IronWarrior22

Last night had been unkind for a number of reasons. Of course, when he told Hulk Hogan the plan for the match, he was more than a little unpleased, as was Bischoff. Both complained that the finish made him look weak and that it should really be a no contest, instead of a loss. Shane held his ground, and Hogan didn't have much of a leg to stand on. There were a few comparisons to Russo, but that didn't bother him. Hogan was just mad that he wasn't going over, and he was more than happy to use that as an example. If Hogan wasn't going to get his way, neither was anyone else. At least that's the message he hoped they got. Going over the plan for next week's Nitro, as well as next Sunday's PPV, he almost didn't notice when someone knocked on his door. “Come in”, he said, not looking away from the papers on his desk. He didn’t look up until the individual was by his desk. And saw that it was Finlay. “I've got something I want to talk to you about.”, he said. Shane put the papers down and waited for Finlay to continue. “I’ve got some good news. We’ve finally got a guy from the Power Plant that we could put on TV.”. After the acquisition of UPW, and Finlay staking his claim on Samoa Joe and The Prototype, Shane promoted him to head of the Scouting Department, which covered both the Power Plant and everything not WWE. He had an eye that Shane trusted in areas that Shane, admittedly, didn't know very well. “I don’t see that as good news. We’re having problems with money, and you think giving what little we do have to a rookie is good news.”, he said, and it was true. Money was always an issue, and based on what he was hearing about the financial reports, it was either going to be slightly better or slightly worse. Not enough to give him a solid foundation, but not enough to knock the ground from underneath him either. “Well, considering you’ve been paying for the Power Plant the last 8 months, and no one during that period was remotely ready for television, I think it’s good news that you’re finally seeing people coming out, ready to be wrestling in front of audiences. Home-grown talent is something we’ve been lacking, and it’s finally starting to come around. I think it’s the best thing that could happen.”, Finlay said. Shane wasn’t a fan of paying a rookie, but had to concede that Finlay had a point. The most recent home-grown guys that WCW could boast about, Elix Skipper and AJ Styles, came around over a year ago, so having more guys potentially filling the ranks was not bad. But money was tight, and he didn’t want to commit any large sum of money until he got the financial reports for last month, but, Finlay seemed determined, and he had been the one to recommend Samoa Joe, so he decided to acquiesce. “Who’s the guy?”, Shane asked grabbing a plain piece of paper. “Chris Mordetzky. 19-year old kid.”, Finlay said. “He’s got a physique, but needs more seasoning.”. Shane paused. “I thought he was ready for TV.”. “He is. Just needs time on TV and in front of an audience to get better. I never said it was WCW TV that he should be apart of.”. Shane nodded. “Wildside?”. Back in September, Shane realized that he wasn’t going to be able to put some of the younger guys like Chris Harris on TV, or at least not in any way that would be beneficial to them and therefore not beneficial to him, so he made an agreement with Wildside. He’d pay for the contracts, and WCW wrestlers would be used on their television show to their discretion, which he wasn’t the biggest fan of, as he knew that that left the door open for them to bury his talent, but still felt that it was better than having them do nothing. And it was only costing him $14 grand to use Wildside as a pseudo-development company, one that he had no control over. “I think that’d be best.”, Finlay said. Shane wasn't so sure. While he liked the idea of a developmental company, like what his father had in Ohio Valley Wrestling, he didn't have the money to invest in a promotion and have enough sway. He wasn't on solid ground yet, and while he didn't like it, it was better than just having them collect dust on the shelf. Especially with plans he had in mind, he was going to need a good developmental system to substitute two different companies. And having his guys be utilized outside of his control was not a good look for a company like WCW, and it certainly wouldn't when they got on solid ground. For now, he had to hang his tail between his legs and use what he had, but that didn't mean he wasn't waiting for an opportunity. He looked back up to Finlay and said, "Alright. Get the papers drawn up.". ---------------------------------------- WCW signs Chris Mordetzky to a 3-yr deal. Mordetzky has been training at the Power Plant for about nine months, just after FOX and Shane McMahon's acquisition of the company. Working closely under the tutelage of Power Plant trainer, DeWayne Bruce (AKA Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker), it seems as though WCW has decided that the 19-yr old rookie has learned enough to sign him to a long-term deal, the first of which for the Shane McMahon era. According to our sources, he will be sent to NWA Wildside, as one of the handful of wrestlers who've been sent there, including the likes of Adam Pearce, The Prototype and Chris Harris. Time will tell if this assignment will bear fruit for Mordetzky, and we'll see how well the Power Plant is under the new regime. Prior to his time at the Power Plant, he was training to be used by Ultimate Pro Wrestling, the very company that Shane McMahon bought out. Maybe the plans of a buyout from WCW were in the works back in June, and that's why Mordetzky went there instead of returning to UPW facilities.

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 1st Week of March, 2002 The show opens with a pyrotechnics displays, before going to the announce table. They go over tonight’s card, but spend more time on the final two matches of the night. Starting with Styles and Hogan, Heenan talks about how Bischoff’s probably throwing a bone to Hogan, giving him an easy match-up to get into the Mayhem match. Schiavone tries to hype up Styles but Heenan comes back with: “Styles has only been wrestling for two years, and hats off to him, he’s won a few titles in his time, he is not Hulk Hogan. And I as much as I might not like Hogan, right now, with everything going on here, we need someone who can beat Shawn Michaels and end this, and once again, no offense to Styles, but he’s not Hulk Hogan.”. Following that, the graphic for the ‘Champion vs Champion’ non-title exhibition appears, and the announce team talks about that match, and how this inter-alliance match will work in regards to the cohesion of the alliance. Eventually, though, the speculation comes to an end in time for the first match of the evening. ----------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Mikey Whipwreck In a decent match, Samoa Joe defeated Mikey Whipwreck in 11:37 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defence number five of the WCW World Television title. Rating: 59 ------------------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing ---------------------------------------- Following the match announcement for next week, we go to the interview area backstage, where Gene Okerlund is interviewing Terry Funk. Okerlund asks him about joining the Alliance, and Funk begins to talk about his experience across the world as a wrestler, and that right now, it’s more important to prevent either WCW or ECW from succumbing to the invasion forces. Before he can say much else, his opponent for tonight, Jerry Lynn appears, and essentially claims that Terry has no loyalty to anyone, and is instead doing what best suits him. The two almost come to blows, but security gets in between and Lynn states that they’ll settle this in the ring. Rating: 60 ----------------------------------------- Jerry Lynn vs Terry Funk In a good match, Jerry Lynn defeated Terry Funk in 9:39 by submission with a Cross Armbreaker Submission. Rating: 71 Notes: Following the match, Jerry Lynn tries to attack Funk, but security prevents it from being a serious attack. The ECW-Alliance members come out from the back, but before they can attempt retaliation against him, Jerry Lynn leaves through the crowd. ----------------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing ----------------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing ----------------------------------------- Mayhem Match Qualifier: Triple X (Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels) vs The Filthy Animals (Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio Jr.) In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Filthy Animals defeated Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper in 15:43 when Rey Misterio Jr. reversed the Angel’s Wings and hit Daniels with a Hurricanrana for the ‘3’. Rating: 69 ------------------------------------------ The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing They talk about how they haven’t seen him or Stacy Kiebler since before SuperBrawl, and following some speculation as to what happened just over two weeks ago, they send the feed to the back where we see Diamond Dallas Page in the interview area with Gene Okerlund. Okerlund asks Dallas about the announced match, and he responds saying that he’s been in contact with Jindrak and that he’ll be 100% against Kevin Nash, and before Okerlund can ask another question, Page grabs the microphone, and says that he ‘just got out of the office with Eric’ and that not only did he get Jindrak a chance at revenge, but he did the same for himself. That at Uncensored, it will be Kevin Nash vs Diamond Dallas Page. “And Michaels, after I’m done with Nash, I’m coming for you”. Rating: 75 --------------------------------------------- The New Faces of Fear (Ron Simmons and John Bradshaw) vs The Road Warriors (Animal and Hawk) In a superb match, The New Faces of Fear defeated The Road Warriors in 7:41 when John Bradshaw pinned Road Warrior Hawk with an Aided Powerbomb. Rating: 74 Notes: Following the match, the New Faces of Fear start to beat down the Road Warriors and despite a valiant effort on their part, can’t fight them off. Sting comes out from the back, followed by a few other WCW wrestlers, and unlike Lynn earlier in the night, John Layfield doesn’t get out of the ring in time, and he and Sting trade punches, with Sting winning the exchange. Simmons pulls Bradshaw out of the ring, saving him from any more punishment. Simmons and Sting exchange words that aren’t caught by the cameras, and the New Faces of Fear retreat up the ramp. Rating: 67 ------------------------------------------ The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing . After that, we cut to the back, where we see Triple X. Daniels and Skipper have put on shirts but are otherwise still in their gear, and Styles is getting worked up. Daniels and Skipper try to hype him up and reiterate that if he doesn't beat Hogan, then Triple X is out of the Mayhem match entirely. Styles nods along and before leaving, gives a pat onto both men's shoulders. ---------------------------------------- Mayhem Match Qualifier: Aj Styles vs Hulk Hogan Aj Styles is the first man to come down to the ring, and while he does, the announce team try to put him over as much as they can, but it's all tempered because of the stakes of the match, and the caliber of opponent he has. Schiavone states, "Had it been anybody else, I think Styles could have completed an upset. But it's probably not going to be that way tonight.". Heenan chimes in with, "Not without a lot of help.". Then, Hogan's music hits and he starts to make his way to the ring, dressed in his traditional red & yellow. The announcers hype him up, considering that this is his first singles match since Bash at the Beach 2000. Schiavone pipes up and says, "If there's one saving grace for Styles, it's that Hogan might not have shaken his ring rust, and that might give him the opening.". The match starts, and Hogan is feeding off the energy of the crowd. Styles goes to start the match with a quick flurry of offense, but Hogan quickly kiboshes that before starting an offensive of his own. Hogan goes to end the match early, and whips Styles into the ropes for the big boot, but Styles hooks his arms and prevents that from happening. Hogan walks over to Styles, and Styles hits Hogan with an elbow, before going for his springboard reverse DDT. Hogan catches him in mid-air and slams him to the ground. Hogan goes for the cover, and only gets a '1' count. Hogan pulls Styles to his feet and hits him with a few power moves, imposing his will on the smaller participant. Hogan hits Styles with a power slam, and Styles lands a considerable distance away. Hogan walks over to him as Styles adjusts his position on the ground. Hogan goes to grab one of Styles legs, and Styles kips up and hits Hogan with a huricanrana from the canvas! Hogan seems stunned, and Styles takes this moment to fly into a flurry of offense. He resorts to flying forearms in an attempt to stagger Hogan, and it appears to work, as it forces Hogan off his feet. When he gets up, Styles hits a springboard forearm to Hogan, which knocks him down again. Styles maintains the pace, attacking Hogan's legs, but that only works for so long. Eventually, Hogan gets back to his feet, and when Styles goes to run off the ropes, Hogan hits him with the big boot. This doesn't knock Styles to the ground, but staggers him immensely. Just as Hogan gets back to a vertical base, Styles hits him with the Pele Kick, which forces Hogan to a knee. Styles scrambles to his feet, runs off the ropes and hits Hogan with his springboard reverse DDT. With Hogan selling on the ground, Styles rushes to the top rope and hits Hogan with a Spiral Tap. Styles goes to cover Hogan and gets a '2' before Hogan lifts Styles off of him and Styles gets tangled in the ropes. When Styles regains his senses, he see Hogan hulking up. Instead of punches, Styles throws forearms at the big man, and Hogan no sells them, finally catching one and hitting Styles three times, and whipping him into the ropes and hitting him with a big boot. Hogan plays to the crowd before running off the ropes himself. He, however comes to an abrupt stop. Standing on the apron across from him is Shawn Michaels. The referee immediately tries to get Michaels off the apron, but the distraction seems to have worked, as Hogan walks over to the side of the ring that Michaels is on, and the two men exchange words as security closes around Michaels. Hogan gets too close to the ropes and the ref goes to push Hogan back, and Michaels takes that moment to slide into the ring unmolested. He and Hogan get into a staredown, while the ref tries to keep the two men away from each other. Hogan goes to get the crowd involved and starts to feed off them as he and Michaels continue to trade bards. Michaels takes off his jacket and it looks like the two men are going to start exchanging blows, when Michaels turns to his right and kicks Styles head, almost off his shoulders. Styles had spent the entire staredown getting back to his feet, only to be reintroduced to the canvas as soon as he did. Hogan stands there stunned as Michaels bails out of the ring, and the ref calls for the bell. Hogan, seemingly not hearing the bell first checks on Styles before looking like he's going to go after Michaels, who's already several rows in the crowd. That's when the decision of the match is announced: Aj Styles via disqualification. Time: 7 Minutes and 35 Seconds Rating: 75 Notes: Following the announcement, Hulk Hogan plays to the crowd while Styles is beginning to come to. Hogan grabs a microphone and cuts a promo on Michaels (who’s at a safe distance, still in the crowd), talking about his cowardice, before he talks to Styles, who’s by this point on a knee, saying that he’s got an opportunity, and to not let it slip through his fingers.The camera cuts to Michaels, who looks like he’s enjoying the idea of Styles making the most of being forced into the Mayhem match by Michaels’ Sweet Chin Music. While he does that, he doesn’t notice the man walking up behind. Scott Steiner, who hasn't been seen for the past few weeks, starts clubbing Shawn Michaels, and gets a lot of good shots in, before Michaels tries to escape. Steiner follows and beats him towards the ring, also getting in shots at the security that try to stop him. Steiner clotheslines Michaels over the guardrail and security finally amasses enough people that they prevent Steiner from getting at Michaels. Hogan takes this moment to hop out of the ring and he gets some shots on Michaels as well, before Steiner breaks through security. He shoves a man into Hogan, and Micahels takes that moment and hits Hogan with a Sweet Chin Music, before he looks into the eyes of Scott Steiner. That brief staredown ends with Steiner chasing Michaels around the ring, and Michaels rolls into the ring to escape Steiner, and Michaels tries to keep Steiner out of the ring. Styles comes up behind Michaels, and dropkicks his back, knocking Michaels out of the ring and into Steiner, knocking him to the floor. Steiner goes to get up, but Michaels hops over the guardrail and flees, with security back up on their feet. Steiner looks into the ring and sees Styles by, himself. Steiner rolls into the ring, and hits Styles with a vicious German, and gives him a stiff boot to the head, as Security swarms the ring. Steiner, after tossing some guards out of his way, exits the ring, and leaves through the crowd. -------------------------------------- The announcers, after talking about the ending of the Hogan/Styles match, Shawn’s interference, and Steiner’s rampage, put over the fact that we'll be seeing . -------------------------------------- We cut to the back where we see Okerlund waiting in the interview area with Booker T. Okerlund asks him about the non-title exhibition, to which Booker says that it’s like any other match, except that when he beats Rhino, he’s going to have a legitimate claim at being a contender for the championship. Okerlund begins to ask another question, before he pauses, looking past Booker. Booker turns to see what Okerlund staring at, and the camera shifts to show Rhyno. Booker starts trash talking him and says about the same thin. Rhyno laughs and says “You’re going to find, that cuts both ways.”, while looking at the United States Championship. The two have a staredown, before Rhyno walks past him. Rating: 78 -------------------------------------- Rhyno vs Booker T In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Booker T drew with Rhino in 13:38 following a double disqualification. Rating: 75 Notes: As the referee calls for the bell, Corino continues to lay into Rhyno with the steel chair. Booker T gets to his feet, and eats a chairshot as well, before rolling out of the ring. Corino grabs a mic and starts to to cut a promo. He starts out by talking about guys like RVD and Mike Awesome, saying, “They’ve only ever been about the money, and have never stood for anything in their lives, so it’s not surprising that they do the same thing now. Hell, if Michaels offered either man enough money, they’d probably switch sides faster than your head would spin. But the real betrayal comes from people like you, Rhyno. You stayed, you championed ECW, and then, like a good lapdog, you followed your master and sat at the heels of a McMahon, ready to give up everything because that’s what Dreamer told you to do.”. It’s at this point, Corino turns to look at hard-cam and gets up on the second rope. “Dreamer! I don’t care why you’re keen on playing second fiddle, although it’s something you do rather well. I do care that you’re content on dragging the rest of us down with you, as well as dragging ECW down to their level. All of the hard work and sacrifices we made to even get ECW up to a level where we could compete, all of that, and you seem 100% ready willing and able to disrespect and dishonor that, and for what? A place at a McMahon’s table? There’s a fundamental difference between you and me Dreamer, and it’s that I’m not willing to compromise, I’m not willing to disrespect everything we’ve sacrificed to even get to this point. I’d rather die than dishonor all of that. And you seem more than willing to-”. He gets interrupted by the remnants of the security team from Steiner’s assault earlier in the night and Corino bails the ring, all while the ending signature shows on the screen. Rating: 66 -------------------------------------- Overall Rating: 75 ------------------------------------- Card + Winners Booker T vs Rhyno Mayhem Match Qualifier: Aj Styles vs Hulk Hogan The Road Warriors vs The New Faces of Fear Mayhem Match Qualifier: Triple X vs The Filthy Animals Jerry Lynn vs Terry Funk WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Mikey Whipwreck ------------------------------------------- Predictions: DHK1989: 4/5 Old School Fan: 2/5 ElectricX: 3/5 Booker T vs Rhyno ended in a Draw, and therefore doesn't count for predictions. Match Winners, or participants, that are italicized indicate that they did so through disqualification or Count Out

WCW World Television Championship Match:

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 4th Week of February, 2002 Following the opening graphics and pyrotechnics display, we go to the owner’s office where Eric Bischoff sits behind a desk. Here, he explains that Scott Steiner’s violent attack at WCW SuperBrawl from 8 days ago has sidelined Shane McMahon for the foreseeable future, and as such, he’s been indefinitely suspended, with Eric Bischoff taking full control until Shane’s return. ----------------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs TAKA Michinoku In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Samoa Joe defeated TAKA Michinoku in 11:48 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defense number four of the WCW World Television title. Rating: 75 ---------------------------------- As Samoa Joe walks away with the WCW Television Championship, . The announcers talk about the legacy of both teams and how they are rooting for the Legion of Doom. Rating: 59 ---------------------------------- We go to an undisclosed location of the building where Steve Corino and a handful of ECW wrestlers (Jerry Lynn, Masato Tanaka, Yohsihiro Taijiri, and Chris Candido) are gathered. It appears to be the same area that ECW used to sequester to before they won rights to their own locker rooms back at Halloween Havoc, 3 months prior. Corino then cuts a promo about how the current leadership of ECW has given up the fight, and now its time for them to take up the mantle. He then leaves to go participate in his Mayhem Qualifying match against Lance Storm. Rating: 60 --------------------------------- Mayhem Match Qualifier: Lance Storm vs Steve Corino In a superb match, Steve Corino defeated Lance Storm in 15:08 after stealing Lance Storm’s Boston Crab submission. Rating: 74 --------------------------------- We cut to the back where Sting is being interviewed by Gene Okerlund, and Sting talks about the invasion in its entirety. From the ECW interlopers back in July at the Big Bang, to when Shawn’s Kliq arrived at Starrcade, and to Kevin Nash’s betrayal the night before. And despite the betrayal of Nash, Sting states that that wasn’t the betrayal that surprised him the most, since Nash has always had an iffy situation regarding allegiances and that Shawn was practically family. It was the fact that Ron Simmons sided against WCW. Someone who was brought up in Jim Crockett Promotions, who worked his way up the ranks and became the World Heavyweight Champion siding against the company that gave him that opportunity is something Sting both can’t abide or understand. The promo ends with Sting stating that he’s going to try and bring Ron Simmons back to the side he championed nearly a decade ago. Rating: 73 ---------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing And by put over, it’s more like Bobby Heenan suggesting that Eric Bischoff gave Hulk Hogan an easy match, which Schiavone tries to rebuke but has some difficulties in doing that. Rating: 65 ----------------------------------- Christopher Daniels vs Jeff Hardy In a bout that had good wrestling and a decent reaction from the crowd, Jeff Hardy defeated Christopher Daniels in 14:19 by submission with a Texas Cloverleaf. Rating: 68 --------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Heenan questions the idea of having Triple X in Mayhem Qualifying matches as not only have they not joined a side, Elix Skipper was a turncoat. Schiavone and Styles don’t have an answer for that question, other than maybe that Eric Bischoff sees Triple X as an easy target. Rating: 41 ---------------------------------- Right after the speculation about the tag match for next week, we go to the back where DDP and Hulk Hogan are getting prepared in the locker room. Hogan is hyping up the match and trying to hype up Page, but Page remains stoic and determined. As Hogan continues, Randy Savage comes in, and after a tense moment with Page, states that he will be waiting in the back, just in case the Kliq tries to do anything during their match. Rating: 79 ---------------------------------- Mike Awesome vs John Bradshaw In an exceptional match, John Bradshaw Layfield defeated Mike Awesome in 14:01 by pinfall with an Awesome Bomb. Rating: 77 ---------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Rating: 32 ---------------------------------- We cut to the back where Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels are being interviewed by Gene Okerlund. Gene asks Nash why he sided with Michaels, and Nash states pretty bluntly that he did it for money, and he did it for one of the few people he considers to be his brother. Shawn says that being practically family helps quite a lot, and so does money. Gene is disgusted, but continues to ask questions that all end along the same vein as the first. Lastly, Gene asks Nash why he attacked DDP at Starrcade, and Nash says that he loved Page, but knew that he was loyal to a fault, and so, tried to take him out early, wanting to knock him out for the rest of the invasion, but admits that doing that to someone he saw as a good friend made him pull the beatdown before he could put Page out of commission. Nash then looks at the camera and tells Page that if he doesn’t back out now, he won’t pull back again. Rating: 86 --------------------------------- The announcers put over the fact that we'll be seeing Rating: 63 ---------------------------------- Hulk Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page vs Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels In a bout that had fantastic heat and great wrestling, Kevin Nash and Shawn Michaels defeated Hulk Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page in 23:40 when Shawn Michaels pinned Diamond Dallas Page, after Shawn low-blowed him. Rating: 75 ------------------------------------ Following the match, Michaels and Nash try to put down Page and Hogan, and it turns into a big brawl as Page and Hogan fight back. Savage starts to make his way down to the ring, but Al Snow comes from behind and attacks him with a chair. As Snow continues to attack Savage, Rhyno comes from the back and Gores Snow on the ramp. He sprints down to the ring and as Page clotheslines nash out of the ring, Michaels goes for the Superkick on Hogan, who catches it, and spins Michaels around, right into a Gore from Rhyno. Nash drags Michaels out of the ring and the two slink away through the crowd. Rating: 77 ----------------------------------- Overall Rating: 77 ----------------------------------- Card + Winners Main Event: Hulk Hogan and Diamond Dallas Page vs Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash Mike Awesome vs John Bradshaw Christopher Daniels vs Jeff Hardy Mayhem Match Qualifier: Steve Corino vs Lance Storm WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs TAKA Michinoku --------------------------------------- Predictions: DHK1989: 5/5 Old School Fan: 2/5 ------------------------------------ Announced Matches for Next Week's Nitro: Main Event: Booker T vs Rhyno Mayhem Qualifier Match: Hulk Hogan vs Aj Styles The New Faces of Fear vs The Road Warriors Mayhem Match Qualifier: Triple X vs The Filthy Animals WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Mikey Whipwreck -------------------------------------- Official Match Card to be announce Thursday.

As someone who only does text for their dynasty, I can tell you that there are people who will read it.

Main Event: WCW World Television Championship Match:

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 3rd Week of February, 2002 The show starts off with Eric Bischoff coming down to the ring, accompanied by Tommy Dreamer, dressed in business attire. Bischoff explains that part of the deal to create the Alliance between WCW and ECW involved the ceding of ECW championships to WCW, which is what Tommy Dreamer is there to do, albeit begrudgingly. He goes to hand Bischoff the championships, but gets jumped by Corino who comes through the crowd, Corino chases Eric away, and takes the mic, saying that he can’t believe that Tommy Dreamer, the heart of ECW was so willing to demote ECW to nothing more than a minor league team under WCW. He goes through the last 8 months, and how ECW stood toe-to-toe with WCW, and that he did not believe that Shawn Michaels sudden reappearance in the business was worth dishonoring the legacy of ECW. And he says that he wasn’t alone in that mindset, and with that, he takes the championships and walks back through the crowd. Rating: 60 ------------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Alex Wright In an extremely short match, Samoa Joe defeated Alex Wright in 5:15 by submission with a Dragon Sleeper. Samoa Joe makes defence number three of the WCW World Television title. Notable Moment: Before Samoa Joe was able to really cinch in the Sleeper, Alex Wright tapped out, ending the match before the same thing that has sidelined Palumbo and O’Haire could be done to him. Rating: 36 ------------------------------- A match for next week is announced with a graphic. . ------------------------------- Right after the match is announced, Samoa Joe is about half-way up the ramp, before Rick Steiner comes out and says that they might as well have the match now, and despite having just competed in a match, Samoa Joe is more than happy to oblige. Rating: 53 -------------------------------- Mayhem Match Qualifier: Samoa Joe vs Rick Steiner In a decent match, Samoa Joe defeated Rick Steiner in 12:08 by pinfall with a Muscle Buster. Notable Moment: Samoa Joe tried to cinch in the Dragon Sleeper and the Coquina Clutch, but Rick Steiner, through his experience and amateur background was able to prevent Joe from gaining a submission victory. However, Joe caught Steiner off-guard, and was able to hit the Muscle Buster for the pinfall victory. Rating: 66 ----------------------------- Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash come out to the ring and revel in their accomplishment fro the previous day’s event. During their piece, Michaels mocks Hogan as a geriatric old man, and reveals that he wasn’t the one who attacked Page at Starrcade. It was actually Kevin Nash. Nash talks about how he got a phone call the week before Starrcade and it was then that he and Michales created the plan to kill off WCW for good. He was surprised at how they bought him saying that he turned down his buddies offer without needing much else. He says how easy it was to know when Page would be arriving, and when he’d be alone. Little did he expect, however, that Mark Jindrak would prove an ample substitute, and that he and Shane Douglas would defeat Mike Awesome and Lance Storm to reclaim the championship for WCW. Before he can say much else, DDP appears at the top of the entrance way. He begins by saying how he didn’t expect Nash because they had broke bread together and had been good friends for the better part of the last 3 years. “I didn’t feel the need to question you because I trusted you. I took you at your word. And now I find out that you were the one who tried to bash my head in. I’ll be honest, with Michaels, it was all business. I wasn’t happy about it. I understood why he would want to take me out, but that didn’t change the fact that I wanted to get some payback for that, and just so you know, Sexy Boy, I’ll get you back for all this later. But right now, Nash, you made this personal.”. He drops the mic and starts to walk to the ring. Nash and Michaels toss aside their Microphones and get ready to fight, but before he can get far, Hulk Hogan makes his return to Monday Nitro, and stops DDP. He goes back and grabs Page’s dropped microphone, before he starts to talk about how he knows what it’s like to get stabbed in the back, but that it’s important to not go it alone. Hogan and Page have a staredown, before both men nod. Hogan tosses the microphone, and he and Page rush the ring. Nash and Michaels dive out, not wanting to fight, and escape through the crowd. Rating: 90 ------------------------------ The Lunatic Fringes vs The Hardy Boyz In a decent match, Hardy Boyz defeated The Lunatic Fringes in 7:47 when Jeff Hardy pinned James Storm with a Swanton Bomb, after Matt Hardy hit James Storm with a Twist of Fate. Rating: 66 -------------------------------- A match is announced for Next Week’s Nitro. -------------------------------- We cut to the back where Gene Okerlund is standing in the interview area with Jeff Jarrett. He asks jeff Jarrett what he thinks about Nash’s betrayal the night prior, and Jarrett says that it’s always been in Nash’s nature to do what’s best for Nash. That he’d buddy up to you in order to have a better chance at stabbing you in the back all if it meant that he had something to gain, and tonight, he’s going to make sure that Nash gain’s nothing from their match. Rating: 59 ---------------------------------- Mayhem Match Qualifier: Kevin Nash vs Jeff Jarrett In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, Kevin Nash defeated Jeff Jarrett in 12:51 by pinfall with a Jacknife Power Bomb. Kevin Nash is the second confirmed participant for the Mayhem match. Rating: 70 ------------------------------- The main event of Next Week’s Nitro is announced. ------------------------------- We cut to the interview area once more where Gene Okerlund is interviewing Ron Killings, a recent acquisition by WCW. Okerlund asks Killings if he stands with Michaels, to which Killings gives a resounding ‘no’, that he fought on his own to get to where he was up north, and was rewarding with a nice sum of money to come down to Atlanta, and prove that he deserves not only more money, but a spot higher up the card. Okerlund, seemingly un-pleased with the lack of a side being chosen, asks him who he believes would help him achieve that goal, and Killings says that there isn’t a side that’ll help him achieve that. That being lost in the shuffle of a large group would just cause him to disappear in the haze, and that would ultimately hurt him in his quest. Rating: 48 ----------------------------- Ron Killings vs Elix Skipper In a bout that had good heat and decent wrestling, Elix Skipper defeated Ron Killings in 16:59 by pinfall with small package. Following the end of the match, Killings and Skipper get into a confrontation that gets broken up by Daniels and Styles, who more or less force Killings to leave the ring. Rating: 63 ----------------------------- We cut to the back for the final interview of the night, where we find not Gene Okerlund, but actually Don West, who interviews the Extremists. West asks where they’ve been since Starrcade. Awesome reminds West that he’d had a few singles matches in the last few weeks, and Lance Storm states that he needed time to recover from the match at Starrcade. But now, they’re both 100% and ready to get back to business. West asks them how they feel about the Alliance and about what Corino had to say earlier in the night. Awesome and Storm both talk about how the Alliance would’ve kill ECW, and would probably make it remain into the future, whereas fighting alone would’ve been more of an uphill battle. Rating: 50 ---------------------------- The New Faces of Fear vs The Extremists In a bout that had great heat and good wrestling, The Extremists defeated The New Faces of Fear in 22:18 when Mike Awesome was attacked by Steve Corino, ending the match in a Disqualification. Rating: 69 --------------------------- Corino wails on Awesome, while Lynn, Tanaka and Taijiri attack lance Storm, with a few shots going towards Awesome as well. John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons slink away during the beatdown, and Corino grabs a microphone, saying how Awesome and Storm didn’t get it. That because they had abandoned ECW for greener pastures, they weren’t qualified to preach about what would keep ECW alive as they had shown that they were more than happy to leave. He reiterates once more that the Alliance will dishonor and effectively destroy ECW, leaving it to be corrupted by WCW. “What makes me madder than hell, is that the one guy who I thought would’ve understood that better than anyone is the one who’s signed ECW away. To all those in the back who came from ECW, you have to decide whether or not to throw away the legacy of the company that we shed our blood, sweat and tears for. You have to chose whether or not all that you gave is worth throwing away so that others will decide what our hard work was for. We here in this ring have decided that our work, our blood, our sweat and our legacy is worth fighting for and that we will fight until the death of ECW to maintain what we fought for. Dreamer has decided that all that we’ve done can be thrown away, and hand it to the son of the man up north. It’s a choice between dishonoring all that we’ve done, or fighting until the death of the ECW.”. Rating: 61 ----------------------------- Overall Rating: 72 ------------------------------ Card + Winners: The New Faces of Fear (John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons) vs The Extremists (Lance Storm and Mike Awesome) Ron Killings vs Elix Skipper Mayhem Match Qualifier: Kevin Nash vs Jeff Jarrett The Hardy Boyz (Matt and Jeff Hardy) vs The Lunatic Fringes (James Storm and Johnny Swinger) Mayhem Match Qualifier: Rick Steiner vs Samoa Joe WCW World Television Championship Match: Alex Wright vs Samoa Joe © -------------------------- Predictions: DHK1989: 4/6 -------------------------- Full Official Card for Next Week's Monday Nitro to be announced Wednesday morning. Announced Matches for Next Week's Monday Nitro: Hulk Hogan and DDP vs Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs TAKA Michinoku Christopher Daniels vs Jeff Hardy

Main Event: Mayhem Match Qualifier: Mayhem Match Qualifier: WCW World Television Championship Match:

Early Morning, Sunday, 2nd Week of February, 2002 Shane McMahon paced around the office, and gave the layout of the show a couple of glances, but that was more so to take his mind off the show, and to what Bischoff had proposed to him earlier in the week. Bischoff had made the suggestion that they should bring back the World War 3 match for April, taking place during the Mayhem PPV. Shane pushed back on the idea, especially since he didn’t have 60 guys. He and Eric knew when they rebooted the company that they were more than likely going to have to operate on a shoe-string budget, which wasn’t entirely accurate. FOX had given them more money than they had expected, so they were able to sign more men, but they were beginning to feel the impact as they had experienced their first month in the red, and it looked like it was going to be the only month, and even then, they still only had 58 active wrestlers. Needless to say, when it was pitched to him, he shot it down quickly. But Bischoff pressed him on it, suggesting some changes to it. Instead a large-scale battle royale, it’d be like the Royal Rumble, with 20-men, and with pinfalls and submissions. Shane wasn’t enamored with the idea. Shane told him he’d think on it and get back to him today. And he’d made up his mind that he was going to tell him ‘no’. They could do their own thing without having to copy from the WWF. Or atleast, that’s what he had planned on. When Bischoff arrived, he came in with Dallas Page, who had actually pitched the idea to Eric a couple weeks back. Bischoff started the pitch, but Dallas quickly took over and went through what he had in mind for the storylines during the match. Shane had to admit, it was a good pitch. Good enough, that he gave them the ‘ok’. Of course, there was the storylines up to the match that would need to be worked on, but what Dallas and Eric had come up with worked for him, and the three then spent some time working on when to fit in the announcement during tonight’s show. Once that was decided, he went to Dallas, and told him that before he went through with one of the parts of the plan, he wanted to make sure that the man was clean and that he stayed away from those vices. He wanted that guarantee, and Dallas was more than willing to give it to him. Shane also made him, and those that would be in the best position to ensure that the guarantee was upheld, to secrecy. WCW Opinion of Shane McMahon: +2 ----------------------------------------------- The event begins with a pyrotechnics display, and a greeting from the commentary team. Before the camera cuts to the commentary table, it shows the area where the WCW wrestlers used to sit on guard, which is now empty. Tony Schiavone goes through the card for tonight, with Heenan and Styles giving their two cents for each match. When they get to the double main event, however, they talk about the implications, a World Championship match at Uncensored. Heenan and Schiavone, of course, put their backing behind Steiner and DDP, but Styles goes for Rhyno and DDP. Styles states that “Steiner is a beast of a man, but Rhyno is the man-beast. Rhyno can keep his composure until the match. With the way Steiner acts on a weekly basis, Shawn Michaels will have no issue getting the upper hand.”. Heenan and Schiavone disagree, but before they can get into their reasoning, the next match is about to begin. ----------------------------------------------------- WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs Rey Mysterio Jr. The battle of the juniors begins with a quick, but pretty exchange of reversals and technical moves. It ends when Rey Mysterio attempts a snap suplex, but Chavo reverses, picking him up and heaving him gut first onto the top rope, where Mysterio bounces a couple times before falling to the apron. Chavo reaches through the ropes and drags Rey back into the ring, where he hits him with a couple suplexes. Chavo then whips Rey into the ropes and goes for a clothesline, which Rey ducks before rebounding off the ropes and hitting him with a basement dropkick to the left knee. Rey then hits Chavo with a basement DDT, before going for a quick pin, getting only a ‘2’. Rey maintains control until he goes for another pin, this time a roll-up, but Chavo reverses with a wheelbarrow suplex. The two stay on equal footing, exchanging blows, moves and reversals, until Chavo finds himself in the advantageous position, reversing into the Brainbuster. He doesn’t hit it however, as Rey floats over and lands on his feet, where he dropkicks Chavo into the ropes. Rey quickly heads to the apron, and as Chavo turns to face him, Rey jumps off the top rope and goes for the West Coast Pop, but gets powerbombed instead. Chavo picks him up and hits him with the Brainbuster to get the victory, marking his 2nd defense of the championship. Time: 15 Minutes and 25 Seconds Rating: 81 Notes: Following the match, Chavo and Rey shake hands. ------------------------------------------------------------------- We go to the announcer team, who talk about the match, while highlights play. While they are talking about that, the camera cuts to the back in the middle of Schiavone’s sentence. A camera man is looking at a scene down the hall, where Steve Corino, Taijiri, Tanaka and Lynn are conversing, and they appear to be talking in hushed voices, heads huddled together. Corino and Lynn are in their ring gear, while Tajiri and Tanaka are in their casual clothes. The interaction only lasts for a dozen seconds after appearing on the screen, when Lynn spots the cameraman, and the group quickly disperses. The feed goes back to the announce team, where all three men are confused, with Heenan asking “What was that about?”. Schiavone listens to his headset as Heenan drills Styles with questions, and Schiavone reveals to them and the audience that they had been conversing for about 5 minutes prior to being shown. He also mentions that the 4 men where ⅘ that voted against an alliance last week when ECW took a vote. Schiavone and Heenan both look to Styles, but Styles is as confused as they are, remarking “I would’ve voted ‘yes’. I made that clear on Nitro, and I stand by it today.”. Heenan gives Schiavone a skeptical look, but Schiavone, at least outwardly, reserves judgment. Before much else could be said, the next match is set to begin. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Corino vs Ron Killings As Corino makes his entrance, the announcers are able to do some more pondering regarding his intentions with the other dissenters. This mainly consists of Shiavone and Heenan prodding Styles, but Styles, like before continues to make it clear that he’s on board with the Alliance idea. Then Ron Killings makes his debut in WCW, and Tony Schiavone does his best Mike Tenay impression, and talks about the skillful young man, his 36-24 record in 2001, a lengthy reign as a Hardcore champion (lasting 2 ½ Months) including a victory against current WCW champion Rhyno. Joey Styles, immediately after Schiavone finishes, states that Rhyno has also beaten Ron Killings twice. As the bell rings, Corino walks out ot the center of the ring and seems to size up Killings, and Killings does the same. Corino throws the first punch and the two begin exchanging blows, which Corino is able to come out on top of. Corino continues his offense for a couple of minutes, which comes to an end when he goes for a clothesline that Ron Killings is able to duck with the splits. He pops back up and hits Corino with a leg lariat, effectively transferring momentum to Killings. With the advantage for most of the rest of the match, Ron Killings is able to punish Corino. Killings attempts to go for his finisher, Truth Conviction, but Corino is able to slip out, and hits Killings with an arm drag. The two competitors start battling once more, exchanging blows and moves until Corino goes for the Old School Expulsion, but Killings is able to slip out of his finish, and rolls him up for the ‘3’. Time: 14 Minutes and 32 Seconds Rating: 64 Notes: Steve Corino looks surprised and angry, while Ron Killings rolls out of the ring, raising his arms in victory. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- While Corino lets out his frustration on his way to the back, the announce team talks about the impressive debut of Ron Killings, but are still curious as to his allegiances. Schiavone then directs the audience to the interview area backstage, where Gene Okerlund is waiting to talk to Chuck Palumbo. The first question ‘Mean’ Gene asks is whether he went to those in charge to get this match or if they offered it to him. Chuck Palumbo is silent to start with, before saying that he “had been at home, watching my good friend take down man after man for weeks. And after Steiner had attacked him, I had wanted to come back to make sure O’Haire was alright. Instead, I was told to stay and make sure I was 100%. I should have been here, but I wasn’t. I called them up the next day, and I demanded a shot to get some revenge for my friend, and they gave it to me.”. Mean Gene asks him to elaborate on the ‘100%’ comment, and asks if that has something to do with his absence. Palumbo states that as a result of his match against Steiner, he had tweaked his lower back, making it hard for him to do much of anything for the first three weeks. But, he’s been cleared to compete tonight. Okerlund presses him on it. “You might be cleared to compete tonight, but are you 100%?”. Palumbo begins to speak, getting three,four words out, before stopping abruptly, as both he and Okerlund turn to their right and Palumbo walks forwards. The camera backs up and turns to capture what’s going on and it’s revealed that Samoa Joe has walked up to the interview area. Mean Gene shuffles his way back into frame, as Joe begins to speak. “Go on. Answer the question.”, Joe says, with a smile eerily similar to the one he had when he saw O’Haire’s condition prior to the match where he injured O’Haire. Palumbo says nothing, and Joe laughs. “I hope, for your sake, that you are 100%. Or else, you’re going to be just like O’Haire: Put down like a dog.”. Palumbo throws a punch at Joe, which connects, and before either man can act again, security gets in between them. Palumbo is livid, but Joe starts to laugh once more as he walks away. The feed cuts back to the announce team, who look concerned. Schiavone asks the back if they can get him information regarding Palumbo’s readiness, and while they wait for word on that, the three talk about the next match, and about Samoa Joe. “This guy shows up, beats a couple of nobodies, and injures a man who’s gone through hell, and he seems to think he’s the best thing going today.”, Heenan remarks, which Styles seems to take an exception to. “TAKA and Tanaka are not nobodies. Masato Tanaka is a former ECW World Heavyweight Champion, and TAKA is an accomplished wrestler both here in America and in Japan. The only nobody he’s had the pleasure of facing is Ernest Miller, and I hesitate to consider him a challenge on any level to anybody.”. Schiavone intervenes before Styles and Heenan can go further on, with a medical update regarding Chuck Palumbo. He’s about 6 weeks away from being 100%. All three react poorly to the news, and Heenan asks why he was given the greenlight for this match. Before anyone can attempt on answer to that question, Palumbo begins to make his way to the ring for the next match. -------------------------------------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Chuck Palumbo As Palumbo walks to the ring, the announcers look to see if he’s got obvious signs of injury, of which they aren’t able to see. Schiavone voices an optimistic viewpoint, that the injury he got fighting Steiner wasn’t as severe as originally believed. And all of them agree on that hope. Samoa Joe comes down the aisle with a sinister smile on his face. When he gets into the ring, Palumbo jumps him and attacks him while he’s on the mat. The bell rings and Palumbo keeps laying into Joe, but Joe’s able to get up to his feet, and starts fighting Palumbo blow for blow, eventually ducking a Palumbo punch, and hitting him with an exploder suplex into the turnbuckles. Palumbo immediately starts writhing in pain, holding his back, and Joe wastes no time in continuing the punishment to his lower back. Joe then transitions to a slow, methodical pace, letting Palumbo get to his feet, which he needs to use the ropes to do, and pushes him into the corner, and shoulder blocks his lower back, causing Palumbo to cry out in pain. Palumbo crumples to the ground, sitting in the corner. Joe proceeds to repeated scrape his boot against Palumbo’s face, before running off the ropes and hitting him with a brutal looking facewash kick. Joe picks up Palumbo, and lifts him tot he top rope, before hitting him with a Muscle Buster. He goes for the cover and the ref counts to ‘2’, before Joe interrupts his own pin. He continues to beat down on Palumbo’s back to the point where Joe allows Palumbo to get to his feet, but Palumbo can’t stand without extensive weight on the ropes. Joe gives a harsh kick right to the lower back, sending Palumbo right back down. Joe tortures palumbo for a few minutes, before he puts Palumbo into the same Dragon Sleeper variation that he put O’haire into, and he wrenches back on the hold and Palumbo instantly taps out. Time: 9 Minutes and 34 Seconds Rating: 50 Notes: Joe holds the submission in long enough that several referees and some security have to come in and get him to stop. When he does, he leaves an incapacitated Palumbo in the center of the ring. The announce team is irate over the blatant disregard for Palumbo’s well-being, and Palumbo, like O’Haire before, is taken out on a stretcher. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Still lamenting over the fact that Samoa Joe has now injured two wrestlers, the feed abruptly goes to the back once more, where we see Jerry Lynn, Bill Alfonso and Corino, still in his gear, talking at RVD, who’s scheduled to compete next. They speak in hushed tones, so very little of what’s said can actually be understood, and whatever it was that the three of them were saying, RVD doesn’t seem to be interested, and interrupts Corino by walking away. Alfonso follows him, towards the direction of the stage, while Lynn and Corino seem to be angered by whatever they failed to do. The feed cuts back to the announce team, who are puzzled by the events that transpired. Heenan looks over at Styles and asks, “What’s going on with ECW?”. ----------------------------------------------- Rob Van Dam vs Al Snow With that question in the air, Al Snow makes his entrance. The announce team, seemingly reluctant to move on, talk about Al Snow, and go over his accomplishments, much like what they did with Ron Killings, but they have an edge to what they say, as Al Snow is clearly an antagonist to both WCW and ECW. When RVD makes his entrance, they return to that question, and the announce team speculate as to what the conversation was about, but don’t get very far as they keep prodding Styles, who is knows as much about the situation as they do. Al Snow starts out the match getting bested by RVD’s athleticism, but the playing field would be leveled when Snow reverses RVD’s corner monkey flip into a stiff spinebuster. Snow starts working on RVD’s legs, and this continues for most of the match, where RVD is able to mount a bit of an offense before Snow cuts him down and continued to work on his legs. The match comes to an end when Snow tries to go for the Sno-Plow, but Van Dam is able to roll him up. Snow kicks out at ‘2’ and while he gets up, RVD uses the ropes to help himself to his feet. Snow walks over and goes to kick Van Dam’s leg, but Van Dam surprises him with a side kick, which hurts both men. RVD does his springboard kick, which knocks Snow to the ground, while RVD sells his legs. Snow is able to get to his feet first, and goes for a clothesline, which RVD rolls under, before hitting Snow with a spinning heel kick. RVD goes to the top and hits the 5* Frog Splash, and gets the victory. Time: 19 Minutes and 17 Seconds Rating: 79 Notes: After RVD celebrates the win, Joey Styles leaves the announce table and meets RVD on the ramp, where the two speak for a brief moment. Styles returns to the commentary table, where he tells the other commentators and the audience in the arena and at home, that Corino was trying to ‘recruit’ him. “Recruit him for what?”, Schiavone asked. “He wouldn’t tell me.”, Styles said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the commentary team starts to speculate around that new question, Eric Bischoff’s music plays and he walks out onto the stage and down to the ring. Those at the commentary table are curious as to what he’s got to say. Eric Bischoff announces that at Mayhem, two months away, there will be a 20-man Gauntlet match and the winner will earn a WCW World Championship match at the Great American Bash, and that starting tomorrow night, wrestlers will have to qualify for entry into the match, and at Uncensored, there will be a match to decide who will come in last. As he speaks, a graphic appears on screen, with the Rules of the match, which are: Two competitors start the match, decided by a lottery held during the event for wrestlers who won their qualifying matches. Every two minutes, another competitor will enter the match, until the final participant enters. A competitor can be eliminated by being thrown over the top rope and having a part of their body touch the floor, by being pinned, or by submitting. The Winner of the Mayhem Match will face the WCW World Heavyweight Champion at The Great American Bash. Afterwards, Eric Bischoff bows out of the ring and to the back. The announce team takes over from here and hype up this brand-new match as well as speculate on whether it will be just WCW wrestlers, or if ECW wrestlers will be involved, as well as whether or not now’s the best time to showcase such a match. ------------------------------------------------------- WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T © vs Terry Funk Terry Funk makes his entrance, and while he does so, the announce team talk about the accomplishments in Funk’s legendary career (mostly Styles, although Heenan, having wrestled Funk twice in his career, chimes in with some comments), and how that this is the first time Booker T and Terry Funk will have been in the same ring for a match. Just as Booker T slides into the ring after his entrance, Terry Funk puts the boot to him, and the match begins. Booker fights his way to his feet, and he and Funk exchange punches, which ends when Funk hits Booker with a suplex. Funk maintains control of the match until he bounces off the ropes and goes for a clothesline, which Booker ducks. Booker then hits him with a jumping sidekick, followed soon after with a scissor kick. The match comes to an end when Funkgoes for the piledriver, before getting backdropped in the center of the ring. As he rises to his feet, Booker calls for and hits the Book End, winning the match. Time: 11 Minutes and 3 Seconds Rating: 67 Notes: Booker celebrates his championship defense, while Funk slinks away. As he does, Heenan mentions that Funk did not vote with the rest of ECW on the previous Nitro. Styles simply says that he wasn’t there to vote, just like how he himself, didn’t vote. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After the match, the camera cuts to the interview area, where the Four Horsemen, with exception to Jindrak and Douglas, are being interviewed. Flair takes most of the time talking, and it’s here he reveals that due to the alliance between ECW and WCW, his 6-month match suspension is being lifted 3 months ahead of schedule. The interview was then turned over to Kevin Nash while Flair continues being Flair in the background. Nash talks softly and says that tonight his old friend is going to see the cream of the crop in WCW when Douglas and Jindrak take on Shawn’s lackeys and when Diamond Dallas Page beats him later tonight. The interview moves onto DDP, who begins talking as Flair hypes him up. “Michaels, when you showed your cowardly face here in WCW, it was by attacking me when my back was turned. And you’ve been ducking me ever since, but tonight, I will have my chance at revenge. And when all is said and done tonight, you will regret ever setting foot here in WCW. And you will feel the bang!”. As he finishes, Shane Douglas shows up and the interview turns to the next match, the World Tag Team Championship Match, and Gene asks him how he feels going into this match. Shane says that he’s more than ready to defend his championship, but that Jindrak and Stacy so far have been a no show. Okerlund asks him where he thinks they are, and Shane is unsure, but says that if need be, he’ll do it alone “since it’sa been clear to everyone in the Horsemen that Jindrak has been the weakest link, and has cost us matches through his incompetence”. Nash intercedes, and says that if it comes to it, he’ll take Jindrak’s spot in the match. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sting vs Jerry Lynn The match begins with the two men staring each other down in the center of the ring. They exchange words before those words turn into fists. Sting wins the initial exchange and remains on the offense for the better part of the 1st half of the match. Things turn into Lynn’s favor when Sting goes for the Stinger Splash, and Lynn gets out of the way in time. Lynn hits Sting with a back suplex and keeps up his momentum. The match comes to an end when Lynn goes for his piledriver. He goes to lift Sting, but Sting resists and hits Lynn with a back drop. Lynn sells shortly before getting back to his feet. Sting meets him and the two throw pouches once more. Sting is able to stagger Lynn with a good punch, causing him to turn around. Sting goes for the Scorpion Death Drop, but Lynn’s close enough to the ropes and is able to escape the hold by jumping onto the 2nd rope and hitting Sting with a headscissor takedown. Lynn goes to the corner to recuperate, while Sting gets back to his feet. Sting goes for another Stinger Splash, and again Lynn dodges, this time but jumping onto the second rope. Sting catches himself on the second turnbuckle and Lynn is able to hit the Corner Sunset Flip Powerbomb, and gets the ‘3’. Time: 13 Minutes and 19 Seconds Rating: 67 Notes: Jerry Lynn celebrates his victory. ------------------------------------------------ The announce team talks about the remaining matches, and just as they finish going over them, the feed cuts to the back and into the owner’s office, where Shane McMahon and Eric Bischoff are talking about the Mayhem match. It’s during this segment were a couple Qualifying Matches are announced for tomorrow’s Nitro. Samoa Joe vs Rick Steiner Kevin Nash vs Jeff JarrettAs he finishes reading off the last match, you can hear the door open and both Shane and Eric look up to see Tommy Dreamer, who has come to finalize the Alliance, and if Shane and Eric will agree to it. Shane says that they’ve looked over the proposal and that they agree, effectively finalizing the Alliance between WCW and ECW against Shawn Michaels and his . Dreamer leaves, appearing happy. ------------------------------------------------- WCW World Tag Team Championship Elimination Match: The Four Horsemen (Mark Jindrak and Shane Douglas) /w Stacy Kiebler © vs The New Faces of Fear (John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons) The challengers for the championship come down to the ring, and as they do, the announce team goes over their accomplishments, individually and as a team. Schiavone talks about how Ron Simmons was a former WCW World Heavyweight Champion almost 10 years ago, and how sickening it is that he returns to the place where he was at the top of the mountain as just another lackey for Shawn Michaels. AS John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons get into the ring and wait for the champions to come down, there’s a lengthy pause until the Horsemen’s theme starts to play. Shane Douglas walks out from the back and stops at the top of the ramp, his half of the World Tag Team Championship wrapped around his waist. He turns to the curtain and out walks Kevin Nash with Jindrak’s half of the championship over his shoulder. As the two members of the Horsemen walk down to the ring, Schiavone and Styles talk about Jindrak’s absence and how Shane Douglas was originally supposed to have DDP as his partner at Starrcade. While they do that, Bobby Heenan is strangely quiet. Schaivone notices and asks him what he thinks and Heenan says “All I’m thinking about right now, is where did Nash got that title. Jindrak and Stacy haven’t show up yet, so where did he get Jindrak’s half of the championship?”. That question hangs in the air as the match begins. Shane Douglas and John Bradshaw start out the match, and Douglas is able to gain the upperhand early, attacking the legs of the bigger individual. However, this doesn’t last long, as Bradshaw dodges one of the basement dropkicks with a Clothesline from Hell. He goes for the cover and almost gets the victory off the only offensive move his side had done in the match. With Shane Douglas knocked for a loop, he gets caught up in the corner for a large portion of the match, as John Bradshaw and Ron Simmons work over Douglas. During this part of the match, Heenan makes note of how apathetic Nash seems to be, with a blank face and unmoving despite the beating his partner is receiving. The matches changes in favor of the Four Horsemen when after minutes of Douglas being punished, Shane is able to reverse the Dominator and hits Ron Simmons with the Pittsburgh Plunge, and starts to crawl over to Nash, who for the first time all match shows emotion. Bradshaw gets tagged in and jumps into the ring to prevent Douglas from getting to Nash,and despite Bradshaw grabbing Douglas, and dragging him away, Douglas gets a surge of energy, and flights Bradshaw toe-to-toe. Bradshaw goes for the Clothesline from Hell, but Douglas ducks it this time and hits Bradshaw with a neckbreaker. Douglas crawls over to his corner and tags in Kevin Nash, who gets into the ring over the top rope, and locks eyes with Bradshaw who got up to a knee. As they do that, Douglas uses the ropes to get up to his feet. Bradshawand Kevin Nash nod at each other, and Kevin Nash turns and hits Douglas with a knee to the gut and a Jackknife Powerbomb. The announce team is incredulous as Nash gives the ‘too sweet’ to Bradshaw, and then to Ron Simmons, before he exits the ring. The referee counts him out, and Kevin Nash is eliminated. (12:27). The announce team is stunned, and as they work through what’s happened, and what this means, the action in the ring continues as Bradshaw goes for the cover. Douglas, however, has some life left in him as he kicks out at 2.9. Bradshaw and Nash are both surprised, and Bradshaw goes to pick up Douglas, and looks to position himself to hit another Clothesline from Hell. Just as Douglas got to a knee on his own power, Bradshaw pulled him up and went for the clothesline, but Douglas ducks it and hits Bradshaw with a back suplex. Douglas is still selling the he was given throughout the match, so Bradshaw gets to his feet first. Bradshaw hits DOuglas with a couple hard strikes and a knee, but Douglas still gets to his feet, and throws a few strikes of his own, exchanging them at a losing rate as Bradshaw forces him into the ropes. Bradshaw goes for the irish whip, but Douglas hits him with a bulldog. Douglas gets to his feet first, and hits a DDT on Bradshaw. Both men sell, and get to their feet at the same time, and Douglas dodges a strike from Bradshaw, kicks him in the gut and hits him with the Pittsburgh Plunge, this time hooking the leg. 1,2,3! John Bradshaw has been eliminated! (16:31). Ron Simmons gets into the ring and starts clubbing Douglas while Nash starts to climb the steps and gets onto the apron, which distracts the ref. Simmons goes to hit Douglas with the Dominator, but Douglas slips out aas Simmons tries to prop him up on his shoulder. Douglas lands on his feet and gets his head taken off by Bradshaw with the Clothesline from Hell. Bradshaw rolls out of the ring while Simmons picks him up off the mat, and hits Douglas with the Dominator. Ron Simmons covers Douglas, and the ref, after “getting” Nash to get off the apron, couts the ‘3’. Shane Douglas has been eliminated, and the New Faces of Fear are the New Faces of the WCW World Tag Team Championship. (17:22). Time: 17 Minutes and 22 Seconds Rating: 60 Notes: In the aftermath of the match, Douglas is knocked out in the center of the ring, and the three others starts to beat down on him. Bradshaw and Simmons pick him up, and Nash hits him with a second Jackknife. While Douglas lays flat on his back, Nash, Bradshaw and Simmons pose over him, OUt from the back comes a myriad of wrestlers, with Flair and Page at the head. But before they are able to get their hands on the turncoat and the New Faces of Fear, the three of them get out of the ring and leave through the crowd. As things die down, the tension remains palpable as the announcers go over the match and the betrayal of Kevin Nash. They talk about what happened to Jindrak and Stacy Kiebler, as well as what this means for the invasion. “If wrestlers you’ve fought beside start turning against you, who can you trust?” is the line Heenan says, before Schiavone sends the feed back to the interview area. -------------------------------------------------- We go to the back for an interview with Scott Steiner, who says that this shot is a long time coming. That he should have been the guy at Souled Out, but because of “daddy’s little princess, Shane McMahon” it was given to Sean O’Haire, who got so badly hurt by some fat*** from California, and got knocked out of action for the next few months. And tonight, he’ll bring the gold back around his waist, and it doesn’t matter to him who wins the main event, since. The fact that they’re in the main event and he isn’t is a travesty. Okerlund, who’s been standing with the microphone this whole time, goes to ask Steiner about what we just saw, Kevin Nash’s betrayal, and Steiner talks about how it doesn’t surprise him that he and Michaels got back together, as weak men tend to do. He flexes to show off his muscles before saying “Me? I’m a genetic freak. I don’t need anybody to help me.”. With that, he leaves, and Okerlund sends it back to the Announce Team, who begin talking about the next match: the WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match. --------------------------------------- WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rhyno © vs Scott Steiner As the challenger makes his entrance, they talk about his near-400 day reign as WCW World Heavyweight Champion from November of 2000 to Starrcade of 2001, and how dominant he was over that period. Styles is all too happy to point out how dominant he was until he ran into Rhyno, who beat him 1,2,3 at Starrcade. Steiner’s entrance ends with him posing in the ring. When Rhyno’s music hits, he sprints down to the ring and as soon as he slides in, Steiner and him start throwing blows. Rhyno’s attempt is admirable, but Steiner’s strength and anger propel himself to take the momentum of the match. Clubbing blows slowly break down Rhyno’s energy, and Steiner starts to throw him around with belly-to-belly suplexes. He takes time to taunt Rhyno, and goes to end the match early with a Steiner Recliner, but Rhyno is able to escape the hold. Steiner tries to keep up the pressure, but Rhyno is able to get Steiner staggered, and hits Steiner with a couple belly-to-belly’s of his own. Steiner seems surprised and gets to his feet, while Rhyno sets up for the Gore. Steiner gets checked on by Nick Patrick, and when he does finally turn to face the champion, Rhyno sprints over to hit the Gore, and hits Nick patrick after Scott Steiner moves out of the way. Rhyno and Steiner keep fighting, and Steiner gets the upper-hand once more, and puts Rhyno in the Recliner long enough that he passes out, but Nick Patrick is still out. Steiner relinquishes the hold, and goes to resuscitate the ref, and as he does, Matt Hardy slides into the ring with a chair, and starts attacking Steiner, as Jeff Hardy gets up onto the apron. Matt hits Steiner with the Twist of Fate, and Jeff hits the Swanton Bomb. The two stand over Steiner and when they turn around, they both get Gored by Rhyno, and the two of them roll out of the ring. Rhyno crawls over to and drapes an arm over Steiner, and Nick Patrick crawls over and counts the ‘3’. Time: 12 Minutes and 18 Seconds Rating: 68 Notes: The Hardyz exit back through the crowd, and Rhyno rolls out of the ring having retained his championship. When Steiner comes to, and comes to the realization that his chance has gone by the wayside, he goes beserk, attacking Nick Patrick, and putting him in the Recliner. Security comes out to contain him, but Steiner is a man possessed, and beats down anyone that gets in front of him. The carnage gets to a point where Shane McMahon comes out form the back and tries to calm down Steiner, but that backfires when Steiner puts Shane in the Recliner. Only after half a dozen guards swarm him does Steiner finally get restrained and forcibly removed from the ring and arena. The announce team is at a loss for words, and before they can say much of anything… ----------------------------------------------------- We cut to the interview area for the last time tonight, where Shawn Michaels talks about his match with DDP. He continually mocks DDP, and says that the only thing that will happen at the end of the nigh is disappointment, because the ‘cream of the crop’ are gonna amount to nothing. As he says that, Kevin Nash appears and the two share an embrace, before Michaels continues with the interview. The Horsemen have lost a member and the World Tag Team Championships, and when Michaels is done, the WCW World Heavyweight Championship will be his, and by the end of the year, WCW and ECW will be right where they belong, six feet under. -------------------------------------------- #1 Contender’s Match: Shawn Michaels vs Diamond Dallas Page The announce team talks about the main event match, and how personal this must be for Dallas, having been attacked by Michaels back at Starrcade, and by having his friend Nash turn his back on WCW. As they finish that train of thought, the camera cuts to the back, where DDP is walking to the ring. He looks surprisingly calm considering how the day has gone, and he disappears behind the curtain as his music begins to play through the arena. As DDP makes his entrance, the announce team notices how stern and focused he appears, not even playing to the fans. When he gets to the ring, he simply walks over to the corner, takes off his shirt and stands in the corner, staring down the aisle. When Michaels music hits, he saunters out of the corner and stands in the center of the ring. Shawn Michaels makes his entrance, and seems to be in high-spirits. He gets down to his knees and raises his hands to the heavens, before springing to his feet, taking off his chain vest, and getting clotheslined by DDP, who had rolled out of the ring and rushed Michaels while he was doing the taunt. The match effectively starts in the middle of the entrance way, with DDP exerting his will on Michaels, whipping him into the guardrails on either side of the aisle. Michaels starts to fight back, but gets shut down by DDP, who hip tosses him into the stairs. Dallas walks around Michaels, who’s on his hands and knees, selling his back, and starts to move the padding on the floor, exposing the concrete. He walks over, and goes to hit Michaels with a suplex onto the concrete. Michaels floats over, and lands on his feet before hitting Page with a Sweet Chin Music, sending him to the ground in a heap. Michaels takes a little to compose himself and rolls DDP into the ring, When he rolls in afterwards, the match officially begins. Michaels goes for the cover right away, but Page kicks out at ‘2’. Michaels takes control of the match, but it’s a tenuous grip as Page has moments where he’s about to turn the match in his favor, but gets stopped by Michaels at almost every opportunity. Eventually, Page gets the upper-hand, and he unleashes a flurry of offense keeping Michaels unbalanced. Page whips Michaels into the ropes and hits him with a stiff arm clothesline before picking him up and whipping him once more. This time, Micahels ducks the clothesline, runs off the ropes and hits Page with a flying forearm. Both men lay prone, but Michaels kips up to his feet, and starts tuning up the band for another Sweet Chin Music, and as Page gets to his feet. Michaels goes for it. Page ducks the kick, and picks Michaels up, and after better positioning his arm, flips Michaels over and hits him with the Diamond Cutter. Page isn’t able to cover him right away, and as a result, Michaels kicks out in time. Page lifts Michaels back up to his feet, and after a few strikes, hits Michaels with a gutwrench gutbuster. Page continues to beat down on Michaels, and goes for the Diamond Bomb. When he lifts him up, Michaels slips out and goes for the Sweet Chin Music. Page catches his foot, and pulls him forward for the Diamond Cutter. Michaels pushes him off, and when Page turns around, Michaels is able to hit him with the Sweet Chin Music. Michaels scrambles for the pin, and Page is able to kick out at ‘2’, much to the surprise of Shawn Michaels. Michaels positions Page and heads for the top rope. Page gets to his feet and crotches Michaels. Page goes for a Super DIamond Cutter, but Michaels holds onto the ropes and hits Page with a crossbody. Both men sell in the center of the ring, and both start to get to their feet. When they do, they exchange strike, increasing in intensity until Michaels goes for a clothesline, which DDP catches and reverses into the Diamond Cutter. He goes for the pin on Michaels, and as the referee counts, Page overcommits to pin and when the ref hits ‘2’, Michaels is able to reverse the pinfall attempt, and cinches in a an attempt of his own. 1,2,3! Shawn Michaels defeats Diamond Dallas Page and will receive a championship match at Uncensored. Time: 25 Minutes and 12 Seconds Rating: 91 Notes: Following the match, DDP attacks Michaels and the fight between the two turns into a brawl as Alliance Members and members of Michaels’ Kliq come to blows and the end devolves into a huge brawl. After a few minutes, the Kliq comes out ahead due to the New Faces of Fear using weapons to effectively control the Alliance Crowd. Nash and Flair go at it, but Flair gets attacked from behind. Triple X have a moment of momentum against the New Faces of Fear and Al Snow, but they eventually get beat down as well. Both sides are battered and scarred, but Michaels and the Kliq appear to come out on top. Michaels gets handed a steel chair and he goes to Pillmanize DDP, and the others continue to beat down some of the other Alliance wrestlers. As they continue to do this, and Michaels starts to play tot he audience, . Michaels pauses on the turnbuckle, while Nash freezes and stares at the entrance way, as Hulk Hogan walks out dressed in the good old red and yellow. He plays to the crowd as he walks to the ring, and when Hogan gets there, some of the Alliance members have gathered themselves and they circle the ring. When Hogan gives the order, they storm the ring. fighting happens all over the ring, but in the center, Hogan fights off Nash, clotheslines him out of the ring, when Michaels hits him in the back with the chair, which Hogan no sells, turning to face Shawn Michaels. Michaels goes to hit him with the chair once again, but Hogan blocks the chair shot, punches Michaels and clotheslines him out of the ring as well. The Kliq is on the run, as Hogan gives the Alliance a well-needed shot in the arm.. And with that, the PPV comes to a close. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall Rating: 86 (Highest Ranked Show (WCW Monday Nitro, 2nd Week of February, and PPV (WCW Souled Out 2002: 80) by 6 points) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Card + Winners: #1 Contender's Match: Shawn Michaels vs Diamond Dallas Page (Winner gets a shot for the World Championship at Uncensored). WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Scott Steiner vs Rhino © WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The New Faces of Fear (Simmons and Bradshaw) vs The Four Horsemen (Nash and Douglas) © Sting vs Jerry Lynn WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T © vs Terry Funk Rob Van Damn vs Al Snow WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Chuck Palumbo Ron Killings vs Steve Corino WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs Rey Mysterio Jr. ----------------------------------------------------------- Predictions: DHK1989: 7/9 (Scott Steiner over Rhyno, Sting over Jerry Lynn) OldSchoolFan: 6/9 (Scott Steiner over Rhyno, Sting over Jerry Lynn, Rey Mysterio Jr. over Chavo Guerrero Jr.) Hitman74: 5/9 (Scott Steiner over Rhyno, Sting over Jerry Lynn, Rey Mysterio Jr. over Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chuck Palumbo over Samoa Joe)

Card for WCW SuperBrawl XII, 2nd Week of February, 2002 #1 Contender's Match: Shawn Michaels vs Diamond Dallas Page (Winner gets a shot for the World Championship at Uncensored). WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Scott Steiner vs Rhino © WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The New Faces of Fear (Simmons and Bradshaw) vs The Four Horsemen (Jindrak and Douglas) Sting vs Jerry Lynn WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T vs Terry Funk Rob Van Damn vs Al Snow WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Chuck Palumbo Ron Killings vs Steve Corino WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs Rey Mysterio Jr.

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 2nd Week of February, 2002 The show starts with a pyro display, and the announcers greet the audience. They talk about tonight's main even, which will have Shawn Michaels face off against Scott Steiner. Here, Schiavone reveals what Michaels will get if he wins against Steiner: There will no longer be a defensive force to deter interference in matches. Just as he finishes, Terry Funk comes down to the ring and the next match starts. --------------------- Terry Funk vs Aj Styles The match starts with Styles ducking a clothesline and hitting a springboard reverse DDT. Styles maintains control, until he goes for a springboard forearm, but his feet slip on the top rope, causing him to land awkwardly on the top rope. Funk takes the opportunity and keeps Styles down, and works his legs. Styles is able to fight back up to a vertical base, but has issues running with is leg, and the match ends when Styles gets hit with a Piledriver. Time: 12 Minutes and 40 Seconds Rating: 56 Notes: This marks terry Funk's first singles win since returning in October. ---------------------------- The announcers compliment the aged veteran as he exits the ring and mention the moment the match changed which was Styles slip on the top rope. The talk about the match and a little bit about Triple X, but before they can go in depth with much, the camera feed cuts to the parking lot, where Kevin Nash, DDP and Shane Douglas seem to be having a pow wow. It's a little quiet due to how far away they are, but the audience and announce team can overhear the conversation, where DDP and Douglas are voicing their disapproval about Mark Jindrak. They start to list some of the reasons, but before they can go to in depth, Stacy Kiebler enters the shot, and the pow wow ends. The announcers are unsure exactly what to make of what they heard and saw, but Heenan eludes to a potential change in the Horsemen. Rating: 73 ---------------------- TAKA Michinoku vs Al Snow The match starts with Al Snow stopping TAKA's offense before it gets far. Snow is in control of the match for a good portion, kind of just toying with TAKA. That is until Snow goes for the Snow Plow, and TAKA is able to roll thorugh, and almost gets a quick pin. Snow pops up right away, but TAKA is finally able to get some offense going, and has Snow in a precarious, when TAKA goes for the Michinoku Driver. Snow reverses it and hits TAKA with a stiff clothesline that knocks TAKA inside out. Snow hits a couple of maneuvers on him, before hitting the Snow Plow and getting the victory. Time: 15 Minutes and 2 Seconds Rating: 64 Notes: None. ------------------------------ The announcers talk about the match and show some highlights, with Styles saying that TAKA almost had the match won, while Schiavone says that it wasn't ever close. Styles starts to push back on that when all three stop,and look at each other. Schiavone then announces that there is a meeting between ECW wrestlers going on, and that they are allowing a camera guy inside, and they switch feeds to the meeting, which is already in progress. Most of the ECW guys are in the locker room, that we can see. It takes a minute for the talk to come back around to the main point: the idea of making an alliance with WCW to drive off Michaels and his cohorts. Steve Corino voices his opinion that ECW would benefit from WCW dealing with a new side, and to not have the alliance and he gets joined by Bill Alfonso. Tommy Dreamer voices his support for an alliance, and after about half a second of arguing from everybody, eventually Tommy Dreamer silences the room, and ECW takes a vote. Yes:TAKA Michinoku, Lance Storm, Mike Awesome, Tommy Dreamer, Devon Dudley No: Steve Corino, Bill Alfonso, Yoshihiro Taijiri, Masato Tanaka, Jerry LynnAt a 5-5 tie, everyone in the room looks to RVD, who votes 'Yes', saying that he believes it is the best thing for ECW, and their survival. With a 6-5 lead, the 'no' group accepts the results. Alfonso and Dreamer then leave the room, followed by Mike Awesome for his upcoming match, and the feed goes back to the announcers, who comment on the prospect of such an alliance. Heenan makes a comment on how Styles never even voted, to which Styles says he'd have voted for 'yes', to which the other two announcers seemed pleased. Rating: 61 ---------------------------------- Mike Awesome vs Kevin Nash This match starts out with the two big men trying to power the other out, with each having a moment where they gain the upper-hand, but the ultimate winner in this test of strength was Kevin Nash, who capitalizes on the momentum. He knees Awesome in the gut, and after a few minutes of some stiff looking shots, Awesome is able to catch Nash's big boot, and hit him with a clothesline, switching the momentum of the match. Awesome pounds away at Nash until Mark Jindrak and Stacy Kiebler make their way down to the ring. This distracts Awesome for a second, which allows Nash to get back to an even keel, and the two men trade shots. Things take a wrong turn for Nash when he whips Awesome into the ropes and Jindrak grabs at his feet, causing him to fall to the mat, while Nash appears to have been going for a big boot. The ref didn't see him do it, but admonishes Jindrak anyways. That is until Nash tell Jindrak off. He turns around in time to catch a clothesline. Awesome picks him up and hits him with the Awesome Bomb for the victory. Time: 14 Minutes and 3 Seconds Rating: 77 Notes: Following the match, Nash chews out Jindrak for interfering, and Stacy tries to calm the two men down, but fails. (Rating: 61) ---------------------------------- The announcers talk about the interference of Jindrak, which Heenan states both helped and hurt Nash, but that it's not going to do him any favors with the rest of the horsemen. They talk a little bit more about the match, before turning it over to Gene Okerlund, who's set to interview Samoa Joe. Okerlund asks Joe why he viciously attacked O'Haire last week. Samoa Joe says: Without another word, and giving Okerlund no time to ask another question, he leaves. Okerlund sends it back to the announce team, who state that due to that attack O'Haire's out of action for at least 3 months, maybe longer, with significant damage to his lower back and neck. They all take exception to him equating the situation to euthanizing a dog, but before much else can be said, the next match begins. Rating: 37 ----------------------- WCW World Television Championship: Samoa Joe © vs Billy Kidman Kidman starts out the match ducking a clothesline from Samoa Joe, and hitting a springboard moonsault. Kidman focuses on the legs of the bigger man, however this strategy falls shorts after Joe hits him with a dragon screw leg whip, and starts focusing on his legs, which proves to be more effective. Samoa Joe eventually just starts toying with a man who can hardly stand on his feet, and ends the match with the Coquina Clutch. Time: 12 Minutes and 18 Seconds Rating: 65 Notes: This marks Samoa Joe's first defense. ------------------------- The announce team give praise to Joe while also giving pointed remarks about his ruthlessness. Heenan says that he believes Joe's mentality is one that WCW needs to adopt, and that if they had, earlier, they could have fought off ECW and Michaels probably wouldn't be around. Styles and Schiavone press him on this, but Heenan stands firm. Schiavone then sends the feed to the back where Steiner is waiting to be interviewed. Okerlund asks Steiner how he feels about fighting Shawn Michaels, and his upcoming opportunity at a championship. Steiner says that he should be the champ, and that when he gets his hands on Rhino, he'll break his back. But for tonight, he'll settle for breaking Shawn Michaels back, and send him back into retirement. Just as he finishes his sentence, Michaels confronts him and the two almost get into a large fight right there in the interview area, but are stopped by security, as well as Shane and Eric. During the commotion, Shawn Michaels is able to hit Shane with the Sweet Chin Music, knocking him out cold. Rating: 81 ------------------------ Scott Steiner vs Shawn Michaels The match starts out with both men exchanging punches, and Shawn escapes multiple attempts by Steiner to grab him and hold him down. Michaels agility is a major boon, and it allows him to evade Steiner for much of the first half of the match, while also being able to tee off on Steiner when he could. Eventually, Steiner blows his top, and chases Shawn around the ring, which Shawn uses to use advantage, knocking down Steiner with a flying forearm. Shawn gets a little too cocky and taunts Steiner, who finally gets a grab on Michaels. He proceeds to batter Shawn with heavy blows and back breaking moves. Steiner seems to take pleasure in his beat down of Michaels, posing during the match, and taking his time with dismantling Michaels. It all goes sideways when Steiner this Michaels with a fall-away slam, that also hits the referee. Michaels takes the opportunity to low blow Steiner, and goes out to grab a chair. One of the WCW wrestlers in the crowd, Alex Wright, tries to prevent him from using it, but eats a chair shot, and Michaels scares off the other guy, before getting into the ring with the chair. He hits Steiner a few times, before Steiner catches the chair, pulls Michaels towards him and hits him with a overhead belly-to-belly. Steiner then grabs the chair and waits for Michaels to get to his feet, and hits him in the head. Steiner tosses the chair away, and pins him. The ref stirs and crawls over to make the pin, but Michaels kicks out at '2'. Steiner rolls him over and attempts to put him in the recliner, but Michaels worms his way out of the ring. Steiner follows and hits him in the back, before rolling him back into the ring. Steiner takes his time to get into the ring, and Michaels crawls over to the corner and starts to lift himself up. Steiner walks over and puts him on the top rope. He climbs up and goes for the Frankensteiner, but Michaels pushes him off, causing Steiner to land chest first on the ground. When Steiner gets to his feet, he eats a Sweet Chin Music. Michaels goes to the top and goes for an elbow, which Steiner rolls out of the way. Steiner tries to get him into the recliner once more, but Michaels rolls him up and uses the ropes for leverage to get the victory. Time: 25 Minutes and 13 Seconds Rating: 83 Notes: This marks the 1st time Scott Steiner fought Shawn Michaels in a singles match, at any point in time. ------------------------- Steiner gets up after kicking out at 3.1, and starts attack Michaels. The other WCW wrestlers come out of the crowd to get him to stop, but they get his wrath instead. Shawn gets another Sweet Chin Music off and with all of the other wrestlers indisposed thanks to Steiner, he summons Ron Simmons, Bradshaw and Al Snow, and they start beating on him. Shortly after, RVD comes down to the ring with Lance Storm and Mike Awesome and save Steiner from a bigger beat down. When Steiner gets up after the fight, the ECW wrestlers vacate the ring, and Steiner is still livid about the finish. Rating: 80 ------------------ Overall Rating: 80 ------------------ Main Event: Shawn Michaels vs Scott Steiner (If Steiner wins, he chooses the World Championship Match stipulation. If Michaels wins, no more wrestlers can be crowdside during matches for defensive purposes.) WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Billy Kidman Mike Awesome vs Kevin Nash Al Snow vs TAKA Michinoku Terry Funk vs AJ Styles ---------------- Predictions: Old School Face: 3/5 DHK1989: 4/5

Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 2nd Week of February Main Event: Shawn Michaels vs Scott Steiner (If Steiner wins, he chooses the World Championship Match stipulation. If Michaels wins, ???) WCW World Television Championship Match: Samoa Joe © vs Billy Kidman Mike Awesome vs Kevin Nash Al Snow vs TAKA Michinoku Terry Funk vs AJ Styles

<p>WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 1st Week of February</p><p> </p><p> The show begins with a pyro demonstration and the announcers welcome the audience to WCW Monday Nitro. The go over the card, and talk about the peculiar main event, with one member of both WCW and ECW taking on members of Shawn Michaels invasion force. Styles reiterates the talking point that ECW seems to have adopted in recent weeks: It’s in both sides best interest to get rid of the third party. However, Heenan and Schiavone aren’t convinced. </p><p> </p><p> Before they can talk much more about the main event, Schiavone alerts the team to a new development, and the feed cuts to the back, where we come into a conversation already in progress between Shane McMahon, Eric Bischoff and recently released Bill Alfonso. Bischoff is incredulous about something, while Shane seems to be wondering whatever it was Alfonso said prior to the camera’s turning on. It’s revealed that he’s brought forth the idea of an WCW/ECW alliance to reject Shawn Michaels and his Kliq, and Bischoff, is not having it, outright rejecting the idea. Shane tries to calm down Bischoff, but Bischoff raises the point that ECW has festered in WCW, attacking their guys, and that ECW is only doing this to better their standing, using WCW to fight the new invaders. As he starts to go into another point, we hear the door open and in walks Shawn Michaels. Each man recoils, but Shawn comes in smiling, holding up his hands, saying he’s not here for a fight, but instead to make a deal. And shortly after saying that, the camera man is removed from the office while they talk. (Rating: 70)</p><p> ------------------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper vs The Unholy Alliance (Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> The match starts out with Tajiri surprising Skipper with a flurry of offense that causes him to tag out to Daniels relatively quickly. Daniels faces the same issues for a short while, before ducking a punch and hitting a back suplex. Daniels drags him to a corner and he and Skipper tag in and out, keeping him isolated. Tajiri is able to escape and tags in Whipwreck, who comes in hot, but the heat dies down, and Skipper is able to subdue him, while Daniels attacks Tajiri on the outside. Daniels rolls into the ring and they hit the Power-Plex on Whipwreck and get the victory.</p><p> </p><p> Time: 8 Minutes and 32 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 52</p><p> </p><p> Notes: None.</p><p> ------------------------------</p><p> After Skipper and Daniels celebrate their win, the announce team spends some time talking about the development of the Four Horsemen, and the odd actions of Mark Jindrak, as well as what was said about him last week by Daniels. As they are talking, Schiavone interrupts as he’s getting information and sends the feed to the back, where Shane Douglas and Jindrak are being held apart by members of security and Kevin Nash. Not much can be heard from all the talking and shouting coming from everyone involved, so the feed cuts back to Schiavone who relays to the fans and viewing audience that Douglas took offense to something Jindrak had said to nash, and things got physical from there. The announce team then speculate as to just what is going on with the Horsemen. (Rating: 65)</p><p> </p><p> As they finish speculating, the feed cuts to the back, where some of the trainers and the ringside physician are in the back tending to Sean O’Haire. Last week, he was brutally beaten by Steiner, and they aren’t sure if he is able to compete, while O’Haire says he is. While they check on him, Samoa Joe, the challenger for O’Haire’s Television Championship, smiles as he walks past the injured champion. (Rating: 61)</p><p> --------------------------------------</p><p> <strong><em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">WCW World Television Championship Match:</span></em></strong> <strong>Sean O'Haire © vs Samoa Joe</strong></p><p> </p><p> Samoa Joe walks in the ring and watches as O’Haire comes out with the ringside physician right behind him. O’Haire is clearly limping, but is powering through it for the match. The match starts with Samoa Joe hitting O’Haire with a suicide dive through the ropes, knocking O’Haire to the ground, writhing in pain clutching his back. Joe wastes no time in attacking the injured man’s back, whipping him into the steel steps and guard rails. He spends a few minutes beating him down, before rolling him into the ring. Once inside, the bell rings and the match officially starts, and Joe plays with his opponent, kicking O’Haire in the back whenever he tries to get to his feet. On the 4th time O’Haire tries to get up, he’s in the corner, so Joe picks him up and places him on the top rope, before jumping up and kicking O’Haire hard in the head, nearly making him keel over and outside of the ring. However, Joe stops him, and hits him with the Muscle Buster. He goes for the cover and when the ref counts ‘2’, he breaks up his own pin by picking up O’Haire’s head. Smiling, he turns O’Haire onto his stomach, and sits on his lower back, lifts up O’Haire’s arm, slips his under, wraps it under O’Haire’s chin, and cranks back into a Dragon Sleeper. Immediately, O’Haire taps out.</p><p> </p><p> Segment Time: 7 Minutes and 49 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Match Time: 2 Minutes and 27 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 58</p><p> </p><p> Notes: After the bell rings, Joe keeps O’Haire in the submission hold for a few seconds longer, and when he does let go, O’Haire is immobile in the ring. Joe grabs the belt, slings it over his shoulder and walks away smiling, while O’Haire is being tended to by the Physician and trainers. (Rating: 61)</p><p> ----------------------------------------</p><p> As the trainers help O’Haire onto a stretcher, the announce team wonder why? Why did Samoa Joe hospitalize this man? Even Joey Styles is baffled by the actions of Samoa Joe, wondering why a WCW guy would willingly hurt their own team to which Bobby Heenan remarks: “Maybe he isn’t on our side.”.</p><p> </p><p> The three men stay silent as O’Haire gets stretchered to the back. Once O’Haire is gone, they continue to speculate about Joe’s intentions, before moving on to the next match, although somewhat unwillingly.</p><p> -----------------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> The match starts with the two participants going back and forth, and Lynn comes out ahead in the initial exchange, focusing his attacks on Styles lower back and legs. Things change in favor of Styles when he hits the Pele kick, followed in the springboard reverse DDT. Styles hits Lynn with a dropkick, and follows it up with e flying forearm. He and Lynn go back to exchanging blows, and it almost goes Lynn’s way, as he’s almost able to hit Styles with the Cradle Piledriver, but with a few stiff kicks to Lynn’s head, Styles is able to reverse the attempt, and hits Lynn with the Styles Clash for the victory.</p><p> </p><p> Time: 12 Minutes and 15 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 56</p><p> </p><p> Notes: Following the match, Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper come down and Daniels christens the new group “Triple X”.</p><p> </p><p> (I’ve thought about it for a while, and I didn’t like any of the names I came up with, so I’m falling back to their original name, except instead of Low-Ki, it’s AJ Styles.).</p><p> ---------------------------------</p><p> The announce team talks about the new group, ‘Triple X’, and they wonder where they stand, since Skipper was pretty much excommunicated from WCW and didn’t join ECW. Schiavone speculates that they ‘probably’ haven’t joined the Kliq either, but that is a bit more up in the air.</p><p> </p><p> They speculate for a little bit longer before they receive word from the interview area, and they send the feed over to them, where Gene Okerlund is interviewing Scott Steiner. Steiner rants about Rhino and Shane McMahon saying that Rhino would’ve lost the title at Souled Out if Shane knew what he was doing and put him in instead. He reveals some of what was talked about in the meeting between WCW, ECW and the Kliq, and says that next week, he’ll face Shawn Michaels. If Steiner wins, he chooses the stipulation for his world championship match at SuperBrawl. Gene asks if he knows why Michaels is willing to get in the ring with him, to which Steiner says he doesn’t. (Rating: 82)</p><p> </p><p> The announce team speculate themselves as to what Michaels is getting out of this, and Schiavone wonders if they are any other parts of the deal that will come to light should Michaels beat Steiner. Before much else can be said, the participants of the next match make their way down to the ring.</p><p> --------------------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Steve Corino vs Mark Jindrak /w Stacy Kiebler</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> The match begins with Corino hitting a couple stiff punches, before Jindrak is able to knock him down, and gain control over the match. Jindrak keeps up the momentum, until Corino hits a basement dropkick, knocking him down to a knee. Corino goes for a move, but Jindrak rolls out of the ring, where Stacy checks on him. Corino follows him out, and goes to attack Jindrak, who puts Stacy in harm’s way by moving her into the range of the attack. Corino is able to pull back on his attack, and gets punted in the groin, which the ref doesn’t see. Jindrak rolls him into the ring while Stacy is in disbelief. Jindrak stomps on Corino, and after a few minutes is about to put him away, when Corino revers the mark of Perfection, and launches into an offensive flurry, that ends with the Old School Expulsion, and Corino gets the victory.</p><p> </p><p> Time: 13 Minutes and 15 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 66</p><p> </p><p> Notes: This victory marks Corino’s 4th victory.</p><p> -------------------------</p><p> As Corino exits the ring, Stacy gets at Jindrak shouting at him for putting her in harm’s way. The two go back and forth in their arguing, and when they get to the ramp, Jindrak turns his back to the ramp and starts screaming at Stacy, before leaving her on the ramp.</p><p> </p><p> We cut to the back where Page watches this unfold on the monitor, and Triple X is talking to him. Daniels makes a theory that the one who told Micahels had to be a member of the Horsemen, and asks him which member of the Horsemen he thinks it could’ve been. Page doesn’t say anything, and Daniels posits that it was more than likely either Nash or Jindrak, that Flair wouldn’t join Michaels, and if Douglas was going to join anyone, it’d be ECW and he’s already turned them down. Page acknowledges the concern, but says that right now, he’s focused on his match. He can worry about the traitor later. (Rating: 49)</p><p> </p><p> The announce team talk about Daniels theory, and wonder if what he says has any merit, worrying that if it does, than how many others could be traitors too. They leave that thought hanging in the air as the participants of the next match come out.</p><p> ----------------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Mike Awesome vs Al Snow</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> The match starts with Snow trying to chop down Awesome’s legs, but it fails when Awesome catches and deadlifts Snow and then hits him with a gut buster. Awesome continues his offense, and Snow is able to get some offense in , but Awesome maintains control of the match, and ends it with an ‘Awesome Bomb’.</p><p> </p><p> Time: 14 Minutes and 1 Second</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 73</p><p> </p><p> Notes: This mark’s Mike Awesome’s 5th Singles Victory.</p><p> ---------------------</p><p> Following the match, the announce team spend a brief moment talking about the main event, before DDP comes out, with Ric Flair in tow. Page is in his ring attire, while Flair is in a suit. They wait in the ring and shortly after, RVD comes down to the ring, and he and Page exchange some words as the two wait for their opponents. However, Shawn Michaels comes out instead, and offers a match to DDP at SuperBrawl. A #1 Contender’s match, with the winner facing the WCW World heavyweight Champion at Uncensored. Flair tries to talk with Page, but Page accepts it right away. Michaels smiles and walks away, and out comes the New Faces of Fear, and the match begins. (Rating: 79)</p><p> -----------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">DDP and RVD vs The New Faces of Fear (Bradshaw and Ron Simmons)</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> The match starts with Page and Bradshaw in the ring, and the two exchange blows and Bradshaw tries to exert his strength onto Page, but Page is able to match it and the the two power each other out of the ring, where they continue fighting. Simmons and RVD get involved, and it turns into a big schmohz on the outside, with Page and RVD earning the momentum for a brief moment, but that comes to an end when Bradshaw knocks out RVD, and Simmons and Bradshaw roll DDP into the ring and they keep him isolated for a few minutes. DDP is able to tag out to RVD, who has a flurry of aerial maneuvers, knocking Bradshaw off the apron and turning the tables on Simmons. After a few more tag ins and outs, DDP and SImmons knock each other out, and they both tag in their respective partners. The match almost comes to an end when Bradshaw hits RVD with a stiff Clothesline from Hell, but Page breaks it up right before the ref counts ‘3’. Bradshaw clubs Page in the back, while Simmons gets into the ring. Bradshaw gives Page to him, and Simmons goes for the Dominator, but Page slides out of it and hits Simmons with a Diamond Cutter. Bradshaw sees this as he’s lifting RVD to his feet, and leaves RVD to go after Page as Simmons rolls out of the ring. Bradshaw clubs Page some more and goes for the Clothesline of Hell, but Page catches the arm, swings him around and hits the Diamond Cutter on him. The ref forces Page to exit the ring, and RVD climbs up to the top rope and leaps off to hit a 5* frog splash, and hits it, but takes considerable damage himself. Page rolls in, drags RVD on top of Bradshaw, and gets a ‘2’. RVD tags in Page, who raises Bradshaw for the Diamond Cutter, but gets pushed off, and brought back into the Clothesline from Hell, and gets the victory a split second before RVD can break up the pin.</p><p> </p><p> Time: 23 Minutes and 4 Seconds</p><p> </p><p> Rating: 82</p><p> </p><p> Notes: After the match, The New Faces of Fear try to attack their two opponents, but Page and RVD fend them off, standing tall in the ring. AS the show is about to go off the air, RVD and DDP shake hands as they stare at the retreating duo. (Rating: 73)</p><p> --------------------------</p><p> Overall Rating: 78</p><p> ----------------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Card + Winners</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> Main Event: DDP and RVD vs <strong>The New Faces of Fear (Bradshaw and Ron Simmons)</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Mike Awesome</strong> vs Al Snow</p><p> </p><p> <strong>Steve Corino</strong> vs Mark Jindrak</p><p> </p><p> <strong>AJ Styles</strong> vs Jerry Lynn</p><p> </p><p> WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O'Haire © vs<strong> Samoa Joe</strong></p><p> </p><p><strong> Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper</strong> vs The Unholy Alliance (Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri) </p><p> ----------------------</p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Predictions:</span></strong></p><p> </p><p> DHK1989: 5/6</p><p> OldSchoolFan: 5/6</p>

A Gift Horse: 1st Week of February, Monday Morning Shane stared down at the financial report in disbelief. With how much they had lost in December ($1 million), and how much they were losing as a result of the revenue split changing in Fox's favor, he had expected to be losing about $600k this month. But as he looked at the paper before him, he smiled. The original revenue split was 70-30, and he had made a deal to make the split 75-25. However, FOX waited until the 11th hour, and changed the deal, making the split 85-15, effectively cutting their TV revenue in half. The contracts that he had negotiated in December added an additional $350k/month to salary. If he had gotten the 75-25 split that they had agreed to at the beginning of December, money wouldn't be an issue. It wouldn't be something to dismiss entirely, but it would be alright, sitting at a negative $150k. With what they had in reserve, they could've lasted years at that level. Hell, even 80-20 would've been just fine, at $350k/month loss. With how things were now, the losses were projected to be somewhere around $600k. In the short term it would've hurt, but everything was trending upwards. By July, he figured he'd be back in the black based on increased ticket sales, PPV revenue, sponsors and merchandise. July. He just had to make it to July, and things would be better. That's what he thought at the beginning of the year. But the financial report told him that he had put the bar low. Really low. Souled Out had 82k more buys than Starrcade. They sold 290k more in Ticket sales, and 250k more in Merchandise, not to mention that the drop off in TV revenue wasn't as severe as the projections made it out to be. But the most important number was what was at the bottom line: $58k in losses. That told him just how much Shawn Michaels moved the needle, and he was reminded then that Eric Bischoff started having Hulk Hogan merchandise sold again, and he had no doubt that both of those things had a large uptick in sales. He had a product that people were getting back into, and he just needed to keep the ship righted. He put down the paper and sighed in relief. He was still losing money, but compared with what he, and really everyone else, expected, this was one time he was glad to be wrong. He just needed to keep on the course, and maybe they would be able to get into the black.

Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 1st Week of February Main Event: DDP and RVD vs The New Faces of Fear (Bradshaw and Ron Simmons) Mike Awesome vs Al Snow Steve Corino vs Mark Jindrak AJ Styles vs Jerry Lynn WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O'Haire © vs Samoa Joe Christopher Daniels and Elix Skipper vs The Unholy Alliance (Mikey Whipwreck and Yoshihiro Tajiri)

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 4th Week of January The show opens with a burst of pyro, followed by the announce team greeting the viewing audience to another WCW Nitro, before talking about the developments from last night, where Shawn Michaels and his renegade band won the same privileges as ECW. Styles remarks on how undeserved it feels, considering ECW spent months pursuing what Michaels got in 3 weeks. Bobby Heenan and Tony Schiavone both mention how ECW should never have gotten those privileges, but they do agree that Eric Bischoff made a bad deal. Before they can say much else, the participants of the next match make their way down to the ring. ------------------------------ Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels /w AJ Styles vs The Fringes (James Storm and Johnny Swinger) As Skipper and Daniels make their way down, with AJ Styles right behind them, the commentary team mention how these three men have seemed to form a coalition in recent weeks, which makes each man wonder why Daniels and Styles, who was up until recently under the wing of Jerry Lawler, decided to side with Elix Skipper, a known traitor to WCW. The match begins with Skipper and Storm the legal men, and it doesn’t take long forSkipper to get control of the match, and when Storm is able to tag out to Swinger, not much changes. Daniels would be tagged in and kept up the momentum given to him by Skipper, almost pinning Swinger after hitting the Angle’s Wings, only after being interrupted by Storm. With the split second opening, Storm was able to tag in and got just about the only offense managed by the team, but would be stopped after a well-placed kick. Daniels would tag back out to Skipper and they would hit Storm with the Power-Plex. Skipper made the cover while Daniels ran interference, and they would win the match. Time: 7 Minutes and 2 Seconds Rating: 44 Notes: This is the second time that Daniels and Skipper have faced off against the Fringes, with their last match having been back in November. As a tag team, Daniels and Skipper are 2-0, with their individual records being 15-12 and 11-10. AJ Styles has an individual record of 8-9. The Fringes (Storm and Swinger) record as a tag team is 0-5, with their individual records being 1-6 and 0-4. ------------------------------ Following the match, Christopher Daniels grabs the microphone and says that it’s time to address the elephant in the room, that nobody but Skipper saw: Mark Jindrak. Daniels claims that Skipper knew that he was a snake in the grass and a liability to WCW, and that the treatment of Skipper for ‘trying to improve the quality of champions’ was heinous and unwarranted. Not only did he feel that way, but so did Styles, and that ‘if those at the top want bury their heads in the sand and ostracize the one guy who tried to tell them the truth, then they better not complain when it bites them in the ass.’. Rating: 38 ---------------------------------- Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Rey Mysterio Jr. The match begins with high-flying cruiserweight action, and after about 6-7 minutes of back and forth aerial maneuvers, it transitions into a technical bout, and the momentum switches back and forth throughout the match. Rey Mysterio is just about to hit the West Coast Pop, when Chavo is able to reverse and hit Rey with the brainbuster. A ‘3’ count later, and Chavo Guerrero wins this non-title match. Time: 21 Minutes and 23 Seconds Rating: 74 Notes: Prior to this match, Chavo Guerrero Jr had a 5 match win streak, which was preceded by a 3 match losing streak. His W/L record is now 6-3. Rey Mysterio Jr started out with an 8-2 record (July to September), but since that point, he’s gone 3-7. His W/L record is 11-9. ---------------------------------- The announce team comments on the match, before the feed cuts to the back in the ECW locker room, where all ECW guys are holding a meeting. Bill Alfonso still isn’t back from his stint in jail following the trespassing and resisting arrest charges from Starrcade, so the meeting is disjointed until Van Dam gets everyone’s attention before turning it over to Dreamer, who goes on to talk about the new combatant in their fight for survival. In a move that makes Joey Styles verbally question the decision, Dreamer tells the ECW guys to make sure that Michaels and his cronies can’t hurt the WCW wrestlers. Some ECW wrestlers voice disapproval, but once Van Dam announces his support, the dissenters quiet down. Meanwhile, Vic Grimes slinks away for his upcoming match. Rating:61 ----------------------------------- Vic Grimes vs Samoa Joe In a quick match that was dominated by Samoa Joe, he makes Vic Grimes tap out to the Rear-Naked Choke. Time: 3 Minutes and 43 Seconds Rating: 48 Notes: This marks Samoa Joe’s 6th straight victory. ------------------------------------------- Mark Jindrak vs Al Snow The match begins with Snow getting the upper hand, and after a botched interference attempt from Stacy Kiebler, Snow would hit the Snow Plow, and gets the victory. Time: 12 Minutes and 12 Seconds Rating: 64 Notes: The commentary team, specifically Bobby Heenan, mention that the competitors seem off, like they aren’t putting everything into the match. The other two corroborate after it’s brought up, and Heenan mentions it again later on in the match, saying “Something just seems… off.”. ---------------------------------- Following the conclusion of the match, we cut to the back where the other members of the Four Horsemen were watching the match from backstage. Flair voices his disappointment while Douglas says that he isn’t surprised. “He doesn’t have his head on right.”, Douglas says, sounding sarcastic. “He hasn’t for a while.”, Nash says, as Page gets up. “I’ve got some business to go take care of.”, Page says, walking out of the room. When Page walks out, Douglas and Nash start to talk about what to do about Jindrak should he not get his head on right, while Flair keeps watch of the TV, and at Jindrak walking back up the stage with Stacy Kiebler. Rating: 76 ------------------------------- We cut back to the announce team who talk about Jindrak and what’s going on with the Horsemen. Heenan says that he ‘smell a trap’ in the works, before not-so-subtly looking at Joey Styles, who says that as of this moment, and as was shown earlier, it is in ECW’s best interest to take out Michaels first. “If we were going to do anything to anyone, we’d be doing it to them, not WCW”. As they continue to speculate, DDP walks down the aisle to no music. He gets in the ring and asks for a microphone. Upon getting one, he begins to talk about Starrcade, and how due to a late flight, he had to arrive at the show later than what he wanted to. “I had just barely gotten out of my car and grabbed my luggage when I was jumped from behind, beaten like a dog and left in the back. But the one good thing that came out of it was that I saw who attacked me. Shawn, I know that you confessed to it last week, but I know for a fact, that you didn’t do it alone. I will find out exactly who each and every one of you are, but for tonight, I will be satisfied with kicking your ass. I know you’re back there, and I’m calling you out right now.”. After a few seconds, Shawn Michaels walks out onto the stage. “You want me? Well, Dallas, I have no reason to fight you. I’ve already gotten what i wanted out of you, but I’m a fair man. I’ll give you a fight, but if you want me, then you’re going to have to accept my offer: You get to wrestle me, at SuperBrawl, but Mark Jindrak and Shane Douglas are going to have to defend their Tag Team Championships against a team of my choosing. And I’ll give you til next week to think about your decision. But if you want a match today, I will be more than happy to give you what you want: a fight against one of the people who jumped you at Starrcade.”. As the last word leaves his mouth, Bradshaw walks out on stage and down to the ring. Page takes off his shirt and the two men exchange blows in the ring. While doing so, a ref from the back runs down and once Page is clearly on the offensive, rings the bell. Rating: 77 Notes: As the ref rings the bell, Shawn Michaels heads down to ringside. -------------------------------- Diamond Dallas Page vs Bradshaw Page starts out the match with a clear advantage, but a miscalculation led to a strong Clothesline form Hell that knocked Page off his feet. However, before Bradshaw could capitalize, Page rolled out of the ring, checking his jaw. Bradshaw followed him and the two brawl on the outside, with bradshaw rolling Page back into the ring, and the two kept up the brawl inside the ring. Just when it looks like Page is about to put Bradshaw away, Michaels distracts both Page and the ref by ringing the bell. The ref goes to reprimand Michaels, and while his back is turned. Bradshaw low blows Page, and hits him with another Clothesline From Hell, and gets the victory. Time: 14 Minutes and 57 Seconds Rating: 80 Notes: This is Bradshaw’s 1st singles match. As the WCW wrestlers in the crowd start to get up, they get attacked by figures in black, and while they try to fight them off in the crowd, Bradshaw and Michaels attack Page. However, they only get a couple of shots in before Rob Van Dam sprints down the aisle, with a steel chair. Michaels notices him first, and taps Bradshaw, who turns to face the new challenger. When Van Dam gets into the ring, Michaels rolls out of the ring. Bradshaw goes for a clothesline, which Van Dam ducks, tossing the chair to the ground while doing so. He rebounds off the ropes and Bradshaw goes for another clothesline, which Van Dam also ducks. When Bradshaw turns around, he finds Van Dam springboarding off the ropes and hitting him with a kick, staggering Bradshaw. Van Dam picks up the chair and throws it at Bradshaw, who catches it and gets hit with a Van Daminator. Bradshaw rolls out of the ring, an dhe and Micahels retreat through the crowd, where the figures in black have made a pathway through to safety. Page gets to his feet and he and RVD share an awkward moment, where the two just stare at each other, before RVD leaves the ring. Rating: 74 Notes: As RVD walks up the ramp, the announce team speculate on what ECW’s plans are, prodding Styles to tell them, but Styles claims he isn’t sure himself, other than it being in ECW best interest. The announce team continues this talk until the next match begins. -------------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O’Haire © vs Scott Steiner The announce team changes gear once Steiner’s music starts to play, and talks about Steiner’s interference the night before, and they contemplate just what he believes he’s accomplishing. Styles says “It’s obvious what Steiner wants. He wants the World Championship back. And I don’t think anything is off the table for him if it means he can get it.”. Sean O’Haire comes down to the ring and the instant he gets into the ring, Steiner descends on him, and after a overhead belly-to-belly into the turnbuckles, he rolls out of the ring and grabs a steel pipe from under the ring. He goes back into the ring and the ref makes an attempt to stand between him and O’Haire, but when Steiner swings with the pipe, the ref takes a good shot on the arm and rings the bell. But that doesn’t stop Steiner. Time: 50 Seconds Rating: 66 Notes: Due to the disqualification victory, this marks O’Haire’s 21st title defense. ----------------------------- Steiner doesn’t wait for O’Haire to get up before beating him with the pipe, targeting his legs and lower back. O’Haire tries to get to his feet, but Steiner clocks O’Haire in the head, which send shim back down to the ground. Steiner hits him a couple more times before locking in the Steiner Recliner on a bloodied O’Haire. As he sunches in the submission hold, security and WCW wrestlers attempt to come to O’Haire’s aid, but Stienr retrieves his Steel Pipe and fends off and beat anyone who tries to get into the ring. The stalemate in the ring continues until Shane McMahon comes down to ringside, while Bischoff watches from the ramp. Shane grabs a mic and tries to calm down Steiner, who swings the pipe at him when he tries to get into the ring. Shane tries again and is able to get into the ring when he tells Steiner that he’ll give him his championship match if he lets O’Haire leave. Steiner yanks the microphone out of Shane’s hand and says that he better get it at SuperBrawl, or he’ll be the next one that gets carried out on a stretcher. Rating: 72 Notes: The announce team talk about Steiner’s heinous attack on O’Haire as he is being checked on by the ringside doctor. O’Haire is eventually helped to the back, and the commentary wonders what will happen if Steiner doesn’t get his way. Heenan says “Shane better take life insurance out on himself if that does happen, because I don’t think there is a man on this earth that will be able to stop Steiner. Rhino better be careful, because Steiner’s out for blood, and we saw it here tonight.”. The talk about Steiner dies down when the participants for the main event come down to the ring. -------------------------------- Kevin Nash vs Devon Dudley Kevin Nash starts out the match in the driver seat, and maintains the lead for much of the fight, until Steve Corino, one of the earlier dissenters, comes down to help at ringside. Shortly thereafter, Mark Jindrak comes down to the ring to aid Nash. Corino’s appearance was noted by Nash but didn’t sway the needle of momentum one way or the other. When Jindrak shows up, he almost immediately intercedes in the match, distracting the ref, and allowing Devon to get some much needed breath after immobilizing Nash with a shoulder block to the leg. Devon stomps on the downed Nash’s legs, and keeps the big man hobbled. The match ends when Nash is finally able to get the upper hand, but once again gets interrupted by Jindrak who grabs Devon, stopping him dead in his tracks as he ran off the ropes. He would’ve gone right into a big boot from Nash, but instead, Devon hits him with another shoulder block, and then hits him with the Saving Grace, and gets the pinfall. Time: 15 Minutes and 14 Seconds Rating: 61 Notes: This defeat marks Kevin Nash’s 8th loss. ------------------------- Corino and Dudley walk away while Nash berates Jindrak, getting into his face. Flair and Douglas come down to the ring and try to diffuse the situation. Flair just gets in front of Jindrak and forces him to back away while Douglas and Nash have a heart-to-heart in the opposite corner. Page comes down later and with Flair, talk to the younger member of the Horsemen. And on that note, WCW Monday Nitro comes to a close. Rating: 78 --------------------- Overall Rating: 77 ----------------------- Card + Winners Main Event: Kevin Nash vs Devon Dudley WCW World Television Championship Match: Scott Steiner vs Sean O'Haire Diamond Dallas Page vs Bradshaw Mark Jindrak vs Al Snow Vic Grimes vs Samoa Joe Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Rey Mysterio Jr. Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels /w AJ Styles vs The Fringes (James Storm and Johnny Swinger) --------------------------- Predictions: DHK1989: 5/7

Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 4th Week of January Main Event: Kevin Nash vs Devon Dudley Scott Steiner vs Sean O'Haire Diamond Dallas Page vs Bradshaw Mark Jindrak vs Al Snow Vic Grimes vs Samoa Joe Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Rey Mysterio Jr. Elix Skipper and Christopher Daniels /w AJ Styles vs The Fringes (James Storm and Johnny Swinger)

WCW Souled Out, Sunday, 3rd Week of January The event begins with a video package, focused on the ending of Starrcade, and the ramifications of it. Shawn Michaels first match in over 3 years, ECW's Rhyno winning the WCW World Heavyweight Championship, Shane Douglas enduring the Extremists to bring back the WCW World Tag Team Championships, and the deal between Eric Bischoff and Shawn Michaels. Following the package, we cut to a live feed of the arena, and pyro starts to go off. Once finished, a panning shot of the sold-out crowd begins while the announcers: Tony Schiavone, Bobby Heenan and Joey Styles welcome the PPV audience to the event. They go through the match card, and talk about each match briefly. As they are talking about the Main Event, Rob Van Dam makes his entrance. ------------------------------------------- WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O'Haire © vs Rob Van Dam Sean O'Haire spends a lot of time having difficulties getting the more agile competitor, and almost loses the title after getting rolled up about 5 minutes in. However, the momentum of the match would swing into O'Haire's favor when RVD went for a springboard kick, which O'Haire caught, power bombing him to the ground. From that moment until the end, O'Haire was able to command the pace of the match, and kept Van Dam grounded and subdued. He would make an attempt at a Widow Maker, which Van Dam reversed into a hurricanrana. Van Dam would quickly head to the top rope and attempt to hit the 5* Frog Splash. He would find O'Haire's knees inhis mid-section. The Match ended after O'Haire hit Van Dam with the Widow Maker. Time: 12 Minutes and 51 Seconds Rating: 81 Notes: This Match represents Sean O'Haire's 20th defense of the WCW World Television Championship. ------------------------------------------------ The announcers talk about the match for a brief moment before giving the feed to Gene Okerlund, who's in the back and interviewing Shawn Michaels. Gene asks why he came to WCW, and Michaels laughs, saying he's already explained why, but does give an additional reason: Kevin Nash. He says that he expected his long time friend to join him, and with more people on his side, he could bring down both WCW and WWF. ECW would be "just a bonus" in his plan. But, Nash has instead been a thorn in his side by deciding to "play with the big boys". But Michaels tells Nash that he can always call him: "when he fells like being a man again.". Rating: 71 ---------------------------------------------- Samoa Joe vs Masato Tanaka Tanaka and Joe stare each other down, and start out the match with hard strikes. Tanaka wins the battle of strikes, and takes advantage of the momentum gained with a flurry of strikes, but is unable to knock Joe off his feet. He tries to hit a clothesline, but Joe reverses it and almost gets the Rear-Naked Choke applied, but Tanaka is able to get to the ropes. When the ref comes to break up the hold when Joe doesn't let go, Tanaka kicks Joe in the groin. The ref doesn't see and Joe goes to the ground. Tanaka work on Joe for a moment, but Joe gets up, angry as hell. Joe blocks a strike from Tanaka and beats the hell out of him, knocking him into the corner. Joe then lifts Tanaka up to the top and does a jumping kick, almost knocking Tanaka off the top. Joe quickly gets up and hits Tanaka with a muscle buster, and gets the victory. Time: 7 Minutes and 35 Seconds Rating: 39 Notes: This is Samoa Joe's first Pinfall victory, as well as the first time he's hit the Muscle Buster. ------------------------------------------------ The announcers talk about the match, with Bobby and Tony praising Samoa Joe, while Styles doesn't. From then, we cut to the locker room of the Horsemen, where Gene Okerlund is standing next to Flair, while the other 4 get ready for their matches. Gene asks Flair if the Horsemen are ready, and Flair lauches into a promo, hyping up the other members of the Horsemen, before putting down their opponents, specifically Ron Simmons. Flair brings up the fact that Simmons started in Jim Crockett Promotions, and that he was a former WCW champion, and what a betrayal him trying to kill WCW is. As he finishes, Page and Nash say that they are going to give the New Faces of Fear the fight of their life, before leaving the locker room. As the interview ends, Douglas starts to try and hype up Jindrak, who seems more interested in Stacy Kiebler. Rating: 69 --------------------------------------------- WCW Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs AJ Styles The match begins with high flying cruiserweight action with the two trading a flurry of strikes and aerial maneuvers. Aj Styles clotheslines Chavo out of the ring and hits him with an over the top rope senton to the outside. Styles hits Chavo with a flurry of forearm strikes and rolls him into the ring. Styles has the momentum and is on a roll until he goes for a phenomenal forearm, and gets his feet swiped out from underneath him, causing him to crash and burn to the outside. Chavo waits for him to get to his feet and hits him with a suicide dive, and then quickly rolls him back into the ring. Chavo picks him up and hits him with a Brainbuster and secures the victory. Time: 18 Minutes and 20 Seconds Rating: 60 -------------------------- The Four Horsemen (DDP and Nash) vs The New Faces of Fear The match starts out with DDP and Bradshaw as the legal men, and the two go at each other, ending with Page charging at Bradshaw and sending both of them out of the ring. The two men fight on the outside, with page prolonging it twice by rolling into and out of the ring to break the count. Bradshaw reverses an irish whip and sends DDP careening into the guard rail, before putting him back into the ring. Simmons gets the tag and the NFF beat down on Page for a few minutes, until Nash gets the hot tag, and flips the momentum instantly, and takes charge of the match for a few minutes. He goes to hit Simmons with a Jackknife, but Bradshaw hits him with the Clothesline From Hell before he can get him up. Page tags back in, and forces Simmons to tag out, and Bradshaw and Page resume their fight, which ends in a stalemate. Bradshaw is able to tag back out to Simmons, but Nash isn't back up on the apron just yet, so Page has to fight Simmons, but it goes poorly. Simmons goes for the Dominator, but Page reverses it and hits Simmons with the Diamond Cutter. Page goes for the cover, but only gets a '2' count, due to the two men being incapacitated for some time. On the outside, Nash is able to get to his feet, but gets knocked right back down as Bradshaw runs around to that side of the ring and hits him with a second Clothesline from Hell. Page crawls over to his corner, only to find Nash out cold, while Simmons crawls to his and finds Bradshaw, who tags in. He then hits Page with a Clothesline from Hell and gets the victory. Time: 22 Minutes and 13 Seconds Rating:74 Notes: DDP and Nash haven't won a tag team match since August of 2001, when they defeated the Filthy Animals. ----------------------------- The announce team laments the outcome of the match, including Styles which surprises the other two, who ask him why he wanted WCW to win. Styles reiterates what RVD told the Horsemen, and that he would rather not have to deal with a third party. Following the announcers talk, we cut to the back where Booker T is getting ready for his match. As he's going through his warm-ups, his opponent, Steve Corino, comes into frame. Booker pauses his warm-up and watches Corino, who doesn't say anything until he extends his hand, and wishes Booker luck. Booker reluctantly accepts. Rating: 57 ----------------------------- WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T © vs Steve Corino Corino acts like he got shot out of a cannon and charged at Booker, who was caught off guard by the sudden move. Corino backed Booker into the corner and proceeded to ram his shoulder into Booker's midsection, and then went up to the middle rope and began to punch Booker. after 6 punches, Booker ends Corino's offense with a resounding spinebuster. Booker maintains the pace and Corino can't do much to stop him up until the mid point of the match. Booker's momentum only wavers when he does the spin-a-roonie and Corino is able to dropkick Booker's leg out from under him as he gets up. From that moment on, Corino is in control of the match and has a couple near falls, but it's all for not when Booker is able to reverse into his finisher the Book End. Booker pauses for a second before heading up to the top rope, and he hits the Harlem Hangover, and pins him for the '3'. Time: 14 Minutes and 53 Seconds Rating: 69 Notes: This match marks the 5th time Corino has challenged for a championship without obtaining it, and the 6th time he's participated in a Championship match. He was, at one point, a substitute for Jerry Lynn who needed one due to an injury. He would lose that championship to Sean O'Haire. ----------------------------- The announcers talk about the match and about the next 3 afterwards, and Schiavone sends us back to Gene Okerlund in the Interviewing area, where he stands in the middle of the Road Warriors. Gene asks them about their first WCW World Tag Team Championship Match in 5 years. Animal starts talking about how it that doesn't matter and that they are always ready to fight and tear their opponents apart, and whether it was 5 years ago or 50, they'd be just as ready. "Tell 'em, Hawk!". "Well!", he begins before talking about how they will leave Jindrak and Douglas battered and bloodied, and leave as the new Tag Team Champions. Rating:58 ----------------------------- WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Four Horsemen (Douglas and Jindrak) /w Stacy Kiebler vs The Road Warriors Douglas and Animal start out as the legal men, and while Douglas tries to subdue Animal, he falls short, and Animal gets the upper hand, with the peak of his offensive flurry culminating with a scoop power-slam. Douglas eventually tags out to Jindrak, who fairs about as well, but Animal doesn't tag out, instead continuing to inflict punishment. However, this starts to backfire as he begins to get tired, and this becomes a focal point in the momentum shift when Jindrak tags out and Douglas is finally able to subdue Animal, and keeping him knocked down and isolated. After a minute, Douglas tags back out to Jindrak. Jindrak gets a few maneuvers in, but falters and allows Animal to tag out to Hawk, who kicks the hell out of both Jindrak and Douglas. The one-sided beat-down by Hawk is culminated by the Doomsday Device. Before Hawk can get the pin on Jindrak, Douglas is able to pull Jindrak out of the ring. Hawk and Animal go to the outside and Douglas has to try and fight both men off, which he has a hard time doing. Jindrak does get to his feet and rolls back into the ring with Stacy cheering him on, and as he does so, Hawk rolls into the ring and resumes his assault. However, luck favors the Horsemen, as Jindrak is able to jump up and make the tag while Hawk catches him, oblivious to the tag. Hawk hits a brutal spinebuster onto Jindrak, who rolls out of the ring. Hawk would've stopped him, had Douglas not prevented him and chop blocked the back of his knee. Douglas puts the boot to Hawk's knee, and goes to tag out, but Jindrak is staying down on the floor while Stacy tends to him. Douglas shouts at him to get up, but Jindrak doesn't. Douglas turns back to face Hawk, who's gotten to his feet, and the two start exchanging strikes, with Hawk getting the upper hand, but clearly limping. Hawk tags out to Animal and the two try to double team Douglas, but Douglas chop blocks Hawk's knee again, knocking him down to the ground. Animal and Douglas fight each other, and Animal wins again, and lifts him up for the Doomsday Device. Hawk goes up to the top rope, and as he goes to leap off, his knee buckles and he falls short. Douglas wiggles his way out and hits Animal with the Franchiser, which stuns him. Douglas follows it up with a Pittsburgh Plunge, but instead of holding the bridge, he cinches up on a pinfall attempt, and with a fistful of Animal's tights, Douglas gets the '3'. Time: 12 Minutes and 38 Seconds Rating: 68 Notes: Following the match, Douglas shouts at Jindrak, who rose to his feet seconds after the match ended. Jindrak goes to leave, but Douglas gets about a quarter-inch away from his face and just starts shouting at him, to the point where Stacy gets in-between. --------------------------------- The announcers comment on the after match confrontation between Jindrak and Douglas, with Heenan stating his apprehension about Jindrak. He isn't given much time to elaborate, and Jindrak and Douglas haven't even got to the top of the entrance way, when Scott Steiner's music plays and he comes down to the ring, brushing past the other two without much acknowledgement for them. When he gets to the ring, he grabs a mic and he rants about Eric Bischoff and Shane McMahon, giving his title shot to Sean O'Haire. He warns WCW that he is not going to toe the line for them and that if they don't learn to appreciate him, he will make them regret it. Rating: 63 --------------------------------- The announce team speculate on what he means by making them regret it, whether that be joining ECW or Michaels new faction. They don't get much time to speculate, as the graphic for the main event appears, and they segue into a video package showcasing the roads the two men were on to get to this point, with Rhyno coming in the middle of December to winning the World Heavyweight Championship at Starrcade, defeating Scott Steiner. The part of the video package with O'Haire showcases his journey from tag team star to Television Champion, leading to his 1st World Heavyweight Championship opportunity. As the video ends, O'Haire comes down to the ring, followed a few minutes later by Rhyno. --------------------------------- WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Sean O'Haire vs Rhyno © The match starts with a test of strength and O'Haire plwoing Rhyno out of the ring and following him outside. The two fight on the outside for a time, but the momentum stays with O'Haire, who rolls Rhyno into the ring. Unfortunately for O'Haire, Rhyno was playing opossum and reversed an irish whip into the ropes with a Gore. He goes for a quick cover which O'Haire barely kicks out of. Rhyno is now firmly int the driver seat, and the effects from O'Haire's first match are on full display, as he gets exhauted by the 10-minute mark. He gets a second win and fight sback long enough to attempt the Widow Maker, which gets reversed by Rhyno, who wiggles out and hits O'Haire with a DDT. Rhyno waits for him to get to his feet and O'Haire turns into another Gore, which keeps him down for the '3'. Time: 14 Minutes and 52 Seconds Rating: 69 Notes: Sean O'Haire wreslted 27 minutes and 43 Seconds tonight. --------------------------- Following the end of the match, Scott Steiner comes back out and destroys Rhyno, putting him into the Steiner Recliner. As he does so, ECW wrestlers rush down, bu before the get to the ring, Steiner applies the Recliner onto O'Haire, which makes the WCW wrestlers come down to protect their guy, leading to a weird moment where both WCW and ECW are trying to pacify Steiner without getting anyone's head bitten off. Eventually, security is brought out to pacify Steiner, but that goes as well as can be expected, with none even able to slow the man down. Eventually, Shane McMahon comes down and confronts Steiner, telling him to stop or he;ll have him arrested. Steiner ignores the warning, flips Shane into the ring and puts him in the recliner. At that moment, the police that accompanied Shane enter the ring and pacify Steiner. Rating: 74 ---------------------------- The announcers talk about what'll happen to Steiner, but are forced to move onto the main event, and they send the feedback to Gene Okerlund, who's waiting to speak with Randy Savage. Savage comes out of the dressing room and Okerlund asks him what he expects from Michaels, considering it's been nearly 4 years since his last match. Savage says that it's much like riding a bike, and that he expects to see the world class athlete that Michaels was, but that he has always been a world class athlete. Savage goes through a hallway door, heading to the Jody Position. Okerlund gives his own thoughts on the upcoming match, and he sends it back to the ring and the announcers. Rating: 69 ----------------------------- Shawn Michaels vs Randy Savage The match begins with a brief period where the two opponents stare each other down., as they walk towards each other, and meet in the center of the ring. They exchange words and Michaels throws the first punch. The two exchange strikes and that only ends when Savage hits Michaels with a clothesline. Sending him to the ground. The two keep up the back and forth, eventually knocking each other to the outside. Neither man gets much of an upper hand, until Michaels is able to hit Savage with a Sweet Chin Music, knocking back onto the announcer table. Michaels goes to pull him off before looking up at the corner post. He positions Savage in a more opportune way, and he climbs up to the top of the corner post. He jumps off and Savage is just able to get out of the way, but not completely off the table, and Michaels comes crashing down. Savage uses the miscalculation to his advantage. He rolls Michaels into the ring, and the momentum lies squarely in his favor. Savage keeps up the offensive, until he goes for another clothesline, which Michaels ducks. He then hits Savage with a flying forearm, before kipping up. He goes for the Sweet Chin Music and catches Savage on the button, causing him to fall backwards and out of the ring, much to the chagrin of Michaels. He hops back to the outside and picks Savage up, and tries to roll him back into the ring, but Savage elbows Michaels in the gut and whips him into the corner post. Savage throws a couple more strikes, and tries to throw Michaels back in, but Michaels reverses, sending Savage into the ring apron. Michaels is able to roll Savage into the ring and keeps control of the match, until Savage is able to hit him with a scoop slam, he heads to the top signaling for a flying elbow, but as he gets up to the top, Michaels gets to his feet, and he changes plans. He jumps off the top for a flying double axe-handle and that proves to be a fatal mistake as Michaels hits Savage with a Sweet Chin Music, and picks up the victory. Time: 25 Minutes and 6 Seconds Rating: 85 Notes: This is the Highest Rated Match since the reboot in July. It overtakes Shane Douglas vs Rob Van Dam at ECW November to Remember 2001, which was rated at 82. ----------------------------- As Michaels celebrates, the announcers lament the outcome and Schiavone wonders what we'll see now that Michaels faction has the same privileges as ECW. ----------------------------- Overall rating: 80 Notes: This is the highest rated show since the July Reboot, with the previous record holders being ECW November to Remember 2001 and last week's Nitro, which was 77. ----------------------------- Card + Winners WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O'Haire © vs Rob Van Dam Samoa Joe vs Masato Tanaka WCW World Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs AJ Styles The Four Horsemen (DDP and Nash) vs The New Faces of Fear (Bradshaw and Simmons) WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T © vs Steve Corino WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Four Horsemen (Jindrak and Douglas) © vs The Road Warriors WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rhyno © vs Sean O'Haire Shawn Michaels vs Randy Savage ------------------------------ Predictions: DHK1989: 7/8

Card for WCW Souled Out, Sunday, 3rd Week of January WCW World Television Championship Match: Sean O'Haire © vs Rob Van Dam Samoa Joe vs Masato Tanaka WCW World Cruiserweight Championship Match: Chavo Guerrero Jr. © vs AJ Styles The Four Horsemen (DDP and Nash) vs The New Faces of Fear (Bradshaw and Simmons) WCW United States Championship Match: Booker T © vs Steve Corino WCW World Tag Team Championship Match: The Four Horsemen (Jindrak and Douglas) © vs The Road Warriors WCW World Heavyweight Championship Match: Rhyno © vs Sean O'Haire Shawn Michaels vs Randy Savage

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 3rd Week of January, Monday, 2001 Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs Mikey Whipwreck In 12 Minutes and 9 Seconds, Guerrero Jr. defeated Whipwreck via Pinfall, after Guerrero Jr hit Whipwreck with a brainbuster. Rating: 64 ----------------------- We cut to the back, and we see the Horsemen together in the back, in the middle of a conversation, talking about Michaels and the New Faces of Fear. As they are talking, RVD, Taz and Jerry Lynn walk in. The Horsemen immediately get ready for a fight, but RVD talks down the Horsemen, saying that they aren't there to fight, further elaborating that Michaels wants to put both of them in the ground. In a surprise moment, RVD offers to have some ECW wrestlers watch over the matches with Michaels guys, stating that it's better for both sides to get Michaels out of the way, than to have a third side that they''ll have to fight. Flair shots down the offer, and the ECW guys leave. Rating: 71 ------------------------ WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Masato Tanaka In 12 Minutes and 56 Seconds, Sean O'Haire defeated Masato Tanaka via Pinfall, with the Widow Maker. This marks Sean O'Haire's 19th defense of the Television Championship. Rating: 64 ------------------------- As O'Haire celebrates, Scott Steiner comes down to the ring and he immediately grabs a mic. He tells O'Haire to let a real man fight Rhyno, and when he doesn't get the answer he wants, he gets into O'Haire's face. O'Haire bows up to Steiner and the two get into a fight that has to be broken up by security. Rating: 74 ------------------------- Samoa Joe vs Ernest Miller In 6 Minutes and 13 Seconds, Samoa Joe defeated Ernest miller via Submission. Rating: 43 -------------------- We cut to the back where Gene Okerlund is about to interview Skipper, when Michaels, Al Snow, and the New Faces of Fear interrupt, and force Skipper to leave through threat of a beat down prior to their match. Michaels tells Okerlund that there was another condition to his deal with Eric, and that if his guys win, not only do they get the same privileges as ECW, but he'll get to choose his opponent at SuperBrawl. But tonight, the New Faces of Fear will destroy their opponents. Rating: 66 -------------------- AJ Styles and Elix Skipper vs The New Faces of Fear In 14 Minutes and 58 Seconds, Bradshaw pinned AJ Styles after hitting him with the Clothesline From Hell. Rating: 63 --------------------- Steve Corino vs Booker T In 12 Minutes and 40 Seconds, Steve Corino defeated Booker T via Pinfall, with a school boy pin. Rating: 72 --------------------- Shawn Michaels appears the crowd, and before he can do much of anything, DDP, Nash and Flair come down the ring. Michaels remarks that they didn't even give him time to do anything. Flair and Shawn go back and forth, and Michaels reveals that he was the one who beat down Page at Starrcade. Page immediately tries to fight him and he gets held back by Nash. Page instead grabs the mic from Flair and offers to be the challenger to fight Michaels at the PPV. Michales looks slightly surprised before he breaks the news that his opponent has already been chosen and assumes that it'll be Kevin Nash, since it's not Page. Nash looks puzzled, and tells Shawn that he hasn't been asked. Shawn looks confused and at that moment, Randy Savage appears in the crowd a few rows behind Shawn, and while Shawn starts to talk, Savage attacks him, and the two get into a fight while DDP, Nash and Flair exit the ring and head towards the two. Michaels is able to get away before he can really get beaten down. Rating: 81 ---------------------- Al Snow vs Sting In 21 Minutes and 12 Seconds, Sting wins via Disqualification after Shawn Michaels hits him with a Sweet Chin Music. Rating: 76 ---------------------- A brawl ensues with Snow and Michaels fighting DDP, Nash, Flair and Sting until the New Faces of Fear arrive, and the brawl ends with Michaels hitting Savage with a Sweet Chin Music, and the new ivading force coming out on top before scurrying away from the second wave of WCW wrestlers. Rating: 79 ----------------------- Overall Rating: 79 ----------------------- Card + Winners Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Mikey Whipwreck WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Masato Tanaka Samoa Joe vs Ernest Miller The New Faces of Fear vs AJ Styles and Elix Skipper Steve Corino vs Booker T Al Snow vs Sting ----------------- Prediction: DHK1989: 5/6

Ron Killings vs. Shane Douglas Comments: Gotta root for the Franchise Chris Vaughn vs. Dustin Rhodes Comments: The Amazing Red, Jose Maximo & Joel Maximo vs. Kid Kash, Elix Skipper & Silas Young Comments: Elix Skipper's my guy. Veronica & Allison Danger vs. Daffney & Cheerleader Melissa Comments: Bryan Danielson vs. Kenny Omega Comments: I feel like I've seen this before....Is draw an option? TNA World Tag Team Championship America's Most Wanted (Chris Harris & James Storm) © vs. Sonny Siaki & Ekmo Comments: Gonna rout for the underdogs here. AJ Styles vs. Christopher Daniels Comments: Bonus question: will Dixie Carter fire or pardon Roddy Piper from the Commissionership?

Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 3rd Week of January Chavo Guerrero Jr vs Mikey Whipwreck WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Masato Tanaka Samoa Joe vs Ernest Miller The New Faces of Fear vs AJ Styles and Elix Skipper Steve Corino vs Booker T Al Snow vs Sting

WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 2nd Week of January, 2002 Devon Dudley vs Elix Skipper In 15 Minutes and 50 Seconds, Devon Dudley defeated Elix Skipper via Pinfall, hitting him with the Saving Grace. Rating: 65 -------------------------- Following the bell, Devon Dudley starts attacking Skipper, with Dreamer and Corino coming down and when none of the WCW wrestlers near ringside get up to help, they crawl into the ring and start beating down on Skipper. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels race down the aisle and are able to save Skipper. Christopher Daniels helps Skipper to his feet, and Styles is talking with Alex Wight outside, and the two get into an argument, which ends when the 3-men walk up the aisle together. Rating: 46 ------------------ Before the start of the next match, with TAKA in the ring, Samoa Joe makes his debut, with Schiavone saying that Joe had been around since the middle of November, and in the two months he's been around, showed himself to be the best of WCW's Power Plant, and worthy of a match here on Nitro. Rating: 38 ------------------ Samoa Joe vs TAKA Michinoku In 4 Minutes and 54 Seconds, Samoa Joe defeated TAKA Michinoku via Submission. Rating: 50 ------------------ In the back, the Four Horsemen begin to talk about the ECW invasion and the new interlopers, when they show up, Shawn Michaels is flanked by Simmons and Bradshaw. Shawn and Ric get into a war of words, when Nash intercedes and Bradsahw steps up to him, a fight nearly breaks out. Shawn steps in and says that he doesn't want a fight now, and that if they want a shot at him, they'll have to wait a while longer, since Bradshaw and Simmons have a match tonight. Rating: 68 ------------------ The Filthy Animals vs The New Faces of Fear In 13 Minutes and 15 Seconds, The New Faces of Fear defeated the Filthy Animals via Pinfall, after Bradshaw hit the Clothesline From Hell on Mysterio Jr. Rating: 78 ------------------ We cut to the back, and Shawn Michaels is in the office of Eric Bischoff. Michaels says that he's happy Eric took him up on his offer and Eric says that he didn't do it out of the kindness of hist heart, but to see how serious Michaels was about joining ECW in an invasion. Michaels reiterates that he and the 'rest of us' aren't part of ECW. At this point, Shane walks in and he and Michaels have a brief stare-down, before Michaels tries to lighten the mood with a joke, and he leaves right after. Shane watches as he leaves and then asks Eric what's going on. Eric says that he accepted a proposal from Shawn that would allow the New Faces of Fear to compete tonight and next week, and that they'd have a series of matches at the PPV, and if they won all of them, they'd be given the same benefits as ECW. Shane is livid, but Eric defends it, because unlike Shane's arrangement where they had to win a majority, Michaels' guys would have to win all of their matches. Shane is still unhappy about the development, and Eric tells him that Michaels still has one guy to wrestle tonight. Rating: 93 ------------------- WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Sabu In 12 Minutes and 37 Seconds, Sean O'Haire defeated Sabu via Pinfall with the Widow Maker. Rating: 63 -------------------- We cut to the back and the Four Horsemen are being interviewed once again, with Okerlund saying, 'And hopefully this time we don't get interupted.'. Flair hypes up the Horsemen, and DDP's match against Michaels mystery opponent. He then hypes up Nash, who says that the Horsemen are his friends now, and that there won't be any hesitation should he have to fight Shawn. Rating: 71 --------------------- Diamond Dallas Page vs Al Snow In 25 Minutes and 29 Seconds, DDP defeated Al Snow via DQ, due to interference from Shawn Michaels and the New Faces of Fear. Rating: 71 --------------------- As soon as Michaels kicks Page's head off, the WCW wrestlers rush the ring and despite Michaels and his guys fighting well, they are forced to back away due to the numbers game. The show goes off the air, with the final shot being Shawn Michaels' smiling at the scene before him as he backs away from the ring. Rating: 76 ------------ Overall Rating: 76 ------------ Card + Winners: Elix Skipper vs Devon Dudley Samoa Joe vs TAKA Michinoku The New Faces of Fear vs The Filthy Animals WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Sabu Diamond Dallas Page vs Al Snow ------------------ Prediction: DHK1989: 5/5

Card for WCW Monday Nitro on FOX, 2nd Week of January Elix Skipper vs Devon Dudley Samoa Joe vs TAKA Michinoku The New Faces of Fear vs The Filthy Animals WCW World Television Championship: Sean O'Haire © vs Sabu Diamond Dallas Page vs Al Snow

1st Week of January, Wednesday: The Samoan Submission Machine The meeting with FOX went worse than he wanted to admit. He had negotiated an agreement early to have the split by 75-25, and with the large loss in December, the revenue split for 2002 would be 85-15. He already dreaded whatever the financial reports would be come the beginning of February. It was the worst possible decision that could have come his way, and he wondered what he'd have to do to get in the black as he walked into the Power Plant. Finlay really wanted him to see one of the UPW guys that they had gotten. He was introduced to Samoa Joe, who had pretty good size, but Shane wondered what made Finlay like this guy, and figured that he had to be the type of guy that could do things that didn't make sense given his look, and sure enough, that's what it was. Finlay had him wrestle another UPW guy, The Prototype, and that guy looked like a million dollars, bt Samoa Joe was just as athletic as he was, if not more so, and when the little impromptu match ended, he knew that Joe was the kind of guy that needed the Goldberg treatment. He wasn't sure how well of a promo he was, but he had the look of a hard-hitting monster, who could fly around the ring and wrestled better than Goldberg. The Prototype looked good too, but Shane instantly knew what he could do with Joe, and before he left for the TV Taping, he took Samoa Joe with him.