The Wrestling Almanacs of the 1980's

[Bad Blood]

Great idea. Makes for an interesting read. I'll be watching!

[Jaded]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3596/wccwdd1.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] World Class were hit by the loss of their major stars, Buddy Jack Roberts, Jerry Lawler, and Don Muraco, but weathered the departures pretty well, rebuilding behind Kerry Von Erich, who Muraco gave a massive rub to on his way out. [CENTER][B]Titles[/B] [/CENTER] American Heavyweight – [B]David Von Erich[/B] held this belt until just after he turned heel in July, when [B]‘cousin’ Rip [/B]took the title off him. However, David’s fellow Freebird [B]Jim Garvin[/B] went on to beat Rip a few weeks ago. American Tag Team – The Freebirds pairing of [B]Garvin and Kabuki[/B] beat [B]David and Kerry[/B] at the start of the year, but lost the belts back to them in April. Garvin and Kabuki would shockingly regain them, though, when David turned on his brother mid-match, with the Yellow Rose of Texas sensationally unleashing the claw on Kerry. Six-Man Tag – The two year Freebird reign came to an end in June, as [B]Jerry Lawler teamed with David and Kerry[/B] to win the belts. It wasn’t to last, though, as Jerry quit the fed, and the new Freebirds trio of [B]Muraco, Kabuki and David[/B] won the resulting tournament. The consummate pro, though, Muraco laid down for Dutch Mantell after deciding to leave the fed, allowing [B]Dutch and the Von Erich pairing of Rip and Kerry[/B] to take the titles. TV – [B]Kerry Von Erich[/B] held the belt from July 1984 until September 1985, but would then drop it to [B]Jim Garvin[/B]. Garvin’s title reign was just a matter of days, though, as [B]Dutch Mantell[/B] beat him for the belt in a wild brawl which featured interference from most of the Freebirds and the Von Erichs, leading to Dutch becoming an ally of Dallas’ first family. Texas – [B]Don Muraco[/B] made the belt his own during the year, dropping it to [B]Lawler[/B] and [B]Dutch[/B], but quickly regaining it both times. His fourth reign since coming to WCCW, though, came to an end when [B]Kerry[/B] beat him in a loser-leaves-town Texas Death match for the belt, ending the Rock’s run in Dallas. [B][CENTER][B][CENTER]Main Stars [/CENTER][/B] [/CENTER][/B] Rip Von Erich – What a difference 12 months makes! A year ago, Rip Oliver was a midcard guy in SWCW and PNW, and a lower-midcarder in the WWF. His rise has been sensational, as his pairing with Captain Lou Albano in the WWF turned him into a massive heel, and his entrance into Dallas as a long-lost Von Erich cousin has made him just as big a face there, as he debuted to save Kevin from the newest member of the Freebirds – David Von Erich! The Kevin/Kerry/Rip/Mike feud against Kabuki/Hayes/Garvin/Gordy/David has taken the Von Erichs/Freebirds rivalry to new heights, and made Rip and Kerry, especially, into two of the biggest stars around. Kerry Von Erich – At just 25, the second youngest Von Erich appears to have the world at his feet. He and David’s feud with the Freebirds pairing of Garvin and Kabuki had taken him close to the top by September, but it was his brief feud with Don Muraco, culminating in the Rock laying down for him in a loser-leaves-down Texas Death match for the Texas title, which propelled him to the ranks of a true superstar. The Great Kabuki – At 40 years old, the Japanese middleweight is in the best form of his life. Near the top in PNW and the WWF, it’s in World Class where he’s continued to hit the very heights, his Freebirds’ membership inspiring the fans to boo him even more than normal. Has spent much of the second half of the year defending the tag titles with Garvin, and unsuccessfully chasing Rip’s solo belt. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] The Parade of Champions – A slow start, but three superb matches to close the show out, as Kevin beat Gordy, Don Muraco defeated Iceman King Parsons, and Kabuki, Hayes and Roberts retained the six-man tag belts by going over David, Kerry and Lawler. Labor Day Star Wars – Like last year, an excellent show, with Oliver going over Magic Dragon, Sugar/Kerry/Adias beating Gordy/Hayes/Frank Dusek, and Buddy Jack defeating David in a great main event, coming just after Jack’s shocking face turn and just before he left the fed. Thanksgiving Star Wars – This was something of a snoozer, with only Kabuki and Garvin’s title win over David and Kevin really being PPV quality, as Kevin gave his brother one chance to prove that he’d changed his ways, only to fall victim to the claw and further incense the fans. Worryingly, Kerry and Mike’s loss to Hayes and Gordy in the main event was a poor match by any standards, certainly those of a Freebirds/Von Erich clash. [I]Major signings [/I] – Dutch Mantell, Rip Oliver, Scott Irwin, Butch Reed [I]Major departures [/I] – Buddy Jack Roberts, Jerry Lawler, Bill Irwin, Don Muraco, Ox Baker.

[Jaded]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/6048/wwfrc5.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] WWF – Another turbulent year for the WWF, as they tried to fight of the increasingly dominant AWA, getting firmly behind newly-turned Hulk Hogan as a massive babyface with mixed results, certainly in the quality of his matches. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] World - [B]Slaughter[/B] dropped the belt to [B]Tommy Rich [/B]in March, won it back in August, but recently lost it to [B]Jimmy Snuka[/B]. Intercontinental – This one has bounced around since [B]Steve Keirn[/B] ditched it to [B]Jesse Ventura[/B] in May. Ventura’s first defence saw him job it to [B]Magnum T.A.[/B], who quickly lost it to [B]Buddy Rose[/B], who equally quickly dropped the title to [B]Stan Hansen[/B]. Hansen had it for a few months, then was beaten by former tag partner [B]Afa[/B], who recently got pinned for the belt by the [B]Junkyard Dog.[/B] Tag Team –Another one to bounced around,[B] Afa and Tsan[/B], who would eventually be revealed as Stan Hansen, dropped them to[B] Ed Wiskowski and Buddy Rose[/B], only for them to quickly vacate the belts as Ed quit the fed. [B]Jimmy Snuka and Haku [/B]won a tournament to crown new champions, and [B]Pez Whatley and Bobby Duncum[/B] would later shock them for the belts, losing them quickly to the [B]Invaders[/B] – but the Invaders held them for only a few weeks, [B]JYD and Jake Roberts[/B] beating them for the titles in September. [B][CENTER] Major stars[/CENTER][/B] [IMG]http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1030/buzzsawyer2gk3.jpg[/IMG] Buzz Sawyer – Sawyer segued into tag wrestling in the second half of the year, forming a much talked-about team with Jesse Ventura, the Unbeatables, to allow Hogan to take his spot as the main solo babyface in the company. [IMG]http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/4622/jayyoungbloodbi4.jpg[/IMG] Jay Youngblood – Jay is now a huge babyface in Japan’s UWF, as well as PNW and the WWF. In the WWF, he’s an impressive 32-11-0, although his dominance hasn’t really been reflected in the title picture – he’s had just one shot at a belt, losing to Sgt Slaughter as he chased the Sarge’s World title. [IMG]http://img107.imageshack.us/img107/7373/jakerobertszs1.jpg[/IMG] Jake Roberts – The Snake has continued his run as a fan favourite, and is currently a strong candidate for the best tag wrestler in America. His Midday Express team with Brad Rheingans in PNW is extremely popular, but the Amazing Wrestlers team with the Junkyard Dog is even more beloved. [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/7555/hulkhogan3bu8.jpg[/IMG] Hulk Hogan – The Hulkster spent most of the first half of the year in the expected feud with former tag partner Tommy Rich, spending most of his time staring at the ceiling. He eventually turned face, begging Tommy’s forgiveness for his brutal attack last year, and getting a huge pop from the crowd as the pair embraced. [IMG]http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/5836/sgtslaughterwp5.jpg[/IMG] Sgt Slaughter – Slaughter went on to feud with not Jerry Lawler, as was expected last year, but Buzz Sawyer, and the pair put on some great matches. It was Tommy Rich, however, who would defeat him for the World title, but Slaughter would eventually regain it, only to recently lose it to the Superfly. [IMG]http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/607/teddibiaseic5.jpg[/IMG] Ted DiBiase – A massive heel in the WWF, DiBiase is mainly a tag partner, teaming with Steve Williams to good effect, although he lost several title shots to Tommy Rich. [IMG]http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/1080/jimmysnuka2zp4.jpg[/IMG] Jimmy Snuka – After turning on Lawler during a sensational cage match with Muraco and DiBiase, flying from the top of the cage to hit a Superfly Splash on his own partner, Snuka formed a hated team with Haku and won championship gold, before Haku saw the light and became a fairly popular babyface, and Snuka managed to win the World belt from the Sarge. [IMG]http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8333/ripoliverdu6.jpg[/IMG] Rip Oliver – With the help of Lou Albano, and a feud with Jay Youngblood, Rip has propelled himself towards the top of the card in the WWF, just behind the main three heels of Snuka, DiBiase and Slaughter. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] [B] Wrestlemania[/B] – Muraco and Sawyer’s win over Hogan and Slaughter in the main event was a good match, as was Roberts beating King Parsons, but Rich over DiBiase to retain the World title was the best bout by some distance. [B] Summerslam[/B] – Four superb fights here, Hansen beating Kabuki, Parsons going over Skip Young, Magnum and Jay Youngblood going over Oliver and Hogan, and Slaughter defeating Sawyer to retain the World title. [B] The Wrestling Classic[/B] – A poor show compared to last year, DiBiase over Hansen, Slaughter beating Sawyer, and an improbably excellent Youngblood win over Wiskowski meant that it wasn’t a complete washout. [I]Major signings [/I] – Jim Neidhart, The Missing Link, Steve Regal, Steve Williams, Magnum T.A., Iceman King Parsons, Rip Oliver, Jimmy Valiant, Ricky Morton, JYD, Jim Duggan. [I]Major departures [/I] –Jerry Lawler, Buddy Rose, Steve Keirn, The Missing Link, Don Muraco, Tommy Rich. [I]New Teams[/I] – The Amazing Wrestlers (JYD and Jake Roberts), The Human Chess Team (Pez Whatley and Bobby Duncum), the Unbeatables (Jesse Ventura and Buzz Sawyer)

[BIGJOSH]

I'm really enjoying this.

[Sartagis]

[B][U]AWA[/U][/B] [QUOTE]- and held onto the belt for 19 defences, before dropping it to Paul Orndorff who made the same amount, - Paul Orndorff - At 56-16-5, Mr Wonderful is a dominant heel, with several wins against Roberts, Adonis and the Iron Sheik during his title reign. [B][U]He's currently the most over wrestler in the States, slightly ahead of even the Eighth Wonder of the World, Andre the Giant[/U][/B] [/QUOTE] [B][U]GCW[/U][/B] [QUOTE]- National Tag Team - Ronnie Garvin and Ole Anderson dropped the titles to Paul Orndorff and Larry Zbysko...By October, though, Larry and Paul were champions again - he's had a great year in Georgia, going 67-24-3 - match of the night was a classic 20 minute bout between then buddies Orndorff and Larry Zbysko - In the other big tourney of the year, tag champions Larry Zbysko and Paul Orndorff were dominant, steamrolling through Rose and Idol, Bullet Bob and One Man Gang, and finally Sammartino Jr and Garvin in the three best matches of the night.[/QUOTE] I rest my case. ORNAMANIA!!!

[Jaded]

Thanks for the comments, guys. Round up of 1985 in 12 hours or so - will include Ninotchka and Spoiler, Boon! Anyone else anybody wants to know about, feel free to ask.

[Jaded]

[B][CENTER]Ones To Watch [/CENTER][/B] [B]Andre the Giant[/B] – Andre suffered a bad injury to his ribs in January, which kept him out for 4 months, and he later quit NJPW completely in October, meaning he’s currently unemployed. With his poor health at the moment, it’s unsure whether he’ll ever return fully to wrestling. [B]Don Muraco[/B] – The Rock has just quit World Class, putting over Kerry Von Erich in a great bout, and is solely concentrating on Canada’s MLW. In that fed, he’s currently feuding with Gama Singh, and is making Gama look like a million bucks. [B]Gino Hernandez [/B]– The Handsome Halfbreed quit MACW in September, after a great program with Dusty Rhodes, and GCW a few months later. He’s now solely involved in SWCW, where he’s by far the top face, having held the Southwest Heavyweight belt all year. [B]The Spoiler[/B] – The Spoiler quit AGPW as US champion, but dropped his IWA title to Rick Martel and put Rick over several more times before leaving that fed. Calgary closed its doors, leaving him unemployed briefly, but he then went over to NJPW for six months where he’s been mainly used as a midcard jobber. Last week, he signed on for MLW, and is expected to be given a massive push there next year. [B]Colonel Ninotchka [/B]– Ninotchka has been in the midst of one of the most bizarre angles in recent memory, as her tag partner Luna Vachon is being billed as suffering from schizophrenia. This has led to the pair feuding for much of the year, with Vivian Vachon, Luna’s aunt, also taking on the Colonel several times, but they’ve still had some success in the tag ranks. In G.L.O.W., things are back to normal, as she turned heel on Godiva in a tag title match against the Cheerleaders, and reformed her popular team with Spanish Red, feuding with the Beveley Hills Girls for most of the year’s tour. [B]Curt Hennig[/B] – A much better year for Hennig, a much-talked about win over Moondog Rex in a great match at an independent show saw him get a return to the AWA. He was given a decent push there, teaming with Greg Gagne and Steve Keirn occasionally, and feuded with Mike Rotundo over Rotundo’s TV title before eventually being released again in October. [B]Robbie Brookside [/B]– Robbie has been a fixture on the British independent scene, but is struggling to find a place to work, with only the recently opened Scottish Championship Wrestling running shows in the UK these days. [B][CENTER]The Injured List[/CENTER][/B] [B]Bill Irwin[/B] – His spine problems have kept him out all year. Expected to try and return in February, many doubt Wild Bill will ever scale the heights he was close to before. [B]Terry Gordy[/B] – Suffering a concussion in December, Gordy is likely to miss the entire of 1986. [B]Gone but not Forgotten[/B] – [B]CSW[/B] and [B]WWC[/B] both closed their door, but all the other feds managed to thrive this year. [B]Gone but not Forgotten (II)[/B] –[B] Mad Dog Vachon, Tony Garea, Stan Stasiak, The Assassin, Carlos Colon [/B]and[B] Ernie Ladd [/B]have all quit the ring this year. [B][CENTER]Year End Awards[/CENTER][/B] [B]Wrestler of the Year - Buddy Roberts[/B] – A well deserved win for Roberts after his superb performance in the AWA. [B]Young Wrestler of the Year – Jushin Liger[/B] – At just 21 years old, Liger retains this award, despite dropping the WWF Junior Heavyweight belt to Fujiwara. [B]Veteran Wrestler of the Year – Giant Baba [/B]– Like Liger, Baba retains, mainly due to a number of great tag matches with Jumbo Tsurata. [B] Female Wrestler of the Year – Dump Matsumoto [/B]- Dump has dropped two more tag matches when her partner was pinned, but has now gone nearly three years without being pinned or submitting herself, and has held the WWA Singles title since April 1983. [B]Promotion of the Year – AWA [/B]– A landslide here, as the AWA have by far the best PPV deal and are the only fed big enough to be offering written contract to their top stars. [B]Most Improved Promotion of the Year – GCW[/B] – PNW and WCCW have made massive strides, but Georgia have coped incredibly well with the talent raids they’ve suffered from the AWA, continually building up new main eventers. [B]Match of the Year – Buddy Roberts over Tommy Rich[/B], in the AWA. Four matches between this pair blew the roof off various arenas, the fourth being the best of the bunch, a superb 35 minute brawl, Buddy sneaking the win with a DDT. [B]Show of the Year – AWA Road Tour, November Week 1 [/B]– Roberts going over Manny Fernandez was an incredible main event, but 15,000 fans in attendance also saw an equally thrilling Rich and Adams semi-main event when they went over Lawler and Adonis, and a superb pair of openers with Piper and Martel beating Orndorff and Zbyszko, and Hector Guerrero going over Bob Roop. [B][CENTER] Top 10 wrestlers[/CENTER][/B] Manny Fernandez Ric Flair Buddy Roberts Tommy Rich Paul Orndorff Steve Keirn Curt Hennig Ole Anderson Jerry Lawler Ted DiBiase

[BIGJOSH]

Can't wait to see 1986!

[Jaded]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="5"]1986[/SIZE] [/B] [IMG]http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/154/awa2uv7.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] AWA – The AWA’s huge expansion has continued. They now have Buddy Roberts, Chris Adams, Jerry Lawler, Jerry Stubbs, Jim Brunzell, Larry Zbyszko, Les Thornton, Mike Rotundo, Mr Saito, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper and Tommy Rich all locked down into written contracts, and are causing a major shortage in talent near the main events of some of the smaller US promotions. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] TV – [B]Blanchard[/B] dropped this belt to [B]Robert Gibson[/B], but the Rock n Roller lost it to [B]Mike Rotundo[/B] fairly quickly. He would then job it to Blanchard, but win it back soon afterwards. World – [B]Buddy Roberts[/B] dropped this one to [B]Tommy Rich[/B] in January, and the pair have feuded all year, Buddy regaining it in April and holding it until September when Rich got it back. Light Heavyweight – [B]Nacho Berrera[/B] is now a 5 time Light Heavyweight champion. And again, we remind you that this really is a national wrestling company, the biggest in the world today. In those 5 reigns, he’s defended it successfully once. This year, he won it from the [B]Nature Boy Buddy Landell[/B], who’d beaten [B]Mike Graham[/B], and then immediately dropped it to [B]Jumpin’ Jim Brunzell[/B], before shocking Jim to regain it, only to lose it straight back to him. Tag – More short title reigns here, although only a couple of them. [B]Steve Keirn and Bill Dundee[/B] beat [B]Blanchard and Thornton[/B] in January, and held the belts for three months until[B] Piper and Martel[/B] finally got them in April. [B]Jerry Stubbs and Hector Guerrero[/B] defeated [B]Roddy and Rick[/B] in their first defence, but themselves only managed one win before jobbing to [B]Dundee and Jerry Lawler[/B]. That pairing would be beaten by [B]Stubbs and Mike Rotundo[/B], who then lost them back to Martel and Piper, whose second reign was much longer, lasting 3 months until Rotundo and Stubbs recently regained the titles. [B][CENTER][B][CENTER]Main Stars [/CENTER][/B] [/CENTER][/B] [IMG]http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9830/mannyfernandezhz5.jpg[/IMG] Manny Fernandez – The Bull is still a huge face, and Gagne is still pushing him hard despite him being one of the few top guys not to have a written contract – Manny still works as a top heel in SWCW and a top face in AGPW. This year, feuds with Buddy Roberts and Adrian Adonis have brought numerous superb matches. [IMG]http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4871/rickmartelgn4.jpg[/IMG] Rick Martel – Also on a PPA contract, Martel is possibly the fed’s best all-rounder, and at just 29 the Canadian is still improving. He’s beloved by the fans, a major face in AWA, IWA and SECW, and his formerly championship holding team with Roddy Piper is the fed’s most popular by far. Has wrestled almost exclusively in tag action this year, apart from a couple of unsuccessful shots at Blanchard’s TV gold. [IMG]http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/1783/tommyrichkb1.jpg[/IMG] Tommy Rich – Rich has had an incredible year, pulling off great matches left right and center, most impressively a streak of 3 near-five star matches in a week, going over Roberts, Orndorff and Adonis in World title defences. He may well have that World belt for a long time to come. [IMG]http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8092/stevekeirnqq4.jpg[/IMG] Steve Keirn – The Fabulous One is back at the top of the AWA, after his team with Bill Dundee gave him a lot of momentum in the first few months, and he successfully harnessed that momentum to move back into upper card singles matches. He had several shots at Buddy Roberts when he was champ, but never quite managed to take the gold. [IMG]http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/3359/paulorndorffdw9.jpg[/IMG] Paul Orndorff – Still a massive heel in both the AWA and GCW, Orndorff is one of AJPW’s most popular faces. In the AWA, he and Zbyszko’s team are back doing well, getting the better of a feud with Keirn and Fernandez. [IMG]http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/9865/buddyrobertsdn3.jpg[/IMG] Buddy Roberts – Roberts has been the guy Gagne is most willing to build around, unsurprisingly as he has a written contract and is superb in the ring. Has pulled off tons of superb matches, most of them solo bouts but also some great tag team contests with Jerry Lawler as a partner. His feud with Tommy Rich has been America’s top program of the year. [IMG]http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8286/jerrylawler2yw1.jpg[/IMG] Jerry Lawler – The King has established himself firmly in the AWA’s upper echelons, helped by Roberts’ occasional partnership and his impressive team with Bill Dundee. A sustained three month feud that he and Bill had with Piper and Martel drew big money when it was given the main event spot on numerous shows. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] [B]Battle by the Bay[/B] – The traditional Puerto Rico show saw two four-star matches round off an otherwise indifferent card, Keirn and Rich going over Blanchard and Fernandez, and Roberts just sneaking a title defence against Chris Adams. [B]Superclash[/B] – A phenomenal 30,000 fans packed into Arizona’s Phoenix Desert Pavilion and saw a packed card, with 11 matches. A hot opener of Piper and Martel beating the odd couple team of Dundee and Tommy Rich set the scene for a decent card, with Keirn and Chris Adams wild double count-out with Jerry Lawler and Manny Fernandez just take match of the night honours ahead of Bob Armstrong’s defeat of Buddy Landell. [B]Brawl in St Paul[/B] – A stunning show just a few weeks ago, in front of another 30,000 sell-out crowd. Most cards would have been pleased to see one bout of the calibre of Reed and Lawler’s victory over Thornton and Stubbs, but Rotundo’s TV defence against Blanchard was even better, and then Rich and Adonis put on a main event which will be talked about for years to come, Rich retaining his World title in a superb 25 minute match. [I]Major signings [/I] – Ric Flair [I]Major departures [/I] – None [I]New Tag Teams[/I] – None

[BIGJOSH]

Wow Ric Flair is no longer associated with the NWA! So how did Flair do in 1986 in the AWA?

[Jaded]

This is from the end of year round-up for 1986, so will probably post it again when I get to that part (since I'll forget I've already posted it), but anything to keep my readers well-informed :) [B]Ric Flair[/B] – After a dispute with MACW, Flair took 6 months off at the start of the year to appear as a supporting actor in a well-received Hollywood movie. He then joined the AWA, where he’s mainly been used as a partner for Chris Adams as Adams struggles in a feud with Piper and Martel.

[theoutlaw321]

[QUOTE=BIGJOSH;359644]Wow Ric Flair is no longer associated with the NWA! So how did Flair do in 1986 in the AWA?[/QUOTE] This saddens me as well. Although, returning to his roots is easier to swallow then heading to the Dark Side up in the Northeast!

[Jaded]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/3951/georgiapy4.jpg[/IMG][/CENTER] After showing tremendous heart last year in keeping close to the AWA despite their smaller stature, GCW have struggled slightly, and are now the fourth biggest fed in America, losing more talent as other promotions become truly national. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] National Heavyweight – [B]Dory Funk’s[/B] reign lasted nearly the entire calendar year, until former partner [B]Butch Reed[/B] challenged him after Funk’s heel turn and managed to win the belt from him in November. National Tag Team – [B]Jim Garvin and Ole Anderson[/B] won the vacant belts at the start of the year, and like Funk, retained until November, when Garvin quit. Again, [B]Anderson won a tournament, teaming with Paul Orndorff[/B], although their status as a pairing is in doubt as Funk’s beatdown on Ole turned him face a few nights after the pair of heels took gold. National TV – Fan favourite [B]Austin Idol [/B]quickly lost the belt he won at the tail end of 1985 to the big heel [B]Sika[/B], who defended against all-comers for four months before [B]Tony Atlas[/B] managed to win it from him. Atlas jobbed it to [B]Scott Irwin[/B], who held the belt for 6 months, propelling himself up the card, but recently lost it to [B]Bruno Sammartino Jr.[/B] [B][CENTER][B][CENTER]Main Stars [/CENTER][/B] [/CENTER][/B] [IMG]http://img520.imageshack.us/img520/1850/butchreed2qx6.jpg[/IMG] Butch Reed – Since the shocking double turn of Ole Anderson and Dory Funk Jr, Funk going berserk and beating down rival Ole to put him out of action for a month, Butch – who saved long-term enemy Anderson from his partner Funk on that night – has stood at the top of the ranks of babyfaces in Georgia, with sometime partner Stan Lane never connecting with the fans to the same extent. The returning Anderson seems to be an uneasy third man in that stable at the moment, although Butch will be very doubtful about trusting the former heel. His best match of the year came against the newly heel-turned Funk in November, as he took Dory’s title. [IMG]http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3483/oleanderson3xm5.jpg[/IMG] Ole Anderson – The Anderson resurgence continues, as he’s been reborn as a sympathetic babyface after that beatdown by Funk. Has spent much of the year in tag action, originally with Jim Garvin, then with Paul Orndorff after Jim left. His tag team with Mr Wonderful is presumably fairly short-lived, though, since Paul is still a despised heel. [IMG]http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4731/paulorndorffny9.jpg[/IMG] Paul Orndorff – Business as usual for Orndorff, still popular in Japan but hated in the States. He and Ole Anderson won the tag titles in November, although Ole’s injuries at the hands of Dory Funk Jr have prevented them defending them properly yet. [URL=http://imageshack.us][IMG]http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/3553/scottirwinhy1.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Scott Irwin – Irwin’s long TV title reign has brought him up to the top of the card, and he’s intent on staying there, as he’s been forced to concentrate on singles competition due to the sad retirement of his brother Bill due to injury problems. [IMG]http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2554/doryfunkjr2qg9.jpg[/IMG] Dory Funk Jr – Pulling off a shocking heel turn, as he snapped after a match against Ole Anderson, brutalising him with a chair until Butch Reed managed to chase him off, Funk is playing a psychotic character at the moment – and doing it extremely well. None of his Georgia matches have neared the quality of his outstanding contest with Ricky Steamboat in MACW, but he’s consistently performed well, whoever his opponents. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] – [B]The Cadillac Cup[/B] – Even more disappointing than last year’s Cup, although the fans at least got to see a surprise winner, as Matt Borne went over the Iron Sheik, Paul Orndorff and Stan Lane. [B]The Last Battle For Atlanta[/B] – Better than the Cadillac Cup, but nothing special, apart from a decent Ole win over Barry Windham in the main. [B]The Omni Thanksgiving Tag Team Tournament[/B] – Another poor card, One Man Gang and Pat Rose defeating John Studd and Scott Irwin, then Jerry Blackwell and Stan Lane, and finally Sika and Barry Windham to take the titles. [I]Major signings [/I] – Tony Atlas, Matt Borne, The Iron Sheik, Curt Hennig, Scott Steiner, Dino Bravo, The Spoiler. [I]Major departures [/I] – Road Warrior Animal, Big Van Vader, The Iron Sheik, Curt Hennig, Jim Garvin, Big John Studd [I]New Teams[/I] – Austin Idol and Scott Irwin, Bruno Sammartino Jr and King Kong Bundy.

[Jaded]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7742/macwny9.jpg[/IMG] [/CENTER] MACW – It’s been a great year for MACW, as they’ve almost caught up with the AWA. They’ve signed Dusty Rhodes, Gino Hernandez, Jimmy Snuka, Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, Rip Oliver, Stan Hansen, JYD and several others to written contracts. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight – [B]Animal’s[/B] reign was fairly short, [B]Kelly Kiniski[/B] winning the gold for the fourth time in January, and holding it for six months before [B]One Man Gang[/B] beat him for his 3rd reign. The evergreen [B]Wahoo McDaniel [/B]then defeated the Gang in September, his 5th reign coming 10 years to the day of the start of his 2nd. Mid-Atlantic Tag – Again some weird pairings with these belts. [B]Kiniski and Bugsy McGraw[/B] were the first new champs of the year, defeating [B]Mike Davis and Animal[/B]. [B]One Man Gang and Rick Harris [/B]beat them, [B]then Kiniski and King Kong Bundy[/B] took the belts. Kelly is now a 4-time champ with 4 different partners. NWA Heavyweight – [B]Dusty [/B]started and finished the year on top, although he didn’t have it for long in between. [B]Dory Funk Jr [/B]beat him in March, [B]Slater[/B] took out Funk in July, and [B]Rhodes[/B] regained the belt at the start of December. NWA Tag Team – [B]Rhodes and Steamboat[/B] held the belts until June, making it 14 months with the gold altogether for the pairing. They were beaten by current champions [B]Slater and Rip[/B]. [B][CENTER][B][CENTER]Main Stars [/CENTER][/B] [/CENTER][/B] [IMG]http://img266.imageshack.us/img266/4702/doryfunkjrje7.jpg[/IMG] Dory Funk Jr. – Despite his GCW heel turn, Funk is still a major babyface in MACW. His win over Ricky Steamboat in a 65 minute match back in June is probably the best match of the decade so far in the US. [IMG]http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/9107/rickysteamboatjv4.jpg[/IMG] Ricky Steamboat – Since signing a written deal with MACW, Steamboat has been given the mother of all pushes. His merchandise does huge business, he has an impressive win-loss record of 56-22-2, and he’s had four five-star matches this year, including the match of the decade contender with Funk, and back to back superb outings with DiBiase and Rhodes. [IMG]http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/8526/ginohernandezen0.jpg[/IMG] Gino Hernandez – Gino returned to MACW as a massive face, feuding with Dick Slater after coming in to help Dory Funk. This came after a 3-month enforced layoff due to an ankle injury sustained in SWCW, in a match against Adrian Adonis. The Slater angle would bring a couple of excellent matches, although Gino was unable to win the World title in either of them. [IMG]http://img210.imageshack.us/img210/8333/ripoliverdu6.jpg[/IMG] Cousin Rip – Playing on his WCCW character, despite the acrimonious departure he made from that federation, Rip Oliver came into MACW as a hated heel in May, and almost immediately laid his hands on Tag Championship gold, teaming with Dick Slater to take out Rhodes and Steamboat. It looks like being a good move for Rip, as their team have crushed everyone in their path. [IMG]http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/5543/dickslaternc1.jpg[/IMG] Dick Slater – A big face in PNW but an even more massive heel in both MACW and the new Japan Pro fed. For several months held the two biggest titles in the fed, the World belt and the tag titles with Cousin Rip. Currently feuding with Ted DiBiase and Matt Borne, with the matches not being particularly good but fans at least getting to see some great mic work from Ted and Dick. [IMG]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1252/dustyrhodes2pl7.jpg[/IMG] Dusty Rhodes - After 12 years as one of the States’ biggest faces, Rhodes pulled off a phenomenal heel turn, blasting fellow babyface Ricky Steamboat with a ring bell after the pair dropped the tag belts and then brutally beating the Dragon down. Greg Valentine – 18 months after returning from a concussion, The Hammer is scarily close to a career ending head injury. However, he refuses to tone down his work, and has spent the past four or five months in a superb feud with Randy Savage, the pair roughly even in terms of wins and losses. [IMG]http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/607/teddibiaseic5.jpg[/IMG] Ted DiBiase – The highlight of Ted’s year was a five star match with Ricky Steamboat, although he admitted after the bout that Steamboat is wrestling so well at the moment it’s almost hard NOT to have a five clash if you’re given enough time with the Dragon. His tweener team with Matt Borne has been fairly popular, rampaging through competition for a few months before moving into a feud with Slater and Cousin Rip, who they’ve been unable to dethrone. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] The Crockett Cup – The weird team of Dory Funk Jr. and newly face-turned Randy Savage beat The Mercenaries, Idol/Valentine and Lane/Steamboat to win the Cup. May Clash of the Champions – A very impressive card again, Funk going over DiBiase in the match of the night, Gino beating Rocky Johnson, and Dusty Rhodes defeating Stan Hansen in an exceptionally bloody Texas Death match. Great American Bash – Not as poor as last year’s show, with a decent Slater/Rip win over Rhodes and Funk in the main event, as Funk tried to bring Dusty back to the side of the angels only for Rhodes to snap and attack him with the ring bell, bringing out Steamboat to make the save. Best match was an exciting Savage/Snuka bout, Randy winning. August Clash of the Champions – Poor overall, but rescued by two four-star efforts, Steamboat defeating Don Muraco and Slater going over Dusty Rhodes. NWA Anniversary Show – A massive improvement on the same card in 1984 and 1985, finishing extremely strongly as Steamboat won a rematch with Muraco, Gino went over Stan Hansen in a strap match, and Slater beat Dusty again in a wild falls-count-anywhere encounter. Halloween Havoc – With Slater out injured for a few weeks, his tag partner Cousin Rip was given a solo main event spot against Dory Funk Jr, and didn’t disappoint, winning an excellent contest. Ricky got another four-star match, this time against Gino Hernandez, and Sgt. Slaughter went over Stan Hansen, the Sarge making his MACW debut as a mystery opponent brought in by David Schultz, who’s faded down the card over the past 12 months and was struggling in his feud with Stan. Starrcade – Slightly disappointing, with Wahoo’s feel-good title win over One Man Gang being a major culprit in bringing down the match quality. Slaughter over Windham was a very good early bout, though, and the main event of Gino beating Dusty Rhodes was amazing, not least for the sight of the fans solidly cheering Hernandez and booing the American Dream. [I]Major signings [/I] – Kevin Sullivan, Rip Oliver, Jimmy Snuka, Ted DiBiase, JYD, Sgt Slaughter [I]Major departures [/I] – Road Warrior Animal, Ivan Koloff [I]New Teams[/I] – Double Shot (Cousin Rip and Dick Slater), Riot Act (Rick Harris and Kevin Sullivan),

[Jaded]

[IMG]http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/7903/pnwkz0.jpg[/IMG] PNW – Jay Youngblood couldn’t resist the lure of World Class, and quit the fed, but the rest of the top stars stayed loyal to the Portland based organisation, who are climbing higher than anyone could have imagined a few years ago. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] – Heavyweight – [B]DiBiase’s[/B] 20 month reign was finally ended by [B]Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts[/B], but he had only a cup of coffee with the belt before [B]Tully Blanchard[/B] beat him. Tag Titles – [B]Slater and Keirn’s[/B] run lasted nearly as long as DiBiase’s Heavyweight reign, but it was eventually ended by [B]Roberts and DiBiase[/B], with [B]Tully Blanchard[/B] replacing Roberts after the Snake left, due to a deal Ted struck with commissioner Brenda Britton. TV – Again changed hands just twice, [B]Morton [/B]losing it to[B] Easy Ed Wiskowski [/B]in January, who defended once then dropped it to [B]Skip Young[/B], who’s about to start his 11th month as champ. [CENTER][B]Main Stars[/B] [/CENTER] [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/5890/stevekeirnbg9.jpg[/IMG] Steve Keirn – Keirn’s huge push has shown no sign of stopping, with his blood feud with Ted DiBiase continuing throughout the year. [IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2399/dickslaterhv6.jpg[/IMG] Dick Slater – Slater concentrated on solo action for the first six months, but has recently decided to concentrate on getting rising star Austin Idol over, the pair working as a team in recent weeks. [IMG]http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/607/teddibiaseic5.jpg[/IMG] Ted DiBiase – Another massive year for DiBiase, teaming with Roberts and Blanchard as tag champions and drawing the ire of the fans throughout the year. [IMG]http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/970/tullyblanchard2fa1.jpg[/IMG] Tully Blanchard – Blanchard has a much better record this year than last, going 25-8-0. At just 30, the PNW main eventer and AWA upper midcarder seems to have the world at his feet. [IMG]http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/4779/greatkabuki3gw0.jpg[/IMG] The Great Kabuki – A major heel in World Class and the WWF, Kabuki has been a ‘special attraction’ in PNW, wrestling just five times but winning every match. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] The Salem City Tournament wasn’t held this year. Superstar Extravaganza – Another bad main event choice, with Blanchard going over Dutch Savage. JYD/Keirn beating Hammer and Sickle earlier on was a far better match. Portland Memorial Coliseum Show – Show of the year for a 3rd year in a row, DiBiase beating Dick Slater in an excellent main event. [I]Major signings [/I] – Michael Hayes, Tiger Mask, Road Warrior Animal, Austin Idol, Curt Hennig, Dennis Condrey, [I]Major departures [/I] – Ricky Morton, Jay Youngblood, Carlos Colon, JYD, Jake Roberts, Jim Garvin, Tiger Mask.

[theoutlaw321]

I assume since the AWA and MACW are signing workers to written contracts that they have achieved National status? The WWF also? What about the rest of the promotions: WCCW, PNW, GCW are they close?

[snowy mcblow]

Ok, guys...now for the stupid question of the thread. How do you get the game to play in the watcher mode? I can't get it to work. :( :(

[angeldelayette]

[QUOTE=snowy mcblow;361890]Ok, guys...now for the stupid question of the thread. How do you get the game to play in the watcher mode? I can't get it to work. :( :([/QUOTE] When selecting a federation to play as, select none and you will not be in control of anything and can just sim each day and look at the details.

[snowy mcblow]

Thanks, angel. I thought it worked off of my selecting a character and whether or not my character was employed.:D

[Jaded]

Outlaw - WCCW hit National in November, MACW got there in May, AWA got to National in May 1985, WWF and PNW are both Cult. SECW – After a couple of years of putting on reasonable cards without ever impressing hugely, the Tennessee promotion is picking up momentum, helped by the name value of signings such as Rocky Johnson, Jim Duggan, Carlos Colon and Curt Hennig and the athleticism of youngsters like Stan Lane and Shawn Michaels. [CENTER][B]Titles[/B][/CENTER] Alabama Heavyweight – Started the year with [B]Super Olympia[/B], in the middle of an 8 month reign;[B] Brett Wayne Sawyer [/B]went on to beat him but was quickly unseated by [B]Jimmy Golden[/B]. Golden recently lost it to [B]Curt Hennig.[/B] Southeastern Heavyweight –[B] Rick Martel’s[/B] year long reign was ended by[B] Curt Hennig,[/B] who picked up a fluke victory from a roll-up but managed to defend the belt for six months, before [B]Rocky Johnson[/B] took him down in October. Southeastern Tag – [B]The Stud Stable’s[/B] reign has hit an incredible 4 years, mainly due to the lack of any decent tag competition in the fed. [CENTER][B]Main Stars[/B] [/CENTER] Robert Gibson – A quick-rising face, Gibson is currently teaming with older brother Rick to take on the PYT Express pairing of Norvell Austin and Koko B. Ware. Honors are pretty even at the moment, although most of the PYT wins have been by nefarious methods. Rick Martel – Martel refuses to leave the Southeast territory, despite Gagne’s repeated attempts to limit him to the AWA, and has been rewarded by being given a major feud with Curt Hennig which has produced some excellent matches. Rocky Johnson – The elder statesman of SECW, at 42, Rocky is 5 years older than anyone else even close to the top of the card and nearly 15 years older than most of the other major stars. However, he can still bring it in the ring, going 28-10-2 and dominating a feud with Jim Duggan and Matt Borne. Jim Duggan – Paired with Matt Borne, Duggan is the fed’s top heel. Has mainly wrestled tag matches; in solo action he’s been unable to get past Rocky Johnson despite several attempts. Matt Borne – Borne was in line for a big singles push at one point, but lost his chance after testing positive for drugs and being banned for a month. He’s now in the tag ranks with Jim Duggan, and rumour has it he may be released if his out of the ring behaviour and demeanor doesn’t improve. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] SECW on Tour in May – The show of the year for the fed, as Hennig beat Martel in a superb main event, Borne beat Rocky, and Duggan went over Norvell Austin. SECW on Tour in December – The other best card of the big 12, Johnson beating Borne wasn’t quite up to the Hennig/Martel match, but Curt provided decent backup, beating Jimmy Golden in a decent Alabama title match, and the one-off pairing of Hawk and Road Warrior Saw (Duggan) beat the Gibsons in an impressive brawl. [I]Major signings [/I] – Carlos Colon, Jim Duggan, Curt Hennig, Iceman King Parsons, Brett Wayne Sawyer, Tito Santana, Rocky Johnson, Koko B Ware, Shawn Michaels, Eddie Graham, Stan Lane, Road Warrior Hawk. [I]Major departures [/I] – Carlos Colon, Gory Guerrero.

[theoutlaw321]

[QUOTE=Jaded;362811]Outlaw - WCCW hit National in November, MACW got there in May, AWA got to National in May 1985, WWF and PNW are both Cult. [/QUOTE] Thanks.

[Jaded]

SWCW – With long title runs for Adrian Adonis, Robert Gibson and Hector Guerrero dominating the main events, the Southwest fed is quickly becoming a cult promotion, making some big signings this year. [CENTER][B]Titles[/B][/CENTER] Heavyweight – 14 months after[B] Gino Hernandez[/B] ended his 2 year title reign, [B]Adrian Adonis[/B] regained the belt in a tournament final after Gino quit. Tag Team – [B]Hector Guerrero and Robert Gibson’s[/B] year long tag reign was ended in June by [B]Adrian Street and Bill Dundee[/B], but Hector and Robbie regained the belts just 6 weeks later. National –[B] Adrian Street [/B]had the belt from December 1985 until October, but[B] Rocky Johnson[/B] beat him then and has defended it 8 times in the past 2 months. [CENTER][B]Main Stars[/B][/CENTER] Bill Dundee – Tag partner of Adrian Street during a rare face run for Street, Bill has also feuded with champion Adrian Adonis for much of the year, coming close to winning the gold on many occasions but never quite managing it. Hector Guerrero – Massively dominant in the fed, at 38-5-1 for the year, Guerrero is a major player in the Southwest, but it’s his Team Gold with Robert Gibson which has taken him to the upper reaches of the card. Robert Gibson – 30-4-0 for the year, Gibson has been superb, with one of his losses coming to Adrian Adonis in a title match and the other 3 to Hammer and Sickle in a tag feud which Team Gold have otherwise dominated. Manny Fernandez – The Raging Bull came in to challenge for Adonis’ title, but since being unable to beat him, has turned heel and is currently cutting a swathe through upper midcard faces. Possibly on a collision course with either Dundee or Guerrero in what would be two very anticipated feuds. Adrian Adonis – A massive legend in the Southwest at just 32, Adonis is already into his second lengthy Heavyweight title reign – this one having gone on 11 months plus – and had an 18 month tag reign with Gino Hernandez from 1983 to 1985. Has dominated feuds with Manny Fernandez and Bill Dundee, and is also a main event heel in NJPW and an upper midcarder in the AWA. Greg Valentine – While not toning down his work in SWCW either, Greg has reformed his Hammer and Sickle tag team with Ivan Koloff, allowing Koloff to most of the wrestling. Involved in one of the scariest moments of the year, as during their brutal feud with the Soul Patrol, miscommunication between Ivan and Rocky Johnson led to an unprepared Valentine taking a chair shot to the skull – thankfully, he seems to have got away with it without aggravating his head injury, but many think he should retire soon for his own safety. [I]Major signings [/I] – Koko B. Ware, Big John Studd, Steve Williams, Dennis Condrey, Ron Bass, Road Warrior Animal, Sika, Ivan Koloff, The Iron Sheik, Brett Wayne Sawyer, One Man Gang, Road Warrior Hawk, Rocky Johnson, Greg Valentine, Big Van Vader [I]Major departures [/I] – Jim Duggan, Gino Hernandez, Magnum T.A., Ray Stevens, Kevin Sullivan, The Iron Sheik

[Jaded]

WCCW – Signing guys like Afa, Bob Backlund, Jake Roberts, Jay Youngblood and Jesse Ventura to written contracts, World Class have continued their amazing rise towards the top. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] American Heavyweight – After the face turn the fans had been longing for, [B]David Von Erich[/B] beat former Freebird partner [B]Jim Garvin[/B] in May. Held the belt for six months, before [B]Jim Duggan[/B] got a surprise win over him recently. American Tag Team – The Freebirds pairing of [B]Garvin and Kabuki[/B] jobbed to [B]Adias and Ricky Morton[/B] in July, but the ‘Birds quickly took the belts back, [B]Hayes and Garvin[/B] winning the rematch. They later lost them to Von Erich brothers [B]David and Kerry[/B], reunited at last, though. Six-Man Tag – After Rip Oliver left, the belts were vacated, then picked up by [B]Kerry Von Erich, Don Kernodle and Butch Reed[/B] after a ‘lottery’ style tournament with random partners. TV – [B]Mantell [/B]had this belt for over a year, only recently losing it to [B]Michael Hayes. [/B] Texas – [B]Kerry[/B] and [B]Kabuki [/B]have feuded over this one all year, Kabuki winning it in April, losing it back in August, but taking it again in December. [B][CENTER][B][CENTER]Main Stars [/CENTER][/B] [/CENTER][/B] Kerry Von Erich – At just 26, Kerry still has the world at his feet, especially since his emotional on-screen reunion with brother David, who finally came to his senses to save Kerry and Mike from a vicious assault by the rest of the Freebirds. Has taken on the Great Kabuki for most of the year, slightly edging the feud. Jake Roberts – Brought in by Michael Hayes as a special opponent to try and win Kerry’s Texas belt in November, Roberts infuriated the Freebird by shaking Von Erich’s hand in a display of good sportsmanship after the hometown favourite retained. He’s hung around, pairing with Jay Youngblood to take on Jim Garvin and Kabuki on a few occasions, although without any success. The Great Kabuki – Kabuki got the Texas belt in April for four months, and has had a wild feud with Kerry for much of the year over the title. Jim Garvin – Spent much of the early part of the year feuding with David over the American title, after David’s face turn, then dominated the tag division along with the other Freebirds. Bob Backlund – Coming to WCCW in November, he’s already made a major impact, going 8-2-0 and reforming his experienced Team Slayer with Afa. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] The Parade of Champions – A poor card, the only match of real quality being Dutch Mantell’s TV title defence against David Von Erich, which was mired in the midcard. Labor Day Star Wars – A definite one-match card here – 3 poor matches to start things off, but Kerry and Garvin were given 70 minutes to take on each other in a brutal cage match, which ended with a bloodied Kerry dropping to the floor moments ahead of the Freebird, and kept the fans spellbound with a superb contest. Thanksgiving Star Wars – Two decent bouts here, as Kerry beat Garvin to retain the Texas belt, and Sweet Brown Sugar and Butch Reed downed Kevin and David in a tag contests. [I]Major signings [/I] – Jesse Ventura, Jim Duggan, Jake Roberts, Bob Backlund, Jay Youngblood, Afa. [I]Major departures [/I] – Cousin Rip, Blackjack Mulligan.

[Jaded]

WWF – Losing virtually the entire main event scene, as Slaughter, Rip, DiBiase, Snuka, Sawyer, Youngblood, Roberts, JYD, Backlund and Afa all quit over the year, many promoters would have given up. Instead, Vince McMahon defiantly swore to build for the future, centering his main events around the Real Americans of Magnum TA, Hulk Hogan and Jim Duggan, and a massive angle when Hogan shockingly returned to his heelish ways against the other members of the stable. With TA, Michael Hayes, Steve Williams, Haku, Iceman King Parsons, and Curt Hennig all solidly established in the upper card before they’ve reached 30, and youngsters Sting, the Ultimate Warrior and Shawn Michaels putting on some impressive openers, there’s the potential for a big comeback by the Stamford-based fed if they can hold on to most of their talent. [CENTER][B]Titles [/B] [/CENTER] – World – [B]Afa[/B] won his first World title in April, beating[B] Jimmy Snuka.[/B] He held it for 20 or so defences before being beaten by [B]Magnum T.A.[/B], who just managed to hold onto it in a brutal series against[B] Hulk Hogan,[/B] who turned on him after becoming jealous of his gold. Hogan weakened him enough for the [B]Junkyard Dog[/B] to defeat him, but JYD then left the fed and Hogan took the belt in an eagerly anticipated bout with [B]Magnum[/B]. Intercontinental – [B]The Junkyard Dog[/B]held the belt until August, when [B]Steve Williams [/B]beat him. [B]Invader 2 [/B]recently defeated Dr Death. Tag Team - [B]JYD and Roberts[/B] held the belts for much of the year, but were then defeated by [B]Duggan and T.A.[/B] [B][CENTER]Major stars [/CENTER][/B] Steve Williams – Having struggled a few years ago, being released from MSW after breaking his arm and only wrestling once in 1984 at an independent show, Dr Death became a midcard fixture last year in the WWF, and a pairing with Ted DiBiase elevated him into a few main event matches. This year, though, he’s risen fast, getting a decent IC title run and teaming with DiBiase and veteran Jimmy Valiant. Ronnie Garvin – The 41 year old has stayed loyal to the WWF as others have left, and has been rewarded with a decent push, the highlight being a Wrestlemania win over Ivan Koloff. Jim Duggan – The Hacksaw has spent most of the year in tag competition with Magnum T.A., and supporting Hulk Hogan until Hogan shockingly turned on the other two Real Americans. Magnum T.A. – A big tag push with Duggan, Magnum was then given the World belt as Afa left, and propelled into a massive feud with Hulk Hogan, who attacked him straight after his victory, dropping a big leg on him several times until Hacksaw saved. Is desperate to regain the belt from the Hulkster. Michael Hayes – P.S. is great in the WWF, his Freebirds pairing with the Great Kabuki having huge success throughout the year but only getting one shot at the titles. They have to be considered strong candidates for a long run with the belts soon. The Great Kabuki – Along with Garvin, the elder statesman of the main event scene in the WWF, and a valued cornerstone of the tag division with Hayes. Ed Wiskowski – Something of a jobber to the stars, Ed has wrestled 31 times but won just 10 matches. Hulk Hogan – Starting the year as a massive babyface, feuding with Jimmy Snuka and as a stablemate of Magnum and Duggan. Turned on them in September to chase T.A.’s World belt, and picked it up via JYD beating Magnum then quitting. Since then has retained in several defences against Magnum and Duggan. [B][CENTER]Biggest Shows of the Year [/CENTER][/B] Wrestlemania – 3 very good bouts, as Oliver beat Stan Hansen, Youngblood and Hogan fought to a no-contest as they joined forces to chase off tons of heels, and Snuka beat Backlund to retain the World title. Summerslam – Really disappointing, none of the top three bouts of Afa over Magnum, Hogan/Backlund beating Honky Tonk/Vader and Williams’ IC title win over JYD reaching expectations. The Wrestling Classic – A huge success in comparison to Summerslam, with Hogan showcasing his heel turn by brutally squashing Bobby Duncum, Williams and Hennig having a technical classic for the IC title, JYD and Magnum T.A. colliding in a great face vs face bout, and Afa/Backlund beating Koloff and Wiskowski in a surprisingly good main event. [I]Major signings [/I] – Road Warrior Animal, Big Van Vader, Shawn Michaels, Tito Santana, The Ultimate Warrior, Koko B. Ware, Curt Hennig, Big John Studd, The Iron Sheik [I]Major departures [/I] – Buzz Sawyer, Sgt Slaughter, Rip Oliver, Ted DiBiase, Jimmy Snuka, Stan Hansen, Jay Youngblood, Jake Roberts, The Junkyard Dog, Afa, Bob Backlund, Jesse Ventura. New Teams – The Heartbreak Foundation (Jim Neidhart and Shawn Michaels), The Mercenaries (Chris Colt and Haku)

[shipshirt]

So glad you're keeping this going...great stuff! Do you go in and manually change the tag names in the game or is that solely for diary purposes?