together or not at all.”.
“And they chose not at all?”.
Wolfie nodded. “And that makes it your lucky day.”.
“I suppose it does.”.
The Wrestling Spectator
December 20th Edition
Tag Team Addition to SPW!
In other news, SPW continues to add wrestlers to their roster, this time adding in the Hot Taggs, a tag team from the North West region. Wolfie Tagg had recently turned down a contract with CZCW, which must be a coup for the fledgling promotion. The Taggs are rumored to be one of the teams to watch over the next few years, and now they will make SPW their home for the foreseeable future. In addition to them, Drop Kix was also announced as a new signing for the company, bringing the total of workers for the fledgling company up to thirty-one.
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December 12th, 2019: An Bit of QAW Flair
He stood in the small arena and watched the ring crew do their work. Unlike the other event he’d been to or at least ones where they let him in early enough to watch the ring be put up, this was a professional crew in an actual arena. He had looked into how much it would cost to hire one of his own but realized it was insanely expensive it was going to be. Although, for a bigger company, it would be pocket change. It was an expense that he didn’t think he’d be able to afford very much. The thought irked him as it reminded him how far down the totem pole he was.
“I figured I’d see you here.” he heard a woman say behind him.
He turned and saw Farrah Hesketh, the owner of Queens of American Wrestling. “Farrah! It’s been a while.”.
“That’s an understatement. When was it? 2007?”.
“CGC’s one and only event in the Twin Cities.” Richter said with a smile. Then it left his face. “You were expecting me.”.
“I was. I heard you were scouting in the region, and figured you’d want to come look at the talent we have here,” she said sourly.
“You don’t sound happy about it.”.
“Of course I’m not. This,” she said, gesturing to the arena around them, “is my baby. Everything I’ve worked for is right here. I did my scouting, and we’ve been successful for about decade. It feels cheap to have others scoop up the people you found and helped.”.
“I imagine I’ll get acquainted with that feeling before too long.”.
She laughed. “It comes with the territory of being a small fish in a very big pond.”, she said. She leaned on a guard rail and continued, “Congrats on the job, by the way.”.
“Thanks.”, Richter said.
“Neck still gives you problems?”.
“Occasionally it’ll get pretty stiff, but that could also just be because I’m getting old. How about your knee?”.
“Could be better. But with how everything turned out, I can’t really complain. Who knows? Maybe if you stuck around NOTBPW, you’d have done the same thing up north.”.
“Maybe. But, there’s no pay in wondering on what could’ve happened.”.
“Amen to that.”, she said. She pushed herself off the guard rail and continued, “I take it you want to watch the show first?”. Richter nodded, and Farrah stated, “Then I suppose I’ll see you after the show.”.
“You’re fine with it?”.
“Of course I am. Any company that’s looking to expand on women’s wrestling is a company I don’t mind helping. Besides, too much time in front of the same crowd can make anyone complacent. If they can show their talents to a new audience, then that’s good for them, and it’s good for QAW. Just make sure that none of them get hurt while they’re up there with you.”.
“You have my word.” Richter said, and with that, Farrah left him be. Fans started to come in soon after, and he was surprised at how electric the small crowd was for the show. And the show itself was pretty good. He already had two talents in mind when the main event came around. The main event was Juana Hurrican and Honey Badger, who had a pretty good match, and he made a mental note of the two of them as well.
When the show was over, and the fans were gone, he went to the back and found Farrah. He gave her the names of the talent he was interested in and pulled them away from the rest of the roster. Juana Hurricane, Honey Badger, Teresa Perez, and Modesty Pador were the wrestlers he was intrigued by. He made his pitch, and in a surprising twist, Farrah encouraged them to do it, stating it would give them more exposure and a new crowd to hone their craft. The topic of travel came up, and Richter explained that they had houses for the traveling talent to stay in while they were there, which would save them money on hotel costs.
Negotiations lasted longer than he would’ve liked, but he couldn't be too surprised with two long-time vets leading the charge. Fortunately for him, they agreed with the pitch, and when he left the venue, he did so with their signatures. Farrah had also agreed to a friendly relationship between their two companies. It was a paper agreement, not doing anything, but it would increase the legitimacy of SPW. Whether it would matter in Minnesota, however, he did not know.
The Wrestling Spectator
December 13th Edition
And The Hits Keep Coming!
Another surprising development in our ongoing ‘SPW-watch’ comes from Houston, Texas. It was known that Jackson Richter was scouting talent in the Mid-South region, but the news that broke this morning surprises all of us here at the Spectator. Queens of American Wrestling owner Farrah Hesketh and Sidewinder Pro Wrestling Head Booker Jackson Richter have announced a ‘working relationship’ between the two companies, as well as a list of QAW wrestlers signing with SPW, which include 2-time QAW World Tag Team Champion Teresa Perez, young up-and-comer Modesty Pador, ½ of the current QAW World Tag Team Champion in Honey Badger and former QAW World Women’s Champion Juana Hurricane. It appears that SPW is fully embracing women’s wrestling while operating a smaller men’s division, a reversal of normal trends in American wrestling. And with these signings brings the known roster of workers up to twenty-eight. For a small company to have gotten such a slate of wrestlers and already have working agreements with other, more established companies, and in only one month of operation, is something to keep an eye on.
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December 4th, 2019: Talent Scouting Pt.3 (Mid-South)
St. Louis was a town he had only been to once in 1991, and swore he’d never work here again. He took a gig in the town for an indie show that promised to pay pretty well. He did the job he was brought in for but got stiffed on his pay, which did not endear him to the area. Today, however, he was there for a different purpose, but one he had been doing almost non-stop since he accepted the job: scouting talent. He had a couple of events planned out on this trip, ending with a Queens of American Wrestling show on the 12th. Then, it was off to Seattle.
But he was getting ahead of himself. When he made it to the event, he was surprised to see that there was an announcer. He noted that throughout the event and, by its conclusion, he knew he was good. Along with the announcer, he noted one kid. As he had done thrice before, he went to the back and spoke to those he was interested in: Dane O’Hara and Jerry Pepper. Luckily for him, they didn’t ask too much when negotiating. They were thrilled about working for an actual company and not doing these one-off indie shows. That said, he was more careful about how he went about it, waiting for those he wasn’t interested in leaving.
The next few days all followed the same trend. He went out to Oklahoma City, Little Rock, and New Orleans. Unlike his stop in St. Louis, he only had three workers across those three stops, but they were exciting prospects. DeAnna Desire was working as a valet in Oklahoma City, and she cut one hell of a promo, and he signed her because she had excellent promo skills and could be a good manager. He found Jason Petterson in Little Rock and came across as a throwback to the old-school tough guys that you would find in the area in the 70s and 80s. He was also a stiff brawler, and his stuff looked legit. New Orleans looked like it would be a bust-up until Richter saw Jay Silver. Here was a guy who exuded charisma and had a great look, but god was he green in the ring. He spoke to him after the show and was very surprised to hear that the kid was only nineteen and that he’d only been wrestling since April, which stunned Richter. He looked pretty good for being a rookie, and that enticed Richter enough that he offered a contract, which he agreed to. Now, he was on his way to Houston.
The Wrestling Spectator
December 6th Edition
Jackson Richter At Multiple Independent Shows in the Mid-South
It appears that Sidewinder Pro Wrestling is not yet done looking for talent, as he has been seen scouting talent at Independent events across the Mid-South Region, but specifically in St. Louis and Oklahoma City. We also have information that he was seen in Little Rock, where another independent event is scheduled for tonight. Based on what we know, SPW has signed Dane O’Hara, Jerry Pepper, and DeAnna Desire to their active roster. O’Hara’s role is presumed to be that of an announcer, and Jerry Pepper that of a wrestler, but it’s unclear what DeAnna’s role in the company will be since she is not an active wrestler. How much more talent SPW expects to bring in is unknown, but they already have a roster of 20 workers. How much more they can bring in when they haven’t run a show is unknown, as is the company's creative direction.
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November 29th, 2019: A Bit of 5SSW Flair
Jackson Richter shuffled through the crowd, listening to a cacophony of voices he could only partly understand. 5 Star Supreme Wrestling was running a show in Kansai, and Richter was dead tired. Flying out here was never an idea of his, but on the flight here, he realized how important this could be. Gaining a working relationship with an established, international company would be a boon to their status to television companies back home. Granger had a large input mainly because of what his goals were. While he had been against the idea of a women’s division, after some of the hiring and talks he and Richter had, he knew there was going to be a women’s division, he was interested in bringing in some diversity and knew just the performer. Kinuye Mushashibo had been brought to NOTBPW, and Granger had been one of the proponents of the move back in 2012. Along with that, it would, in spirit, rekindle the old NOTBPW-5*SW working relationship that he had worked on back in 2012.
When word went around that he was heading out to Japan, Kate Lilly and Debbie Rose, moreso the former than the latter, pitched the idea of bringing in a couple of other wrestlers who were interested in coming back home to wrestle and gain more notoriety in America: Talia Quinzel and Selina Svelte. And that’s how he came to find himself in the crowded 5SSW arena. He half-expected to be turned away when he tried to speak with the workers he wanted to, but that was an issue for later. He decided to enjoy the show since this was the first 5SSW show he had ever seen. The show went on, and he saw all three women he had come to recruit, but they weren’t the only ones to catch his eye. Etsuko Arihyoshi and Fuyuko Higa had one of the best matches he had ever seen, which easily stole the show. Paige Croft, the third wrestler he was scouting, looked great in tag team action, as limited as it was.
After it had concluded, he made his way to the back, and after some rather frustrating conversations, he texted Lilly that he needed some help to get to the two that wanted to return. Just as he was about to be shown the door, Talia came to his rescue. She explained that he was a guest and, begrudgingly, was let through. Talia brought him to where her and Selina’s locker room, and the three hammered out their deals there. Once that had been agreed on, he explained his other motive for being there, and the two helped him out by bringing the other four he was interested in into their locker room: Etsuko Arihyoshi, Fuyuko Higa, Paige Kroft and Kinuye Musashibo. Surprisingly, Kinuye actually remembered him from when NOTBPW ran house show circuits in the Twin Cities. The other two didn’t, but after some talking, the three also agreed to a new deal, although he had to acquiesce to their condition that their primary commitment would be 5SSW, which Richter was more than happy to give in return for a contract.
He smiled as he walked out of the arena and back to the hotel. He had been sent here to get one wrestler and left with six, some of whom were phenomenal. He was over the moon. He thought back to what Evans had told him about making his roster too large. He was now sitting at 19 wrestlers, 11 women and 8 men.
The Wrestling Spectator
December 2nd
5SSW-SPW Working Relationship?
In an honest surprise, word has reached the Spectator that Talia Quinzel and Seline Svelte, current 5SSW Tag Team Champions, have signed on with SPW in a surprise move. Four other wrestlers from 5SSW have also signed deals with SPW: Paige Croft, Kinuye Mushashibo, Etsuko Arihyoshi, and Fuyuko Higa. Seemingly doubling down, it seems that SPW’s future direction lies in the women’s division. What role the male wrestlers they’ve hired play is still unsure, but SPW is going in a direction that those of us here at the Spectator was not prepared for.
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November 27th, 2019: Talent Scouting Pt.2 (Great Lakes)
Jackson Richter waited outside the locker room. The show had ended not long before, and he had spied some talent he wanted to bring in. The show's headliners were Lilly & Rose, a women’s tag team he remembered watching when Angel Athletic Association was still in business. Along with them, he saw a couple of others he felt would work with his vision for SPW. He had told the guard who he was and waited outside.
The door opened, and he turned to see one of the talents he was interested in. Pepper Pelton stood before him and got closer than he would’ve liked. “Who are you?” the kid asked, and Richter realized what was happening. He remembered when he and Evans had to chase off unwanted loiterers in 1999, and now he had an inkling about what that felt like.
“I’m Jackson Richter, Head Booker of Sidewinder Pro Wrestling. I wanted to talk to some talents about coming to work for me.”.
“Is that so? You got a business card?” the kid asked. Richter reached into his pocket and handed the kid a card. He took it and looked it over, standing there for an uncomfortably long time. Then he opened up the locker room door. “He looks legit.”, Pelton said into the room, and while he heard a cacophony of voices, eventually it died down, and Kate Lilly walked out. Pelton handed her his card, and she nodded.
She looked at him and said, “Mr. Richter, is it? Who do you want to talk to?”.
“Pelton, Malaise, Diamond, Threepwood, Kate & Lilly.”, he said, reading off his notes.
She laughed. “Well, I thank you for the sentiment, but I don’t think peanuts are worth our time.”.
“You don’t even know what I’m offering.”.
“Alright,” she said. “What’re you offering?”.
“Same as the promoter you just worked for.”.
“Do you even know how much that is?”, Lilly asked.
“I imagine I’ll find out shortly.” he said. “Could you tell them to stay behind, and I’ll talk to you all after eveyone else leaves?”.
“I can do that,” she said. It took about an hour for the others in the locker room to file out and when the last one did, Lilly gestured for him to come into the room, where he negotiated each of their contracts. As he made his way back to the hotel, he got a call from Wilson Granger. Apparently, he had negotiated a deal with 5*SW to create a working relationship. That caught him off guard, as he didn’t think Granger would be interested in having an emphasis on women’s wrestling. To his pleasant surprise, that didn’t seem to be the case. And then the other shoe dropped and Granger told him that he was flying out to Kansai to meet with the executives of the company, and he wanted Richter to accompany him, both to meet the executives, but also scout the talent he wanted to bring over.
That was going to take time, and he was on a tight schedule. He relayed that to Granger, and Granger asked him when the next show was. He told him that it was two days from now, and that worked for Granger. Not so much for Richter, as he was going to have to drive back up to Minneapolis and then fly out to Japan. But, that’s what the boss wanted, and he figured it was far too early in the partnership to be shirking the owner.
The Wrestling Spectator
November 29th Edition
Women’s Wrestling Bigger Than Anticipated for SPW?
Just yesterday, we got word that Jackson Richter was seen at a few independent events in Wisconsin and Michigan, and shortly after we received that information, we were told that Sidewinder Pro Wrestling had made another round of signings, this time headlined by former 3-Time AAA Tag Team Champions Kate Lilly and Debbie Rose. We at the Wrestling Spectator can confirm that the company has also signed February Malaise, Olivia Diamond, Connor Threepwood and Pepper Pelton. In stark contrast to last week’s round of signings, they have brought on a lot of women’s wrestlers, which sparks some intrigue into how large they expect their women’s division to be. Only time will tell, but already, SPW’s roster exceeds ten workers. How much more they plan to bring on is still unclear, but we will bring you the information when we receive it.
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November 22nd, 2019: Talent Scouting Pt.1
Jackson Richter shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘Seat’ was probably generous, considering how old these high school bleachers must have been. He watched as the ring crew set up the ring, and he looked over as his wife, Alison, sat down next to him.
“How many of these are you going to?” she asked. He had met Alison a few months after his retirement in 2000, so she never knew him from his wrestling days, although she had heard about them. This might’ve been his first outing to a wrestling show since NOTBPW merged with CGC. She went with him to each one, but he never knew whether it was out of courtesy or whether she actually enjoyed it.
“I don’t know. I just have to find enough people to make a roster,” he said as he tried to get comfy on the wood slab.
“You have a number in mind?” she asked. To be honest, he didn’t. After he and Wilson Granger talked it out, he had been thinking through different ideas. He wanted a tag division, something he had always loved doing. It was a stable of wrestling, but he wasn’t sure if he could pull it off with what he was going to be able to bring in.
He also wanted a women’s division, but Granger didn’t like the idea. He believed there was no money to be made there or popularity to gain, but Richter felt otherwise. There were corporations all over the world that made it work, and he believed he could too. Along with that, he already had a few contacts in that realm of wrestling that he believed would help boost his popularity.. Granger, however, didn’t think so. Luckily for Richter, he had the creative direction for the company under lock and key. That wasn’t to say that Granger had no say. After all, he was the man fronting the whole operation.
He also wanted good commentary for the events. He planned on having his first 4 shows be big productions and to film it. It would be a big expense, but it would be much easier to showcase the tapes to TV companies and try to get televised. At the same time, he could have about 2 months of shows taped and ready to go. Whether that would be the long-term idea of the company, he was unsure, but for now, trying to get TV was his paramount goal. After all, you aren’t going to be making money, if nobody can see you.
And lastly, he had an idea of what he wanted his singles competition to look like. He didn’t want everybody to be 6’6 and up, but he didn’t want too short guys. Although, beggars can’t be choosers.
“I’ve got ideas,” was all he said since anything else would’ve been a lie, and he wouldn’t lie to his wife. The ring crew finished their duty, and he watched as some of the talent gawked at the ring from where he assumed the locker rooms to be. He then saw a an old friend shepherding them back out of sight.
He looked at his wife and said, “Let’s talk to the talent.”.
“We can just do that?” she asked.
“Normally, no. When you know the promoter, though…” he said as he stood up. He and his wife made their way backstage, and Richter was happy that he caught the booker just before he made his way to the back.
“Hey, Jay!” he said as he walked down the hallway.
The booker wheeled around at hearing his shoot name, and after a few seconds of awkwardly staring at him, he smiled. “Jack!” Jason Evans said as he walked over and shook Richter’s hand. Jason Evans, better known as ‘Too Hot’, had been a rookie when he and Richter were a tag team from September of 1998 to November 1999, when Richter broke his neck, eventually having to retire from wrestling a few months later. Even outside the business, he tracked how his friend was doing. He called and congratulated him when he became the head booker of 4C, and from that point on, the two kept in touch. When Granger came to Richter, Evans was one of the guys he called.
“You know, it came as kind of a shock when I heard you took the job.”, Evans said.
“Why’s that?” Richter said.
“Well, you always seemed like you were just fine out of the business. Didn’t think you wanted to get back in.”, Evans said.
“Had to. Didn’t have much of a choice in that regard.”, Richter said.
Evans nodded, and looked to Alison. “And you must be Alison.”.
“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Jay.”.
“Evans. Jason Evans.”, he said. “I used to wrestle with Jackie boy here.”.
“Jackie boy?”, she said.
“Yeah, yeah.”, Richter said. “Got any good talent back there?”.
“Did you even look at the flier?”, Evans asked.
“There was a flier?” Richter said with a laugh. “Of course, I saw the flier. I was more curious how many of them you’d have signed for 4C.”.
“Poaching my talent already?”, Evans said.
“Depends.”, Richter said.
“On?”.
“Whether you’d like to join the company as my Director of Talent Relations.”, Richter said.
Evans put his hands on his hips, sucked on his teeth and finally laughed. “I didn’t want the book. Why would I want that?”.
“Consider it a favor,” Richter said. When Evans started to shake his head, Richter said, “You know what it’s like to run a smaller company. You know what pitfalls not to fall into, and you know your stuff. Besides, you’re still running shows. You’re still going out and finding talent. Why not do it with me?”.
Evans mulled over that for a few seconds. “What’s the salary?”.
“Same as mine.”, Richter said.
Evans paused as he looked at him. “In Minnesota? Where nobody else has made it work?”.
“Hey, no competition. It’s an untapped market, and we’re going to tap it.”, Richter said.
Evans laughed, before nodding. “Alright.”, he said, as he extended his hand. “You’ve got a Director of Talent Relations.”.
“Good to hear. Now, about your talent…” Richter said.
Evans smiled. “Tell you what. Watch the show, and come back to me with people you think will be a good fit, and I’ll do the same.”.
“Couldn’t ya just tell me?”, Richter said.
“I could. This way’s more fun,” he said with a smile as he walked into the locker room. He could hear him talking on the other side of the wall, but couldn’t discern what it was he said.
“That seemed to go well,” Alison said.
“Better than I thought it’d go, that’s for sure.”, Richter said. “Come on, let’s go back to our seats.”.
The show began a good half an hour later, and the high school gymnasium had about 200 people in, which was respectable. The show started with two local talents who didn’t look all too impressive and their match itself wasn’t good either. The next match did better in getting the crowd into it. A wrestler named Jack Pryde took on the smaller Mercution Sleep, and where Pryde had the look of a big wrestler and a natural charisma, his counterpart looked meek in comparison. Sleep, however, was clearly carrying the match. For what it was, their match was decent, and he made a note on his phone.
The next match had a kid named Wild Red Stallion take on Roger Monteiro, and those two were on the same level competitively. It was a fine match and he made a note of it. Turns out, that would the match of the night.
The myriad of matches from then on where nothing to write home about. The main event was subpar, but the managerial work of one Kali Fornia caught his interest, while catching the eye of just about everyone else. He had previously met Kali on several occasions as she was a local talent who got work as a manager in several promotions around the country, but rarely stayed to long. The main reason for that was her gimmick. He remembered the first time he saw it, and the reaction of the crowd when she came out. She bore a mighty strong resemblance to a mainstream porn star and she used that as her gimmick, including the mannerisms at ringside. Fantastic for getting a strong reaction, but it was always very one note, and never lasted very long before it moved over into genuine anger and would start to hamper ticket sales.
In the region, however, she was a legendary valet. To start a company in the region without her would be surprising to say the least. She was well known, good at her job and lived in Minneapolis. So, he made a note of her as well.
The show finished and the crowd dispersed. Alison told him to go speak with Evans, and that she’d go make some phone calls in the car. Richter made his way to the locker room and found Evans standing there. “So, what did you think?”, he asked.
“It was a fine show.”, Richter said. “I’ve got 5 people I’m interested in.”.
“Oof. Just 5?” Evans said. “Which five?”.
“Pryde, Sleep, Stallion, Fornia and Monteiro.”.
“What about Smallbone and Longstaff? Nice high-flying tag team.”, Evans said.
“That’s about all they can do.”, Richter said.
“Then that’s all they’ll do.”, Evans said. “Not everyone needs to be a fantastic wrestler. Sometimes you need your stepping stones.”.
Richter shrugged. He knew Evans had a point, but he wasn’t impressed with the two of them in their match. “Are you recommending them?”.
“Yes. I am.”, Evans said.
“Alright, I’ll add them. Anybody else?”.
“How about the ref?”.
“I can do that for nothing.”, Richter said. “I handle the in ring part, you’ll agent the matches. That’ll save us a little in the short term.”.
“It will, but we’ll need more in the future.”, Evans said.
“I know.” Richter said. “Can you recruit them?”.
“Yeah, I’ve got it.”, Evans said. “What’re you going to do?”.
“I’ve booked a little trip, going around and scouting the independent scene around the country. Gonna see how many young guys we can bring in.”.
“I’d be careful. We don’t need 50 guys on the roster.”, Evans said. “Last thing we need is a bloated roster before we even start our first show.”.
“I’ll keep that in mind.” , Richter said as he walked away.
The Wrestling Spectator
November 23rd
An Unexpected Addition
Less than 24 hours after we sent out our weekly newsletter, we got some news. Too Hot, former Head Booker of Canadian Charisma Championship Combat, otherwise known as 4C, has officially been named the new Director of Talent Relations, for the new Minnesota-based promotion, Sidewinder Pro Wrestling. It is assumed that he will take on a backstage role, helping out Jackson Richter, an unknown regarding booking prowess. With this signing, SPW could be trying to fill in the void left by the closure of 4C back in July. That wasn’t the only news out of SPW. Kali Fornia, long time veteran of the Midwestern Independent Scene, is rumored to have signed on with the company, along with a sixtet of wrestlers: Jack Pryde, Roger Monteiro, Mercutio Sleep, Wild Red Stallion, Clark Smallbone and Perry Longstaff. What exactly is up next remains to be seen, but just ten days after officially becoming a company, SPW now has a steady hand involved and is creating its roster. We’ll send out more information when we get it.
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November 12th, 2019: At the Birth
Jackson Richter walked around his kitchen table and sat at its head. His guest took the opposite end, and Richter was unsure how this meeting would go. Wilson Granger met him at a promotional event for his manufacturing company outside Waite Park in August and pitched him an idea: creating a wrestling promotion with Richter as the Head Booker. He remembered Granger even back when he was an active wrestler. He had helped promote North Of The Border Pro Wrestling events in Minnesota, specifically around the Twin Cities for over twenty years. He continued to do so until the end of 2017, when NOTBPW merged with the Canadian Golden Combat. While Granger had a good relationship with the Stone Family, the same couldn’t be said with the DeColts. In 1994, he had done some promoting for CGC, but an argument with George DeColt and stiffed them on their money. When the two companies merged, Granger thought that the DeColts would forget, considering it was George who he had disagreements with. He would find out that grudge in particular was shared amongst the children, and the only bridge he had left burned down. Granger, however, came to regret that decision as he lost his spot in a sport he loved.
Richter was surprised by the proposal and, since then, had many conversations about the idea, mainly because Richter didn’t know a) why he of all people had been asked and b) how invested Wilson was in this project. Richter also made a few calls to others to see if they had been asked, and it became more and more apparent that the only reason Richter, a mid-carder at the height of his career, was being asked if he wanted the job was that everyone else had said ‘no.’ Those he called seemed just as surprised at hearing he had been offered the book as he had been.
A few of the guys he called told him to watch out. Jason Evans, his tag team partner at the tail end of his career gave him the most information about the situation. Ricky and Sean gave him some as well, but it all looked poorly. Granger had an idea that was doomed to fail, and he had the money to see it through. He believed that he could make a prominent wrestling company out of the Twin Cities. Not to say that it was impossible, but history was not particularly kind to the idea. None of the big American companies had made headway here, and despite efforts by CGC and NOTBPW, they couldn’t either. The last company to have success here was SWF during the 1980’s, and they quickly learned that there simply wasn’t much money to be made. Not as much as the coasts or the south, anyways. The canadian companies figured that out much later, but would run a token house show once every quarter. SWF runs a PPV once every two years, and a televised show once a year. The other two of the big three hadn’t run a show here in atleast 2 years. The last time a PPV sold out was in 2003 when D.A.V.E. came to the Xcel Energy Center.
But, here comes Wilson Granger. Could he do it? Maybe, but the consensus appeared to be a resounding ‘no’ based on everyone he asked. Hence why he was sitting in Richter’s dining room. Nobody else got to a 3rd talk, let alone seriously consider the offer.
The information he had gathered from his phone calls had alerted him to the company's inevitable fate, at least in their eyes: failure. And even if you were somehow going to make it, Granger was well known for his ego. Any credit would go to him. So, when Granger came to him in mid-October to get his answer, Richter told him he would, on three conditions.
First, he wanted the complete creative direction of the company. If he were given a ‘thankless’ job, he wanted to give it as good a shot as possible and possibly set up his return to the bigs in some capacity. Second, he wanted full disclosure and control of the company's finances. Not that he didn’t trust Granger, but he wanted to make sure that he knew how much leash he had financially, what deals Granger had made, and the ability to negotiate contracts on his own. And lastly, he wanted part ownership of the company.
In a way, he felt terrible for Granger. The man was prideful, which cost him his standing in a profession he loved. He was desperate to get back what he had lost through that pride, and unlike when he was thirty-nine/forty. He didn’t like taking advantage of the man’s dream, but Richter had his dream. He had left it behind twenty-one years ago when he broke his neck at a house show in Duluth and retired shortly after. Now, with another chance, Richter wanted to try. He knew he had asked for too much, but if he was going to get that chance, he didn’t want to be screwed before he even put pen to paper. “So, have you come to a decision, Will?” Richter asked.
Granger smiled, taking Richter aback. “I have,” he said. “I had to think on it for a while. Frankly, I’m getting hosed. Paying you a nice little salary and giving you part of the company wasn’t exactly something I liked the sound of. At the time anyway.”.
Richter paused. “You accept?”.
“I don’t have a choice,” Granger said, setting his briefcase on the table. He opened it up, sifted through the papers in there, and slid him one of them. Richter reached across the table since the paper only made it halfway there and brought it the rest of the way. He looked it over and was stunned. He agreed to the terms and even included them in the proposal. Richter grabbed his pen and signed the proposal before he slid it back to Granger.
Wilson Granger stood up, grabbed the paper from the center of the table, and put it into his briefcase. “As of today,” he said, “we’re partners.”. He sat back down and took out his notepad. “So, do you have any ideas for a name?”.
The Wrestling Spectator
November 15th Edition
A Momentary Occurrence
In previous newsletters, we have touched on the rumor of a new wrestling promotion in the Land of 15,000 Lakes. Wilson Granger, longtime Minnesota-based promoter for the now-defunct NOTBPW, has been in discussions with several former promoters, bookers, and wrestlers from the area to come on as the Head Booker. These rumors started in February of this year when we first heard of the endeavor. Back in April, there was some steam about Ricky Dale Johnson coming on, but that was blown out of proportion by the IWC, along with a report from May that Skuill Debones would join, which was also proven false. Now they have reached a new height, as yesterday, Wilson Granger and Jackson Richter, a former wrestler for the Texas Wrestling League, North of the Border Pro Wrestling and Golden Canvas Grappling have created ‘Sidewinder Professional Wrestling’ trademarks. How things go for them is still unclear, as they are still in the early stages of building a wrestling company. Still, as of now, it appears Granger has his Head Booker. Jackson Richter’s ability in such a capacity remains to be seen. Richter entered the business as a referee in 1990, eventually joining NOTBPW in 1992 and eventually became a wrestler for the promotion. Our records state that he suffered a broken neck and retired in 2000. Coincidentally, he had been in a tag team with quite a few individuals who were connected to the reports regarding the new company. He tagged with Jason Evans, aka Too Hot, former head booker of 4C in NOTBPW. He also tagged with Ricky Dale Johnson and Skull DeBones back in TWL as a member of The Posse. Whether any of those individuals will be participating in the company remains to be seen, but for the first time in a long time, wrestling will be coming out of the North Star state.
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The idea behind this diary is to showcase and see through an idea: If the opportunity to try something you thought you had lost came to you, would you take it? If you accepted, how far would you go, and would you be able to do it on your own terms? If you denied, would you come to regret it?
The story focuses on Jackson Richter, a wrestler during the 90's, who in 1999 breaks his neck and is forced into retirement at the age of 28. Not much of a talker, and unable to take bumps on account of the neck, he effectively has to leave the wrestling business. He continues on with his life, gets married and has children, while never really letting go of the business he loved, although he has to do so as a spectator. Then, one day, an opportunity to get back into the business arrives.
Sidewinder Professional Wrestling Roster and Champions: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Riv7QTldztI5rpcmgD8tx7cjY2UYvtff6x_KoTqjJOo/edit?usp=sharing
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Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 2nd Week of April, Monday, 2002
Mayhem Match Qualifier: Tommy Dreamer vs The Sandman
Mayhem Match Qualifier: Sting vs Terry Funk
Triple X vs The Hardy Boyz and Al Snow
Hardcore Match: Jerry Lynn vs Sabu
Hulk Hogan vs Kevin Nash
Main Event, WCW World Television Championship Match:
Samoa Joe (c) vs Shawn Michaels
*If Samoa Joe wins, he becomes the #1 contender for the United States Championship at Mayhem.
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1st Week of April, Sunday, 2002: Wrestlemania X8 Results
An Event To Remember
Wrestlemania X8 just ended, and it's pretty clear to all who watched that this has been the best wrestling PPV of the year so far, and barring another fantastic PPV from any other company, it's the show of the year. It's highlighted by 3 5* matches: Chris Benoit vs Big Show, Kurt Angle vs The Undertaker, and the main event, Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs The Rock III for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
Significant matches included:
- Mr. Perfect continuing his career renaissance, by defeating Bubba Ray Dudley to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship.
- Edge & Christian defeated The Sultans of Slam (Disco Inferno & Mike Sanders) in a Steel Cage to retain the WWF World Tag Team Championships.
- Big Boss Man defeated Raven in a Steel Cage to retain the WWF European Championship.
- Chris Benoit defeated The Big Show
- The Undertaker's Streak came to an end when Kurt Angle made him tap out to the Ankle Lock.
- The Main Event ended with The Rock finally getting his victory over Austin at Wrestlemania, ending with a Stunner being reversed into a Rock Bottom. The Rock captured the '3' and ended Austin's 371 day reign as champion
One thing to note was the absence of Bill Goldberg, who many thought would appear sometime during the show. This pretty much guarantees that he will make his debut tomorrow night during Monday Night Raw. However, there's also some concern regarding Austin. According to some sources, he has alerted WWF officials that he will be taking tomorrow night off. Our sources don't tell us how WWF officials responded, but it does seem unlikely that it'd be anything other than a tacit acceptance.
Meanwhile, WCW looks to go into their own PPV next week with a strong show tomorrow night, but it'll be very hard to live up to what the WWF achieved tonight.
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1st Week of April, Wednesday, 2002: Matters Of Intrigue
Shane McMahon looked over the card for the next Nitro, when he heard the door to his office open. He looked up and saw Finlay walking towards his desk.
"I looked more into what's going on with the Jarrett's," Finlay said. "They've been talking with a company up in Canada that's falling into hard times, and it sounds like they've got some financial backers in Nashville. If I had to guess, they're trying to get some talent for when they make their new company.".
Shane nodded. "Which company is it?".
"Extreme Canadian Championship Wrestling." Finlay stated.
Shane nodded again. "Do you know who they're looking at?".
"Talent-wise?".
"Yeah.".
"No, but I'm sure I can figure that out.", Finlay said.
"Good.", Shane said. And it was at this point that the idea that he had come up with came back to the forefront of his mind. A chance to give the Jarrett's what they wanted, and for Shane to get something he felt he needed. "Try and see if you can find out who the backers are, and just how hard those times are for ECCW. And tell Jeff, that he's got a match at Mayhem".
Finlay nodded and left without another word. Shane then looked back over the card for the upcoming Nitro and leaned back in his chair. He had a lot to compete with. Wrestlemania was this Sunday, and the Raw afterwards was no doubt going to be a very strong show, and was no doubt going to take away viewers for Nitro. He could've put on a more star studded main event to try and siphon off viewers in the 2nd hour, but eventually decided to stick with what he had planned. He needed the show to drum up interest for their own PPV, not to compete with Raw after theirs.
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WCW Monday Nitro On FOX: 1st Week of April, Monday, 2002
We start off the show with a pyrotechnics display, and the announcers introduce themselves, before going over the card. Just as they are finished, Vampiro makes his entrance and the announcers make mention that this is his first match back in WCW since Halloween of 2000. Joey Styles questions the idea of him having a Championship match in his first match back, but Tony Schiavone states that Bischoff and Shane wanted to see how well his injury has healed. Bobby Heenan comes back wondering why they want to see a man coming back from injury, take on a guy who’s injured two people.
WCW World Television Championship Match:
Vampiro vs Samoa Joe ©
In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Samoa Joe defeated Vampiro in 11:31 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defence number ten of the WCW World Television title.
Rating: 71
Notes: Samoa Joe raises the championship in celebration of his 10th defense of the title. As he does this, Shawn Michaels comes out through the crowd, and is able to get past security at the guardrail. He grabs a microphone and once again tries to convince Samoa Joe that joining his side is what’s best for him. As he’s listing all the ways that it’s better for him, a theme song starts to play, and a few seconds later, Shane McMahon comes out onto the stage. Michaels immediately starts trying to antagonize Shane while the song is still playing, but Shane ignores him stating that instead of trying to recruit Samoa Joe, he should be getting ready for his match tonight.
“And speaking of Samoa Joe, I must congratulate you on 10 successful defenses. As a reward for your success, I am willing to give you something that Shawn Michaels can’t. Next week, you will defend your World Television Championship, and if you beat your opponent, you will face Al Snow at Mayhem for the United States Championship. Next week, in the main event, it will be the WCW World Television Champion Samoa Joe defending his championship…. against the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Shawn Michaels.”.
At the announcement, Samoa Joe vacates the ring, Shane then leaves the stage and goes to the back, leaving Shawn in the ring, alone and stunned.
Rating: 87
---------------------
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Ron Killings vs Shane Douglas
In a bout that had great heat and decent wrestling, Ron Killings defeated Shane Douglas in 18:59 by pinfall with a Truth Or Consequences.
Rating: 64
----------------------
The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Samoa Joe take on Shawn Michaels for the WCW TV Championship next week. If Samoa Joe wins, he will face Al Snow for the WCW United States Championship at WCW Mayhem.
----------------------
The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Jerry Lynn take on Sabu in a hardcore match next week.
----------------------
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Johnny Swinger vs Mark Jindrak
In a bout that had a decent reaction from the crowd but sub-par wrestling, Mark Jindrak defeated Johnny Swinger in 9:37 by pinfall with a Mark of Perfection.
Rating: 49
----------------------
We cut to the back where we see Gene Okerlund and Hulk Hogan. Hogan starts talking about how he’s been getting ready to fight Shawn Michaels at Mayhem, but that he’s also looking to give Michael's his receipt from his attack last week.
Rating: 84
-------------------
The Hardy Boyz vs The Unholy Alliance (Masato Tanaka and Taijiri)
In a bout that had great wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Hardy Boyz defeated Masato Tanaka and Yoshihiro Tajiri in 15:35 when Jeff Hardy submitted Masato Tanaka with a Texas Cloverleaf.
Rating: 75
-------------------
We cut to the back where we see the Four Horsemen in their locker room. Ric Flair is getting ready for his match. We see Douglas and Jindrak still in their ring gear + shirts. Page is in his street clothes, and the room is pretty silent, except for Flair hyping himself up.
“And the Nature Boy, wooo, is gonna style and profile and show the Heartbreak Kid what a real heart breaker looks like.”, as he walks out of the room. Page tells the other two members and Stacy to stay back in the locker room.
Rating: 75
-------------------
Ric Flair vs Shawn Michaels
During Flair’s entrance, DDP follows him down half-way, before Flair sends him back. Page is reluctant but does what Flair asks. Michaels comes out afterwards, and he comes out alone as well.
In an exceptional match, Shawn Michaels defeated Ric Flair in 31:20 by via stealing Flair’s Figure-Four Leg-Lock.
Rating: 84
----------------------
Shawn Michaels releases Flair from the Leglock, and celebrates in the ring, as Flair sells his knee. After a short celebration, it looks like Michaels starts to get ideas about attacking, and that’s when Hogan makes his way to the ring through the crowd. Just as Michaels’ boot connects to Flair’s back, Hogan’s fist hits Michaels in the back of the head. Michaels staggers into the corner, and Hogan continues the offensive, as the New Faces of Fear come down to Michaels aid. Just as they jump the guardrail, DDP and the rest of the Horsemen runs to the ring, and assist Hogan. Jindrak and Douglas protect Flair and fight the New Faces of Fear, while Page and Hogan deal with Michaels. Michaels tries to Hogan with a Sweet Chin Music, but misses, and when he turns to face Hogan, gets pulled into a Diamond Cutter. Jindrak and Douglas, meanwhile, fight John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons out of the ring. Ron Simmons grabs Michaels, while Bradshaw grabs the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, and they leave through the crowd, and Nitro comes to an end with the Horsemen and Hogan playing to the crowd.
Rating: 86
----------------------
Overall Rating: 82
----------------------
Card + Winners
WCW World Television Championship Match:
Vampiro vs Samoa Joe (c)
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Ron Killings vs Shane Douglas
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Johnny Swinger vs Mark Jindrak /w Stacy Kiebler
The Hardy Boyz vs the Unholy Alliance
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair
Predictions:
DHK1989: ⅘ (Douglas over Killings)
OldSchoolFan: ⅘ (Flair over Michaels)
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Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 1st Week of April, 2002
WCW World Television Championship Match:
Vampiro vs Samoa Joe (c)
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Ron Killings vs Shane Douglas
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Johnny Swinger vs Mark Jindrak /w Stacy Kiebler
The Hardy Boyz vs the Unholy Alliance
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair
*If Shawn Michaels wins, Michaels will have an additional man enter the Mayhem match, in one of the currently open slots
*If Ric Flair wins, the World Heavyweight Championship match at Mayhem will be a Lumberjack Match.
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Thursday, 4th Week of 2002: As Above
"We got a problem.", Finlay said, standing in front of his desk. Shane looked up from his computer and saw the look on his face, and knew that it was an actual problem.
"What's going on?", Shane said, leaning back in his chair.
"The Jarrett's are trying to talk people into asking for their release.", Finlay said.
Shane stared at Finlay. "What?".
"Chris Mordetsky was in the Plant, when Jerry pulled him aside, and started talking to him about putting in his release. Tried telling him that if he did so, they would sign him to their company and push him big.", Finlay said.
"And you checked if he was right?", Shane asked.
"I checked if anyone else had been told. Chris told me that he'd also talked to Bam Bam, Wright, Stasiak, Storm and Swinger.", Finlay said.
"Were they on board with it?", Shane asked, standing up.
"Based on what I've heard, Wright and Stasiak were involved. Bam Bam thought about it, but wouldn't commit. James and Johnny said no.", Finlay stated, assuredly.
Shane walked around his desk, and stood next to Finlay. "So, Jeff and Jerry started going around and tried to see who was interested in leaving for their new company. Is that right?".
"Yes.", Finlay said.
"How far along in that have they gotten on that front?".
"Well, I don't know. I just found out this morning, and I did some questioning.", Finlay said. "I figured I'd come tell you before I did much else.". While he spoke, the phone on Shane's desk rang.
Shane nodded at Finlay as he walked around his desk and picked up the phone, and his secretary told him that a Mr. Foley was on Line 2. Shane paused and looked at Finlay. "Take a seat. We'll talk more after this call.".
"Foley?".
Shane nodded. The call was patched through and Shane started to talk.
"How are you doing today, Mick?".
"Vince offered me 187k.", Mick said, plainly.
Shane sat there stunned. "He did what?".
"I told him you made me an offer, and he offered me 140k. I told him that I told you I'd call you back, and he upped it to 187k.", Mick said.
"And you're calling me why?", Shane asked.
"Well, I said I'd call you bac-".
"Take the money, Mick.", Shane said. "Take the money and run.".
"Ok.", Mick said. After a few seconds of silence, he sheepishly said, "Well, uh, thanks Shane.".
"No problem, Mick. Enjoy it. You earned it.", Shane said, as he hung up the phone.
"No go?", Finlay asked.
"Vince gave him 187k/month.", Shane said.
Finlay sat there slack jawed. "Good rib.", Finlay said.
Shane looked at him and Finlay looked back, and they stared at each other until Finlay said, "You're serious?". To which Shane nodded his head. "Wow. You must have him spooked.".
"About what though?", he asked to himself. "We're doing good, but to do that?".
"Michaels.", Finlay said.
"What?".
"You spooked him with Michaels. Took a guy he thought couldn't wrestle anymore, or maybe didn't want to, and he's our top guy right now.", Finlay stated. "He let Michaels go, and he's paying for it. Frankly, I think it's a warning shot.".
"How so?".
"Well, how else can you take it? He's willing to outbid us by what I assume is a large margin. I think it's a way of telling us that if we want anybody, we are going to have to pay for it, and it tells the Federation guys that they can pay more than we can. They have deeper pockets than we do now.".
"That they know of.", Shane said.
"You and I both know that FOX isn't going to give us another dime.".
"Right now, no. Mayhem works out, and we could have some breathing room.".
"Fair Enough.", Finlay said. "So, about Jarrett.".
Shane nodded. "Go keep a close eye on them. Ask around. Tell everyone except Wright and Stasiak not to speak to anybody. Those two are already going to do that. If we can, let's try and wait until after Mayhem.".
"I'll see what I can come up with.", Finlay said and walked out of his office. Shane leaned back in his chair and sighed. He figured Jeff was getting tired of both not being on TV and also losing every time he got onto TV. As far as Shane was concerned, Jeff reminded people of 2000, and wanted that as far away from his show as he could, but he knew that he was never going to completely rid the stench of that year. At least not in the foreseeable future.
As Shane sat at his desk, he thought about what to do. How far along were the Jarrett's in their scheme? They had to have a backer, but who could it be? Did Jerry talk to anybody else? Who knew and didn't say anything? As all those thoughts swirled around his head, he began to formulate an idea.
------------------------------------
WWF re-sign Mick Foley to a massive extension
According to our sources, the WWF have resigned Mick Foley for an additional two years, and an estimated $4.5 Million over that stretch of time. Now, there was speculation that WCW might've been interested into acquiring Foley's services on Monday Nitro and have him join the ECW faction as the mouth piece of the ECW side of the Alliance, have him feud with Corino leading up to Starrcade, or perhaps having him join as a member of the WCW side of the Alliance as a General Manager figure, letting both Eric Bischoff and Shane McMahon tend to more off-screen roles, only showing up when the stakes are high enough.
Our sources also tell us that on Tuesday this past week, WCW made Mick Foley an offer of an undisclosed amount, but judging by the response by the Federation, it had to have been a large deal. Given their success over the past year, and their rising TV ratings, and their new PPV deal with Adelphia, some are wondering if WCW are looking to truly get back into the war with the WWF. While it has been going on for the last year, both shows have been largely quiet about their main competitor. That was until Shawn Michaels arrives at Starrcade, three months ago. Now, the feeling that had been prevalent at the height of the war, back in '97-'99, are beginning to be felt once more. Shawn is back in his old form, looking like he hasn't lost a step in 4 years, and WCW's big name stars are now putting on quality matches, something that couldn't be said this time last year.
Bill Goldberg set to Debut?
Things are shaping up for a wild time this Sunday, as Wrestlemania XVIII approaches. Back in April of last year, when Shane McMahon and Eric Bischoff were buying out Time Warner contracts, the biggest home-grown star WCW has ever produced, slipped through their fingertips. Mainly due to his price, they did not acquire Bill Goldberg's $6 million deal. Sources at the time told us that Goldberg and WCW and reached a deal. They were going to wait until around this time, letting Goldberg heal some of his injuries, before buying out the remainder of his deal, which our sources told us would've been around $3 million.
However, once news of the story broke out, Vince McMahon and the WWF bought the contract outright from Time Warner, meaning that Goldberg would be Federation property until the deal expires in 2003. The move was finalized last April, and Goldberg officially joined the WWF roster. This move may have backfired on Vince McMahon, as shortly after they bought out the contract, ECW declared bankruptcy, allowing Shane McMahon and Eric Bischoff to swoop in and claim some of ECW's top wrestlers, it's championships and film library. Although, there is some speculation that Vince McMahon had no interest in ECW's bankruptcy at all.
While the contract was bought out last April, Goldberg has been on the mend this whole last year. That being said, we do have sources who told us that Goldberg debuting at Wrestlemania is highly likely. If not, he is expected to make his appearance on the Raw after Mania, although, it's not exactly sure what his role is going to be. It'd almost be criminal not to have Goldberg vying in the championship window, but it's a stacked field.
Stone Cold Steve Austin has held the Championship since Wrestlemania X-7, and is set to face The Rock, who won the 2002 Royal Rumble. In addition to those two, Kurt Angle, Triple H, Kane, Taker, Chris Jericho, Big Show and Chris Benoit are also in the World Championship picture. Putting Goldberg into the mix certainly adds to the star power, but considering that only one of these wrestlers can be up at the top, it's becoming increasing clear that there will be an increase in 50/50 booking when it comes to these competitors, as devaluing any of them may make them seek greener pastures when their deals come close to expiring, if not before that point. Ironically, having an abundance of highly paid talent could be an issue for the Federation, which has had virtually the same group of stars vying for the title since 2000.
Wrestlemania XVIII is shaping up to be quite an event, however. As already mentioned, Stone Cold vs The Rock III is the headliner, but there are two other main event caliber matches on the card. Kurt Angle looks to break the Undertaker's streak, and Chris Benoit takes on another WCW alum in the Big Show. Should Goldberg debut at the event, or the RAW afterwards, expect him to be right in the title picture.
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Tuesday, Week 4 of March, 2002: Mrs. Foley's Baby Boy
Shane leaned back in his chair as he heard the phone ring. He picked it up and his secretary told him that he had a Mr. Foley on line 3. He paused for a moment as he got his papers arranged on his desk, so he could easily look at them mid-conversation. He then told the secretary to patch him through.
Last week, Terry Funk not-so-subtly told him that Mick Foley's deal with the Federation was coming to an end at the end of April, and Shane bluntly told him that he'd make a call to Mick and see what could be done. Shane had to be honest with himself, though. Mick Foley was a big name, could still cut promos, and could bring more people back to WCW. But he knew that there was a limit in what he could give before it was just simply not worth it.
Mick Foley hadn't wrestled in 2 years, since Wrestlemania 2000. He wouldn't be able to wrestle in WCW, Shane knew that full well. While he could still cut promos, there was a limit on how much that was going to be financially beneficial. He had spent the morning coming up with ideas that would constitute him bringing in Foley, and it being worth that money. Money that he was hoping to have come the Tuesday after Mayhem. Money that he was not guaranteed.
He had a limit. 120k/month. He expected that it would provide the ECW splinter storyline with a shot in the arm, and would really help Corino, specifically. On top of that, the merchandise sales were expected to be something around 30k, which would make his actual expenditure about 90k. At that amount, he felt that Foley could get more eyes on future PPVs, and boost Steve Corino. Even then, he didn't want to, but he desperately needed another great promo for ECW that had the name recognition, and there just weren't any that he wanted to sign. Long term, that is.
Mick spoke first, and after stating the pleasantries, they started talking numbers. His father had offered Mick Foley 90k to re-sign for two more years. Shane wasn't surprised, but was happy. While he wanted his initial offer to be closer to 90k, not having to go to the 120k threshold he made for himself was nice. He offered Mick 110k. Mick sounded surprised, and Shane thought he might just accept the deal outright. But, Mick sheepishly explained how he told Vince that he'd tell him if he got another offer, and extended the same courtesy to Shane. Mick and Shane ended the conversation and Shane would have to wait for a response.
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1
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WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 4th Week of March, 2002
The show starts with a pyrotechnics display, and Tony Schiavone welcomes the television audience to this week's Monday Nitro. After introductions, the announcers hype up the upcoming PPV, Mayhem, talking about the #1 contender's match for the World Heavyweight Championship between Hogan and Rhyno, the Mayhem match, and some speculation over the WCW World Tag Team Championship Match, as it's slated to be for the PPV. Before much else could be said, the team the Hardyz beat come out for their match.
----------------------------
The Extremists vs The Four Horsemen (Douglas and Jindrak) w/ Stacy Kiebler
In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, The Four Horsemen defeated the Extremists in 21:17 when Mark Jindrak pinned Lance Storm with a Mark of Perfection
Rating: 72
Notes: Following the match, Douglas, Jindrak and Kiebler celebrate.
------------------------------
We cut to the dressing room where we see Dallas Page watching the match on the monitor, seemingly happy with the victory by his fellow stable mates. As he watches, Eric Bischoff enters the room and he and Page start to talk to one another.
Bischoff tries to impart the importance of this fight, and that the last thing that WCW can allow is Shawn Michaels to have the leverage to take the championships up north. Page reassures Eric that the worst case won’t come to pass.
While Page speaks, Eric’s phone goes off, and when Page is finished, Eric looks at the caller ID, and we see his posture stiffen. He tells Page he has to take this, and he leaves, leaving Page looking slightly confused.
Rating: 75
-------------------------------
Tommy Dreamer vs Yohsihiro Taijiri
In a bout that had decent wrestling but didn't have much heat, Tommy Dreamer defeated Yoshihiro Tajiri in 12:06 by pinfall with a Piledriver.
Rating: 60
----------------------------------
We cut to the back where Hulk Hogan is being interviewed by “Mean” Gene Okerlund. Hogan talks up himself and how he can beat Shawn Michaels. He doesn’t get much further beyond that point, before Rhyno interrupts him. Rhyno gets into Hogan’s face, and denigrates him, saying that he should go back to the retirement home or he’ll feel the Gore.
Rating: 75
---------------------------------
The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Ron Killings take on Shane Douglas for a position in the Mayhem Match.
--------------------------------
Triple X vs The Hardy Boyz
In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper defeated Hardy Boyz in 15:58 when Elix Skipper pinned Jeff Hardy with The Sudden Death.
Rating: 67
-------------------------------
The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Johnny Swinger take on Mark Jindrak for a position in the Mayhem Match.
-------------------------------
We cut to the back where Eric Bischoff is speaking with security.
Scott Steiner has been spotted in the arena, and Eric is trying to coordinate the security in the back.
-------------------------------
WCW World Television Championship Match:
Diamond Dallas Page vs Samoa Joe ©
In a bout that had good heat and decent wrestling, Samoa Joe defeated Diamond Dallas Page in 27:43 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defence number nine of the WCW World Television title.
Rating: 65
Notes: Following the match, Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash arrive through the crowd, and convince security to let them over the guardrails. Michaels goes over and grabs a microphone and begins courting Samoa Joe, in an attempt to get Joe to join him. The moment he starts talking, Page, exhausted from the long match and passing out in the Dragon Sleeper, sluggishly tries to work his way to him to fight him. However, he doesn’t get far before some of the security guards and the ringside trainer to intervene, preventing him from doing so. Nash taunts Page as he’s forced to go to the back. All the while, Michaels is speaking to Joe in the ring, promising him seemingly anything he can, but Joe remains stoic. Michaels comes into the ring and extends a hand to Joe, and Joe stares at the hand, before walking backwards and vacating the ring, leaving Michaels looking slightly miffed, but he appears to be in good spirits as he and Nash leave.
Rating: 84
----------------------------------
The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Hardy Boyz vs the Unholy Alliance next week.
---------------------------------
#1 Contender’s Match:
Hulk Hogan vs Rhyno
In a bout that had fantastic heat and great wrestling, Hulk Hogan defeated Rhyno in 15:17 by pinfall with an Axe Bomber.
Rating: 81
Notes: Following the match, Hogan starts to celebrate as Nash and Michaels once again make their presence known, this time beating the guards who get in their way. Before any can really impede their progress. Nash starts to attack Rhyno (and the occasional Security Guard who tries to get in between) and Michaels slithers his way into the ring. Hogan, sensing something amiss, turns around and eats a Sweet Chin Music. Michaels stands over Hogan and taunts him, as security guards try to contain the situation. That becomes infinitely more difficult when Scott Steiner hops the guardrail, and joins the fray. He makes his way into the ring, and gets a hold of Michaels, hitting him with a belly-to-belly suplex. Nash, seeing the unhinged adversary, drags Michaels out before it gets too much worse, and the show ends with Steiner making the security staff rethink their occupational choices.
Rating: 83
---------------------------------
Overall Rating: 78
--------------------------------
Card + Winners
The Extremists vs The Four Horsemen (Douglas and Jindrak)
Tommy Dreamer vs Yohsihiro Taijiri
Triple X vs The Hardy Boyz
WCW World Television Championship:
Diamond Dallas Page vs Samoa Joe ©
#1 Contender’s Match:
Hulk Hogan vs Rhyno
----------------------------------
Predictions:
-
Bigelow Cartwheel: ⅘ (Hardyz over Triple X)
-
OldSchoolFan: ⅘ (Hardyz over Triple X)
-
DHK1989: 5/5
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Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 4th Week of March, 2002
The Extremists vs The Four Horsemen (Douglas and Jindrak)
Tommy Dreamer vs Yohsihiro Taijiri
Triple X vs The Hardy Boyz
Diamond Dallas Page vs Samoa Joe ©
#1 Contender’s Match:
Hulk Hogan vs Rhyno
-
A Sigh of Relief: Friday, 3rd Week of March, 2002
Shane set the phone back on the receiver, leaned back in his office chair and sighed a sigh of relief. The Adelphia meeting had been rocky the day prior. They liked everything he showed them. The TV ratings were good, and they believed that the PPV rates were good, considering how 'small' Cablevision was. They estimated that, based on the numbers, if WCW were to be featured, they could figure the buy rates would double. They liked the star power, and the merchandise numbers were better than they expected.
However, they also wanted to see the financial records for the past 6 months. Shane figured they'd want to, but a little part of him desparately wanted them to not do that. Because the moment they saw the decline in funds, ending in the last 2 months in the red, and with a 3rd projected to come, they had many questions over that, and that's where the meeting became a very rocky affair. He answered the best he could and they told him they'd call him back in the morning to give him their answer.
He had spent the whole night, worried about what might come of the phone call. The financial team and he had gone over the numbers themselves before setting up the meeting, and figured that if Adelphia were to say 'yes' it would solve his financial troubles. Not only that, it would leave him comfortably in the black. That is, after he paid the severance fee with Cablevision. In order to get them on board, he had to agree to 24 PPV shows and exclusivity, and failure to meet that would incur a $1 million dollar fee, regardless of whether WCW moved on to someone else or, what was deemed the more likely option, going bankrupt. Luckily for Shane, that meant he could get out of the deal. Unluckily, he had to fork over money that he wasn't exactly swimming in, but if everything worked out, it would be a far more beneficial move in the long run.
And not more than 30 minutes ago, a rep from Adelphia called and they agreed to the deal. Now, Shane had to end his agreement with Cablevision, pay the penalty, and hope his gamble pays off.
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A Check-In and a Heads Up: Tuesday, 3rd Week of March, 2002
Shane got off the elevator and strolled over to Shawn's hotel room. This was the moment that he was the most worried about: telling Shawn that he's going to have to go to Japan for a match. He hoped that the payment that New Japan offered would be enough to subside any anger that Shawn would have, but he wasn't that optimistic.
Of course, that wasn't the only thing that he was going to do. Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash and Dallas Page were in charge of another job, one that was currently being dealt with much secrecy. Shane felt bad that he hadn't met with him before this point, but he wanted to start making that bridge now. He wondered if trying to do that at the same time as he broke the news to Shawn might not be the best moment to do so, but he was going to have to do it anyways, might as well put some effort into it.
He knocked on the door, and after about half a minute, the door opened up, and standing on the other side was Page, who welcomed him into the room. It was then that he saw his most recent acquisition, sitting on the couch, playing cards with Nash and Page. Scott Hall rose from the couch, and it was the first time in a long time that he shook his hand.
Page had pitched bringing in Scott, and Shane told him that he needed to make sure he was clean, and Page assured him that he could. That was almost a month ago, and based on what he'd heard, he'd been on the straight and narrow since being brought in. Page and Scott started talking about what they were doing, and Shane was surprised at how thorough Page was being in this endeavor. He had expected them to keep an eye on him and shy him away from vices, but was not prepared for the rigid diet and the yoga. And not only that. Michaels was also proving to be a pretty good influence.
Speaking of Michaels, he walked out of the shower and from the other side of the door, Shane told him that he would have to wrestler a date in Japan. That caught everybody in the room off guard, and Shawn went silent on the otherside of the door. A few minutes went by, before he walked out. He sighed and asked if there was anything else he wanted to say. Shane told him that New Japan was going to pay him a third of his monthly salary for the match, and that brightened Shawn's mood considerably. The prospect of getting paid $50k for one match did enough that whatever anger Shawn might've had was gone, aside from a very curt statement where he pretty said to never drop something on him like that again, and that was that.
Shane spent the next hour or so with the group of four before heading back to his own hotel room, and he turned his focus onto the coming days. He had gotten the buy rate for Uncensored, and to say that he was disappointed would've been an understatement. In the recent months, he had negotiated PPV deals with Cogeco and Main Event, and combined, they actually made up for the loss in buys from Cablevision and NTV. However, the deals he signed with them weren't as favorable as the Cablevision and NTV deals. He had actually gotten about 2k more buys, but because they shifted away from the favorable deals to the newer deals, it would cost him money, which was an issue, as money was a hot commodity.
The deal with New Japan, however, offered a potential boon that he hadn't thought of at the time he pushed for it, but after looking over things early yesterday morning, he thought that he might have a chance upgrading his PPV provider. Cablevision saved WCW, as they were the biggest company that would take them, and the drop-off after them was considerable. Without them, the Invasion Arc never happens because they wouldn't have been able to rely on the PPV money. However, there was always going to be a limit on what Cablevision could provide. He just didn't think he'd get to that limit at this point. He had the TV and PPV ratings. He had significant star power, and based on what he could tell, a hot storyline, and a recently inked deal with a staple wrestling company in Japan, who not even a year ago wanted nothing to do with this deal. If there was a time to try and use this in negotiations, it was now. And he'd already set up the meeting with Adelphia. It all really came down to how the meeting went. He foot was in the door, all he had to do was walk through it.
And if that wasn't enough on his plate, Terry Funk came to talk to him last night and casually dropped that Mick Foley's contract was coming up and he wanted WCW to bring him in. Whether it was because Mick asked him to or Funk heard him talk about it and decided to float it by him to see if he'd bite (of which, he was leaning to the latter), Shane wasn't entirely sure. But, he liked Mick, and Mick had a good relationship with just about everyone he ever interacted with. Shane didn't have to worry about how the WCW locker room or the ECW locker felt about Mick, but he was worried about what he would have Mick do. He'd been retired for the last year or two, and he knew his father wasn't going to let Mick go, especially since he was still a worthwhile commodity. But, he told Funk that he'd talk to Mick, and go from there. And that's what he planned on doing, after the Adelphia meeting.
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1
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WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 3rd Week of March, 2002
The show starts off with a pyrotechnics display, and while Schiavone welcomes the audience to Monday Nitro, Shawn Michaels and his cohorts infiltrate the ringside area through the crowd. They enter the ring, and Shawn Michaels starts to talk about how great Uncensored was for him and his guys. Kevin Nash is absent from the group, but that doesn’t stop Michaels, the New Faces of Fear and Al Snow from posing with the WCW Championships. Michaels states that as of that moment, there’s only two championships that they don’t have, and that it’s only a matter of time before they get them, and when they do, they’ll bring the belts up north and do to them and Bischoff had Madusa do when she debuted on Nitro. After making this declaration of intent, he and the rest of his band, leave the ring.
Rating: 73
------------------------------
We cut to the back where we see Hulk Hogan watching the monitor. He starts talking with other wrestlers who were also watching the feed on the monitor, and before long, Bischoff appears, looking for him. The two get to talking, and Hogan states that “It’s time to put an end to this. I want him at Mayhem”.
Rating: 79
------------------------------
The Lunatic Fringes vs Triple X
Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper defeated The Lunatic Fringes in 7:01 when Christopher Daniels pinned James Storm with an Angel’s Wings.
Rating: 53
-------------------------------
We cut to the back, where we see Eric Bischoff sitting behind his desk. It’s at this time that he announces that, after some talking with his counterparts from ECW, there will be a #1 contender’s match, next week on Monday Nitro, for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. It will be Hulk Hogan vs Rhyno.
Rating: 77
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Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Jerry Lynn vs Chris Kanyon
In a good match, Jerry Lynn defeated Kanyon in 14:25 by submission with a Cross Armbreaker Submission.
Rating: 71
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We cut to the back, where the Four Horsemen stand, with Gene Okerlund. Flair starts off, stating that what Page did to Nash is the future for Shawn Michaels, and that it’s time to attack them with the same level of ruthless aggression that Page gave to Nash. Page takes control of the mic here and he speaks directly to Michaels. The beatdown on Nash was nothing but a prelude to what he is going to do to Michaels when he finally gets his hands on him again.
“And let me say this: I hope you stay healthy, because I want to be the one to put you in the dirt. And Booker, I hope you’re ready for a fight, because I don’t care if it’s you that stands in my way, one of Michaels lackey’s, hell, even my fellow horsemen, anybody that gets between me and Michaels will feel the bang!”.
Rating: 78
------------------------------
WCW World Television Championship Match:
Samoa Joe © vs The Sandman
In a decent match, Samoa Joe defeated Sandman in 9:43 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defense number eight of the WCW World Television title.
Rating: 60
-----------------------------
After the match Samoa Joe goes to leave the ring, when Shawn Michales appears from the crowd, and he confronts Samoa Joe. Joe’s expression doesn’t change, but Michaels appears to try and get buddy-buddy with him. Joe says something to Michaels and his expression gets more serious. The two exchange words, with Joe staring down the camera man as he gets close, trying to pick up what’s being said. Michaels says something to Joe, and Joe seems to ponder it for a moment, before he says something back. The camera picks up his mouth movements, and Schiavone believes that Joe said, “I’ll think about”. Joe walks past Michaels and towards the entrance ramp, leaving Michaels, whose smile has returned. He hops back over the railing and disappears into the crowd.
Rating: 80
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Mayhem Match Qualifier:
D-Von Dudley vs Sabu
In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, D-Von Dudley defeated Sabu in 14:05 by pinfall.
Rating: 66
--------------------------
After the match, Steve Corino appears in the crowd with a megaphone and he cuts a promo talking about how WCW management has shown there intentions. Instead of letting the former champion, Rhyno, get his due rematch at the championship, there forcing him to fight a guy who has only wrestled a handful of matches in the last two years. Before he can say much more, security swarms him, snatching the megaphone and attempted to apprehend him, but Corino fights them off and escapes.
Rating: 77
--------------------------
The announcers talk about the main event, and in the middle of them talking about it, Schiavone pauses, and exclaims “What?”. After a moment or two, Schiavone looks at his broadcast partners and reveals the news: Next Monday Nitro, Samoa Joe will defend his WCW World Television Championship against Diamond Dallas Page. This catches the three of them off guard, and Schiavone speculates that it’s being down to try and take the Championship away from Joe, because “Bischoff is worried that Samoa Joe is going to join Shawn Michaels, and wants to take the belt away from him”.
Rating: 60
-------------------------
Mayhem Match Qualifier:
Diamond Dallas Page vs Booker T
In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Diamond Dallas Page defeated Booker T in 22:48 by pinfall with a Diamond Cutter.
Rating: 66
------------------------
After the conclusion of his match with Booker T, Page and Booker shake hands and Booker heads back up the entrance ramp while Page grabs a microphone. Here, he talks to Samoa Joe, and tells him that right now, he’s a formidable competitor. But, if he were to join Michaels, he’d be nothing more than another body. He then tells Joe to expect a fight come next week, because if he is genuinely interested in joining Shawn Michales little cabal, then {age will have no regrets regarding beating Joe’s behind.
Rating: 86
-----------------------
Overall Rating: 72
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Card + Winners
MMQ: DDP vs Booker T
MMQ: Devon Dudley vs Sabu
WCW World TV Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs The Sandman
MMQ: Jerry Lynn vs Chris Kanyon
Triple X vs The Lunatic Fringes
-------------------------------------
Predictions:
DHK: 4/5 (Sabu over Devon Dudley)
OldSchoolFan: 4/5 (Booker T over DDP)
-
Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 3rd Week of March, 2002
Mayhem Match Qualifier: Diamond Dallas Page vs Booker T
Mayhem Match Qualifier: Devon Dudley vs Sabu
WCW World TV Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs The Sandman
Mayehm Match Qualifier: Jerry Lynn vs Chris Kanyon
Triple X vs The Lunatic Fringes
Sidewinder Pro Wrestling: One Last Chance
in Total Extreme Wrestling 2020 Dynasties
Posted · Edited by IronWarrior22
Update to Story
December 28th, 2019: Marketing Strategy
Jackson Richter woke up and his body felt incredibly sore. He had spent the last few nights on Granger’s couch as they tried to figure out how to optimize their marketing. None of them knew how much money they’d start with, even though he knew Granger could provide a hefty sum and Evans had experience in getting merch made and how much it would cost. Granger was cheap, but it helped him become successful. The question was whether or not he’d give a lot to achieve his goals.
Richter wanted to skimp on the merchandise. He’d offered to buy a press and have it installed in Richter’s house so they could make the shirts in his garage. Richter wasn’t happy about that development, but as things stood, paying a lot of money for a company to make the merchandise was not an avenue they could afford. Richter felt they could hardly afford the current route they planned, but he had to admit that having no merchandise was not an option. Shockingly, Granger wanted to go big, and he was willing to pay a lot. It made Richter more confident about the whole enterprise. If he was paying that much money to get their merchandise business off the ground, he wondered how much he would give the company.
It was easy for Jack to relent. After all, why look a gift horse in the mouth. That being said, it did necessitate him going to everyone he’d contracted, and they negotiated their merchandise deals. Most of them were a standard 25%. Others less. Only one was above that standard, and that came with being the most popular guy on the roster.
Jack told Granger about their big signing, and Granger was over the moon. Here we got one of the biggest names in American wrestling, albeit pushing 50, and we did so for just forty thousand dollars. That was still their most expensive contract, but now they had a marque name. One that would sell tickets and help get TV.