WCW: The Bigger They Are...

[gingarob]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img238.imageshack.us/img238/725/logooc3.png[/IMG] [SIZE="6"][B]The Bigger They Are...[/B][/SIZE] World Championship Wrestling, the biggest wrestling company in the world, a company that has taken on Vince McMahon and appears to be winning, and a company with an unrivalled budget. Yet WCW is also a company plagued by infamous politics, ridden with in-your-face drug use, and the owner of a quickly stagnating formula as it relies on relics to draw fans whilst it’s most talented workers aren’t given a look in. WCW is very much a company on the brink of greatness...but could quite easily topple if they don’t get it right. As WCW’s newly appointed booker I can’t help but wonder... “What have I let myself in for?!” My name is Robert Dixon and I’ve been involved in wrestling for at least a decade now, with the last 3 of those as a writer with the WWF. That was until I got a call from ‘the enemy’, Ted Turner, offering me the book in the biggest promotion on the planet. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to put my stamp on wrestling history. Right now, I’m almost regretting my decision...[b]almost[/b]. In my mind I have five major issue to tackle: 1. The rampant drug abuse backstage, it’s damaging both the companies’ reputation and the stars’ ability to put on a good show. I plan to introduce, and strongly enforce, a drug testing policy. 2. The frankly gargantuan roster. There is no way that with this many wrestler’s on the roster many, if even a few, of our stars can be properly utilised and, quite frankly, it’s damaging the direction of the company and the morale backstage. 3. We need to create stars! This is without a doubt one of my biggest priorities here in WCW. The company cannot hope to thrive if it relies on the sole star power of washed up, rejected, and unwanted WWF employees. 4. The backstage politics must be tamed. This is going to call for some tough treatment of some big names but, in my mind anyway, it is 100% essential. I cannot continue to let huge egos run roughshod over the best interests of the company. The creative control of certain top names might be difficult to circumvent however... 5. I’ve got to give the fans coherent, interesting storylines that make them care enough to shell out their hard earned for a WCW PPV. Recently, storylines in WCW have lacked direction and have grown stale – time for a change. Of course, I’m pretty sure Ted Turner is going to have a few goals of his own for me but he has promised to allow me to book the first Monday Nitro on my own terms. The morning after the show we’ll sit down and discuss his plans for the direction of the company; and I’ll be damn sure to inject a few of my own. [B][SIZE="3"]Monday, Week1, December 1997[/SIZE][/B] As I stepped into the locker room for the first time there was a tangible atmosphere in the air. I’d called all the staff in much earlier than usual in order to meet with them, discuss ideas, and – naturally – introduce myself. You could tell some of the Main Event guys weren’t pleased at being dragged into office so early and there were definitely more than a few eyes boring holes into me, but I continued regardless. “Right, guys, my name is Robert Dixon and, as you all should know by now, I’m your new head booker. At this moment in time WCW is walking a knife-edge, we could either emerge as the best damn promotion in this industry or we could self implode and simply be a blip on the timeline of wrestling history. I must warn you all, my appointment will mean big changes within this company and I will say right now that I cannot avoid cutting down the size of the roster. I will meet personally with each and every one of you before making any decision so--“ I was cut off by a voice recognisable to pretty much anyone who has ever watched wrestling, and he didn’t seem pleased. “Look, brother, this is fun and all but I haven’t got time for your preaching speeches – I got a commercial to shoot and some big bucks to make.” I wasn’t entirely surprised but I’m not a man who appreciates being cut off. “Quite frankly I don’t care about your commercial Mr. Hogan! Now you will sit down, shut up and listen to what I have to say because, and make sure you remember this, I am your boss and no matter how much of a big shot you think you are you are [b]not[/b] bigger than this company!” A quiet gasp went around the room, and a few of the younger guys looked terrified. Hogan himself looked like he was about to swing for me and he began to retort before Nash stood up and whispered something into his ear that made him smile. I have a feeling they weren’t discussing last night’s TV. Hogan then sat down, shooting me a smug grin as he did so – I carried on. “As I was saying, there is going to be big changes in this company and the first of which is going to happen right now. Each and every one of you is going to be drug tested this morning, the results of which we shall discuss later today, and then the tests will continue after each and every show. I will not tolerate drug use within this company and those found to be abusing drugs – whether they be recreational, painkillers, or steroids – will be punished. If anyone refuses to take a test you will be fired immediately, so don’t bother trying to go anywhere.” There was definitely a sense of shock from the majority of the locker room. I didn’t bother sticking around to argue about my decision and simply walked out of the door, letting the waiting medics get on with their job. [/CENTER]

[gingarob]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Later that day[/SIZE][/B] As the results came in I was appalled. There were 51 WCW employees who failed their drug tests, it was clear I had a much bigger problem on my hands than I had previously assumed. The majority of failures came from hard drugs but there was also a colossal amount of steroid failures reported. I called those who had provided negative tests to inform them that they must come in so I could have a sit down meeting with each of them and discuss their punishments. All of those failing drug tests were fined 25% of their monthly pay packet. The majority accepted their punishment with reactions ranging from promises to get clean to clear irritation yet there was a group of 15 wrestlers who, upon hearing the news, thought it acceptable to simply storm of. The reactions of Buff Bagwell, DDP, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, Juventud Guerrera, Kevin Nash, Konnan, Lex Luger, Madusa, Randy Savage, Raven, Roddy Piper, Scott Hall, Scott Steiner, and Sean Waltman really didn’t surprise me, yet they did hammer home just what a mess WCW was backstage. Anyway there was no time to dwell on what had happened. I had phonecalls to make, schedules to devise, and – of course – a TV script to finalise. [/CENTER]

[darthsiddus2]

really good back story you got there man. I'm interested to see how you pull this off

[gingarob]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/9041/wcwnitrosn9.jpg[/IMG] [B][SIZE="3"]Preview[/SIZE][/B] [B]Eddy Guerrero defends his title against TWO challengers[/B] The WCW Cruiserweight Champion will tonight put his belt on the line against La Parka and Juventud Guerrera in what promises to be a superb cruiserweight bout. The big question is – with opponents of this quality, will Eddy be able to hold onto the title he so covets? [B]Perry Saturn takes on Dean Malenko[/B] Eddy Guerrero isn’t the only man defending a title on this week’s Monday Nitro – Perry Saturn is putting his WCW TV Title on the line against “The Man of a Thousand Holds” Dean Malenko. Will Perry be all bent out of shape by Malenko’s many submission manoeuvres or will the champion be able to hold onto his title for another week? [B]The NWO has a big announcement![/B] Do they have a new member? Have The Outsiders decided to go for tag team gold? Is Hollywood Hulk Hogan hanging up his legendary boots? There’s only one way to find out – tune into Monday Nitro! [B]Ric Flair battles Buff Bagwell[/B] Determined to impress his NWO stablemates, the young Buff Bagwell has a big opportunity tonight. If he can defeat “The Nature Boy” then he could stake a claim as one of WCW’s upper echelon stars, if not a loss could cast doubt over his ability to get the job done in the ring. This is also a huge match for Naitch as a victory for him could show management that he’s still as good, and as hungry, as he ever was. Will this match be Ric Flair’s first step on the path to a World Heavyweight Title shot? Tune in to find out![/CENTER]

[theaddicane]

[B]Eddie Guerrero[/B] Vs La Parka Vs Juventud Guerrera Perry Saturn Vs [B]Dean Malenko[/B] [B]Ric Flair[/B] Vs Perry Saturn Diary's looking good, I'll try and see how it goes on.

[JDTheIcon]

Nice diary dude! Really like the backstory, and I loved this time in WCW! Will be interesting to see what you do with it. I'll be reading. Eddie Guerrero Vs La Parka Vs [b]Juventud Guerrera[/b] Perry Saturn Vs [b]Dean Malenko[/b] [b]Ric Flair[/b] Vs Buff Bagwell

[gingarob]

[CENTER][IMG]http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/9041/wcwnitrosn9.jpg[/IMG] [B][SIZE="3"]WCW Monday Nitro[/SIZE][/B] [B]Monday, Week 1, December 1997[/B] Kahului Arena, Hawaii Attendance: 2,507 [B]PRE-SHOW[/B] [IMG]http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/5485/chrisjerichouh9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img79.imageshack.us/img79/521/chavoguerrerojrhz5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Chris Jericho vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.[/B] In a match designed to get the crowd going Chris Jericho and Chavo Guerrero Jr. did just that; with Chavo cheating to get an advantage and the babyface Chris Jericho getting the crowd behind hm through his valiance and strong will. The crowd ultimately got the result they craved as Jericho finished Chavo off with a Lionsault. [B]Winner:[/B] Chris Jericho [B]Rating:[/B] C [IMG]http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/5485/chrisjerichouh9.jpg[/IMG] After the match Jericho called for the mic. He paused in the centre of the ring as the crowd chanted “JER-I-CHO!” and a smile grew on his face. Eventually he brought the mic up to his lips, his heavy breathing still evident, and made use of the most abused cheap pop in the industry... “Thank you Hawaii!” The crowd erupted with cheers, and Jericho’s smile grew wider before he continued. “Trust me when I say, having a crowd get behind you like you guys got behind me gives me such a boost. Chavo is a tough opponent and without you the result could well have been very different!” Jericho paused again to soak up the adulation of the fans. “Tonight all of you got to see a pivotal moment in wrestling history! Tonight is the night that marks Chris Jericho’s rise up the ranks of WCW. After tonight, and I guran-damn-tee you this, this industry will never EEEVER be the same [B]again[/B]!” The crowd cheered once more as Jericho dropped the mic and made clapping motions towards the stands, spinning so as to cover everyone in attendance, before exiting the ring. [B]Rating:[/B] C [IMG]http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/4821/supercaloop8.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/8318/ultimodragonje6.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/4247/psychosisey4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Super Calo vs. Ultimo Dragon vs. Psichosis[/B] Another fast-paced cruiserweight matchup which really got the crowd behind it. Initially Super Calo and Psichosis worked together to double team Ultimo Dragon but their makeshift alliance didn’t last long as Calo and Psichosis started brawling when Calo missed Dragon, kicking Psichosis instead. This gave Ultimo Dragon the chance of a short breather before showing his skill as he re-entered the fray. As is always the risk with these type of matches there were a couple of botched moves but the action was, on the whole, very impressive as all men aimed to prove just how good they are. Ultimo Dragon brought the match to a close with a Tiger Suplex on Super Calo, with Psichosis down on the outside and just unable to get back in to make the save. [B]Winner:[/B] Ultimo Dragon [B]Rating:[/B] D+ [B]MAIN SHOW[/B] [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1889/hulkhoganxh6.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/1931/scotthallaq2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/4797/kevinnashwg3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9544/buffbagwellca3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/3155/ericbischoffar8.jpg[/IMG] As Nitro opened the familiar nWo Theme blasted throughout the arena and the crowd rose to their feet, some were cheering but the majority booed as “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Buff Bagwell, and Eric Bischoff strutted through the curtain and sauntered down to the ring. Hogan wasted no time in getting on the mic. “Well we promised you a big announcement and Hulk Hogan doesn’t go back on his word, no way brother!” A “Shut the hell up” chant breaks out and Hogan scowls as he continues to talk. “Nobody – and I mean nobody – tells [B]me[/B] to shut up! You see this title around my waist?! That means I’m the best and that when I speak..you listen! Now, the Hulkster has got an important announcement and you’re going to listen; and you’re going to like it.” Hogan’s warning had no effect on the crowd who, if anything, got louder but he continued regardless. “I’m pretty sure you imbeciles are turning to each other and saying ‘Wait a minute, the nWo isn’t at full strength tonight – what’s going on?’ Well, you’d be wrong! This is the new face of the nWo! We are, quite simply, ditching the crap and keeping the class. We are more focused, more hungry, and stronger than ever. Buff Bagwell will show that tonight when he defeats that old timer Ric Flair.” The crowd boedo as Bagwell posed like a bodybuilder before being quickly joined by Hogan, Nash, and Hall who all posed also. This spurred the crowd on as their boos grew louder. This seemed to simply enhance the smirks of the nWo members, who high fived each other as their theme music played throughout the arena once more and they strutted back up the ramp. [B]Rating:[/B] C- [IMG]http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/2324/eddieguerrerodl9.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img354.imageshack.us/img354/3562/juventudguerreragn3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/1579/laparkaip5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/8691/wcwcwkv5.jpg[/IMG] [B]Eddy Guerrero(c) vs. Juventud Guerrera vs. La Parka – WCW Cruiserweight Title Match[/B] Arrogant cruiser champion Eddy Guerrero received a rabid reaction from the fans as he assaulted Juventud Guerrera from behind, using his title belt, during his entrance. By the time La Parka hit the ring Eddy was already well on top. Eddy’s dominance lasted the majority of the match as he employed hit and run tactics to great effect, often letting his opponents go at it and only intervening with from behind assaults after big impact moves. Eddy retained thanks to a Frog Splash on Juventud Guerrera. [B]Winner:[/B] Eddy Guerrero [B]Rating:[/B] D+ [IMG]http://img369.imageshack.us/img369/2324/eddieguerrerodl9.jpg[/IMG] With his music playing and his title held aloft in celebration Eddy wasted little time in calling for a microphone. He slung his title over his left shoulder, holding it in place with his left arm, and smirked as he looked down at the mat, gathering his words. “Cut my music, muchacho!” The music quickly faded out, making the fans’ boos all the more evident. Eddy remained unfazed and continued to talk. “You filthy gringos should be pleased to hear me speak! I am the “King of Cruisers” and you escoria will treat me as such. Bow down and worship your king!” With a big smirk Eddy dropped the mic, climbing onto the turnbuckle and holding his WCW Cruiserweight Title belt aloft, slapping his chest in pride. [B]Rating:[/B] E [IMG]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/9381/geneokerlundqk3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img133.imageshack.us/img133/3425/scottsteineryt1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img396.imageshack.us/img396/2739/ricksteinersm6.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3021/dustyrhodesed7.jpg[/IMG] “Mean” Jean Okerlund was stood in the backstage area, facing the camera, with Scott and Rick Steiner stood to his side. He wasted no time into getting down to asking his questions. “It is my understanding that you, The Steiner Brothers, have procured the services of the legendary “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes as your manager. Do you mind me asking why, at this point of career where you are already WCW World Tag Team Champions, you feel the need to employ a manager?” He pointed the microphone in the direction of Scott Steiner, who happily answered his question. “Well you see, Gene, WCW is a huge company and the competition is fierce. Wearing a title belt is the equivalent to placing a bull’s-eye on your back. Dusty who is a man who has been there and done that, he has seen everything there is to see and to have such a man in your corner can only be a positive thing!” Dusty Rhodes walked onto the set with a warm smile on his face and Gene instantly turned his attention to him. “Dusty Rhodes, the new manager of The Steiner Brothers, have you anything to add?” “These here boys are gonna set a record for the longest reigning tag champions in this here company. Let me tell you something for true, it’s gonna be hod for sure but with me at the helm it’s do-able. I can tell you--“ [IMG]http://img65.imageshack.us/img65/7741/brianknobbsev1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img58.imageshack.us/img58/3668/jerrysaggsxi9.jpg[/IMG] Dusty was interrupted as The Nasty Boys, Brian Knobbs and Jerry Saggs, come from nowhere to attack The Steiner brothers, beating them to the ground as Knobbs yelled out a threat. “Those titles are gonna be ours boys, and don’t you dare forget it!” [B]Rating:[/B] D+ [IMG]http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4831/deanmalenkoyo1.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/3601/perrysaturnvg6.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1001/wcwtvbs0.jpg[/IMG] [B]Dean Malenko vs. Perry Saturn(c) – WCW Television Title Match[/B] In what proved, unsurprisingly, to be a highly technical bout both men put their all into trying to stretch each other to the point of breaking. Malenko, the consummate pro, was quick to break his holds as soon as a rope break was achieved, but his adversary, Perry Saturn, wasn’t quite as willing to break his holds when requested by the referee and the crowd well and truly got on his back for it. Later on in the match Saturn changed up his offence to great effect by mixing some high flying, high impact manoeuvres into his technically sound offence. He finished Malenko off with the Death Valley Driver but guaranteed victory by placing his feet on the ropes, a move that drove the crowd nuts as the booed the announcer telling them Saturn had retained. [B]Winner:[/B] Perry Saturn [B]Rating:[/B] C [IMG]http://img329.imageshack.us/img329/9315/brethartvw3.jpg[/IMG] A short video highlighting the career of Bret “The Hitman” Hart was played. It showed dozens of clips of him reversing moves, turning defence into offence, and locking in his patented finishing manoeuvre – The Sharpshooter. The video ended with the announcement ‘Bret “The Hitman” Hart, coming to WCW at Starrcade!’ The crowd went wild as the video faded to black and a “HIT-MAN” chant broke out amongst the fans. [B]Rating:[/B] B+ [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2396/chrisbenoitzi2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/9434/konnanpi4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Chris Benoit vs. Konnan[/B] In a match between two men predicted to climb up the WCW ladder to stardom fast neither man seemed willing to give an inch. This was a fast-paced, hard hitting contest which featured both men mixing in solid technical wrestling and top notch brawling. The match ended when Chris Benoit took the air, connecting with his patented Diving Headbutt. A good match which displayed some strong heel work from Konnan and the bulldog-esque fighting spirit people have come to expect from Chris Benoit. [B]Rating:[/B] C [IMG]http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5528/teddibiasenf1.jpg[/IMG] The crowd booed loudly as a familiar laugh played out over the speakers, followed by a woman singing “Money, Money, Money, Money, Money”. Their boos intensified as Ted DiBiase strolled through the curtain, flashy suit and all, and proceeded to strut to the ring, his trademark smirk on his face. He entered the ring, mic in hand and positioned himself in the centre, right in the spotlight. “I’m each and every one of you know exactly who I am. How could you not? I’m Ted DiBiase – The Million Dollar Man and I’m pretty much the best wrestler that ever lived. Right now, I’m the best manager in the world which may leave you wondering why I have no clients. Have no fear, I’m introducing my latest client very soon and, trust me, he’s going to make a [B]huge[/B] impact! Hahahahaha!” On that note DiBiase drops the mic and makes his exit from the ring, laughing at the fans as he fans himself with a wad of cash. [B]Rating:[/B] B [IMG]http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/8488/daveyboysmithwh2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7751/stevenregalnx4.jpg[/IMG] [B]Davey Boy Smith vs. “Lord” Steven Regal[/B] This match was definitely a big deal for Steven Regal, facing off against possibly the biggest British star ever as a Brit wasn’t small fries by any stretch of the imagination. Not sure if it was the Brit factor or not but these men really seemed to click in the ring, and it provided the fans with a stellar match. The Bulldog was on top pretty much throughout, save from a few bright spells from Regal, and looked to have the match sewn up as he hoisted Regal up for the Powerslam. Regal, however, had other ideas as he wriggled from Smith’s powerful grasp, produced a pair of brass knuckles from his trunks and nailed Bulldog square between the eyes. Somehow the ref missed Regal’s cheating and counted the 1, 2, 3. After the match Regal stood over the unconscious Bulldog, a sick grin on his face as he looked down at his fallen opponent. The fans booed profusely as Regal posed above Bulldog’s prone body, celebrating his upset victory. [B]Winner:[/B] “Lord” Steven Regal [B]Rating:[/B] C [IMG]http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/9381/geneokerlundqk3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1518/ricflairdn5.jpg[/IMG] As we cut to the backstage area we were once more met by the familiar face of Gene Okerland. To his right was another familiar face – one that drew a large cheer from the crowd. He was none other than “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair, who is wearing his famous ring robe in preparation for his match entrance. Gene fired off with a question straight away. “Tonight, Ric Flair, you face off against the youngest member of the newly refocused New World Order. You’ve got to be worried about the nWo and what they might have planned for you.” “You know what Gene, I’m not scared of the over-inflated ego known as Hulk Hogan, and his cronies Nash and Hall don’t scare me. I can handle Bagwell in the ring, and I have no doubt about that – you’ll see the results in a few minutes Gene. When all is said and done Naitch will strut his stuff, lock the leg, pick up the victory, and follow his destiny into taking that title from Hogan...WHOOOOOOO!” “So you feel that a win tonight will propel you into the prestigious title scene?” “Most definitely Mean Gene, tonight I will send Hogan the message that Naitch can still go in that squared circle, Hogan will understand that I, Ric Flair, am still the best in the world and it won’t be long before I take that belt and prove it. Now if you don’t mind I’ve gotta go deal with that Bagwell punk and make him tap out to the Figure Four...WHOOOOO!” Flair struts off the screen as the fans in the arena chant his name. [B]Rating:[/B] B+ [IMG]http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1518/ricflairdn5.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img137.imageshack.us/img137/9544/buffbagwellca3.jpg[/IMG] [B]Ric Flair vs. Buff Bagwell[/B] Flair strutted confidently down the aisle to the ring before the match, his arms held wide as his robe sparkled and the fans screamed his name, every single one of them on their feet. Buff Bagwell, unsurprisingly, received a chorus of boos when he strutted through the curtain. What was a surprise, however, was when he emerged, he emerged alone. Bagwell made a good account of himself during the match, utilising his superior power to take down Flair with a big shoulder tackle earlier on. As the match wore on, however, it became apparent that Flair’s superior wrestling skills were standing him in good stead as he ground Bagwell down, focusing on taking away his vertical base. This meant that when Bagwell lifted Flair for a Powerbomb his left leg buckle, allowing Flair to lock in the Figure Four Leg Lock. As soon as Flair cinched in the manoeuvre in the centre of the ring it became apparent that the match was over, and it didn’t take Bagwell long to succumb to the pain and tap out. [B]Winner:[/B] Ric Flair [B]Rating:[/B] C+ [IMG]http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/1889/hulkhoganxh6.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/4797/kevinnashwg3.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img363.imageshack.us/img363/1931/scotthallaq2.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/1518/ricflairdn5.jpg[/IMG] As soon as the bell had rung, and before the referee had even had a chance to raise Flair’s hand in victory, the remaining members of the nWo – minus Bischoff – had hit the ring and proceeded to beat down Flair. Nash hit the Jacknife Powerbomb and Scott Hall performed the Razor’s Edge before holding Flair in place as Hogan grabbed a mic. “You think that you just made a statement to Hulk Hogan?! Wrong! The Hulkster and the nWo are the only ones that make the statements around here, brother! Here’s a statement for you...” Hogan dropped his mic and motioned for Hall and Nash to lie Flair down before promptly delivering a Leg Drop on the defenceless Nature Boy. The nWo; Hogan, Nash, Hall and Bagwell – who was back on his feet – then proceeded to pose above the prone figure of Ric Flair. [B]Rating:[/B] B- [B][SIZE="3"]Show Rating: B-[/SIZE][/B][/CENTER]

[theaddicane]

Oooh, who is Ted's client going to be? That was a good first show, that. I'm chuffed as you're using alot of the cruisers I marked for back in the day! Plus, you're avoiding the real-life error made when the NWO became too big -- everyone seemed to be NWO and it just over-diluted it. Next show please.

[gingarob]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]After the show[/SIZE][/B] As I walked backstage after the show I was pretty pleased. We had sowed some good storyline seeds and the fan’s reactions were very positive to what we were trying to do. The only thing that had me worried was Eddy Guerrero’s promo. I knew he had the skills to cut a great promo but the crowd just didn’t give him the reaction I expected. I was sure he would come though, and I would persevere with his storyline regardless of the slightly flat start. As soon as Dr. Hendry handed me the results of the drug tests my mood dropped. Another 19 failures?! At least that was less than the original total. I called the offending wrestler’s into my office one by one and issued fines for those who had failed their tests thanks to either steroids or harder drugs. Konnan, Juventud Guerrera, Eddy Guerrero, Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, Buff Bagwell, and Scott Steiner all stormed out of my office, but there was the pleasing sign of a couple of people, such as Chris Benoit and Steven Regal promising to get clean. One thing I was thankful for was the lack of backstage incidents between the wrestlers, it was widely known there was tension between a lot of the wrestlers and backstage problems were rife. Thankfully nothing had arisen today, and I didn’t have to deal with their politics and arguments.[/CENTER]

[gingarob]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Tuesday, Week1, December 1997[/SIZE][/B] I woke up knowing that this would be a highly important day in my WCW career – it would be my first on the job meeting with Ted Turner. Ted had told me to run Nitro on my own terms and that he would give me feedback, and his input, the next morning. I awoke early to prepare my notes, I was nervous. I thought the show had gone over well with the fans and that storylines were beginning to form nicely, I personally thought I’d done a good job producing the show, but if Ted disagreed that my show was good then I’d be in trouble. We also had many other factors to discuss about the direction of the company, and the way I was going to run it – this meeting was going to be the biggest meeting of my life and I knew it. I arrived at the CNN Centre at 8.45am, 15 minutes early, and spent time reading through my notes as I sat in the lobby waiting for the secretary to summon me into his office. She did so at 8.55am and I stood up, straightened my tie and tried to look as calm as possible, inside I was a nervous wreck. Ted greeted me with a warm smile and a handshake, he offered me coffee which I politely declined and we got straight down to business. Ted was definitely a man who didn’t mince his words and he let his initial goals be known instantly. 1. I was to ensure WCW stayed the #1 Promotion in, not only America, but the World as well. 2. I had to make sure WCW stayed in the black, and this meant keeping the bank balance above $8million. 3. It was important that I created my own stars and didn’t sign anyone simply because they worked for a big company – for this reason Ted said he didn’t want me signing anyone under contract to the WWF, which was a slight shock but I could get on board with the idea because I also felt one of my biggest roles should be the creating of new stars. 4. He only wanted me to hire wrestlers talented enough to make their opponents look good, I told him poor selling was a pet peeve of mine anyway which made him smile. 5. He also didn’t want me hiring any garbage wrestlers or wrestlers transitioning from MMA, he said seeing someone nearly bleed to death wouldn’t fit with his fanbase and that former MMA stars just weren’t charismatic enough to get over, so there was no point hiring them. Ted then asked me if I had any plans, my big moment had arrived and I wasted no time in pitching my first issue to him. I told Ted that the WCW roster was way too bloated to be manageable and that he was paying for many more wrestlers than he actually needed so I wanted to cut the roster down significantly. He seemed shocked when I handed him a list of 31 names, but he didn’t object to any of the firings and told me to do what I needed to, if they didn’t make the grade then they shouldn’t be in his company anyway. This pleased me, as I almost expected more of an objection, I could see that in many ways Ted and I were on the same page and that would, hopefully, make working together an easier proposition. I also mentioned that I wanted to end our Working Agreement with Asistencia Asesoría y Administración (AAA) because I felt the workers we were sharing would be better off if they were nailed down to written contracts, as opposed to being on Pay Per Appearance agreements with both companies. He reluctantly agreed but told me, under no circumstances, was he going to agree to cut ties with New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) which I agreed was an important link for us to maintain. My next issue was that WCW didn’t have a child promotion, or feeder league, I told Ted that I’d made contact with Danny Davis, the owner of OVW, and expressed an interest in using them as a development territory. I explained to Ted that, thanks to their Sports Entertainment style, OVW would help train wrestlers up in preparation for the big time of WCW. They could take our rough diamonds and polish them before we put them on TV. Ted seemed very supportive of the idea and agreed that I could send a few members of the roster down to hone their skills and that a few of the veterans could be used as trainers in the territory. So far the meeting was going great, Ted and I really seemed to have the same vision for the company and when the issue of discipline backstage and my clampdown on the use of drugs, performance enhancing or otherwise, arose he gave me his full support. I told Ted that I was going to focus on talent and charisma rather than how big a guy was and he told me that he felt it was the right way to go, he certainly didn’t want anyone ODing whilst contracted to WCW. The only issue left to discuss was last night’s show. His first move was to produce last night’s ratings. WCW Monday Nitro had obtained a 5.73 rating, as opposed to WWF’s Monday Night Raw which had only achieved a 4.38. Ted told me this was a major gain for us and that he would expect ratings to stay at this level or improve if we were to beat the WWF in the Monday Night Wars. He then gave me his feedback on the show, which was what I expected to hear. He told me we’d had a solid first show under my jurisdiction but nothing too special. He said he understood that I was just building my storylines and that as things gelled things would improve so, so far, he was pleased with how things were going. With nothing more to discuss I shook Ted Turner’s hand and thanked him for his time. He informed me that he would like another meeting with me the morning following the Starrcade PPV to discuss my progress and then I left his office. I came out much happier than I’d expected. He’d been highly responsive to my ideas and seemed to be giving me his full support, that was certainly going to make my job a hell of a lot easier. Now I had the thankless task of firing 31 members of my roster. It’s not a decision I took lightly but the roster was massively bloated and these workers were the people I would be highly unlikely to be utilising...[/CENTER]

[gingarob]

[CENTER][B][SIZE="3"]Later that day[/SIZE][/B] It’s never an easy job to fire somebody; you have to consider the fact they no longer have an income to support their family and you have to consider the hit their morale will take and how that will affect their life. So I’m sure you can appreciate how hard it was for me to release 31 people from their contracts. Yet I know it’s the right thing to do for the company as the current roster is so bloated it just isn’t manageable. Below is the complete list of firings: - Blacktop Bully - Bobby Eaton - Brian Adams - Disco Inferno - Glacier - Ice Train - Jim Duggan - Jim Neidhart - John Tenta - Kevin Sullivan - Larry Zbysko - Lodi - Loui Spicolli - Madusa - Michael Wallstreet - Prince Iaukea - Ray Traylor - Rick Martel - Scott Norton - Scotty Riggs - Sick Boy - Steve McMichael - Syxx - Terry Taylor - The Barbarian - The Booty Man - Tombstone - Villano V - Van Hammer - Virgil - Wrath My next job was to determine who I would send down to Ohio Valley Wrestling to improve their skills. I had a few members of the roster who I believed had the potential to be great workers but didn’t yet possess the ability to be utilized on TV. These workers I decided to send down to OVW. I also had to send down some of my more experienced workers to help train up my developmental talent. Below is the list of workers I send down to OVW. - Alex Wright - Bill Goldberg - Brad Armstrong (trainer) - El Dandy (trainer) - Johnny Swinger - Kidman - Mortis In addition to sending down workers from the current roster I also signed some independent workers I felt had the potential to develop into great workers to developmental contracts. I was confident Steve Corino, Christian Cage, and Shane Helms would become extremely valuable members of the WCW roster. I planned to sign additional workers to developmental contracts in the coming days and weeks.[/CENTER]