Throwback23 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 October 2009 http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w15/TheWho87EWR/Wrestlers/KyKy/T%20Images/Ted_Turner.jpg So, there I was, actually on the phone with Ted Turner himself. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. TED TURNER: You've got the job. You are the new Executive Producer and Head Booker of World Championship Wrestling. We've heard a lot about the other candidates, and we liked you the best. ME: Wow. I can't believe this. Wait....I thought you guys were sold on Vince Russo. What happened to him? Listen here my friend. Sometimes people aren't always what they seem. Russo knows the business, there's no doubting that. See, business is a combination of war and sport. Russo thinks he knows the sport, but cowboy, you've got the fight in you. Now, let's get to the real question you want to know.... Budget. What's my budget. I'll be honest with you. I have money and lots of it, but based on the product that WCW has become in the last few months, I'm not ready to invest the same money I could a few years back. You'll have my backing, as long as you bring me the ratings and take down Vince McMahon. So, tell me more about those plans of yours. At this point, I had hardly had time to process anything. Let alone my plans. I mean, I had heard through some very reliable sources that Vince Russo and Ed Ferrera were sure fills for WCW. About a month ago, when I had heard that Bischoff was on the outs, I used my connections to get through to WCW. I put in an application and a letter of what my short term and long term goals would be if I was head booker of WCW. Here is a quick summary of those goals. Short-Term Goals Seek some good, younger talent from independent promotions. Convince the egos in WCW to work with younger talent. Put some possible breakout mid-carders in solid, character building feuds. Create more stability and consistency in WCW. There are too many storyline changes and title changes. Long-Term Goals Make money. Win the Monday Night Wars consistently. Build new superstars, while keeping established stars. Create a "WCW" product. WWF has the "attitude era". WCW needs something, other than old stars, that makes it noticeable. After more business talk with Turner, I hung up very happy, and very overwhelmed. Not because I wasn't confident in my plan. I have a great plan. A flawless plan. But because I knew of the egos I was going to have to deal with. I soaked it all in, and then had to toughen up and grow a pair. In order to get through to some of the egos, I had to start at the top. It was time to call Hollywood Hulk Hogan. This should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eisen-verse Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 Convince the egos in WCW to work with younger talent. Good luck with that. haha. All in all, though, I like the idea of WCW being run without Russo. To be honest, I liked Russo's booking style when he first came in and was the "man behind the desk"/higher power deal. However, from there it just went down hill. You've got a reader in me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexa90 Posted October 28, 2009 Share Posted October 28, 2009 I have a soft spot for WCW diaries... Good luck, I will be reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Seven Numbers -- No Solutions http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/HollywoodHogan.jpg Seven numbers later, I was on the phone with the Hulkster himself. I am normally a very forward person, which is why I wanted to just come right out of the gate saying that he needed to start helping to put younger guys over. But I knew that wasn't going to happen. I didn't have a feel for the person behind the Hulk Hogan persona. I have always heard that he's been quite the manipulator, so I have to play it safe and act almost just as an interviewer. Hulk Hogan: Congrats, brother. I'm happy to have you here in WCW. Me: Thanks, Hulk, that really means a lot to me. And I'm pleased to hear that you're happy to have me here. So what can I do for you? Need me to show you the ropes? I know all of the ins and outs of this business, brother, and especially in WCW. Actually, that's why I'm calling. I'd like your opinion on who the hottest WCW wrestlers are right now. Tell me, in all honesty, who is really on their game lately. Easy call, brother. Ever since Sting turned heel not too long ago, he's got a whole new persona, dude. Him and the Total Package really have a good thing going here, and it's something that nobody's seen. Also, Big Sexy, brother, let me tell you, you can't go wrong with him. Lately he's been on a tear. So I've noticed. What do you think of Bret? Bret? Let me just say this, brother. He came here at the end of 97 looking for some hand overs. He's a talented worker, but he can be a head case backstage. He's really gotten into a few heated arguments with some of my close buddies. And Goldberg? Goldberg is a beast, brother. He is a man among boys. I remember when he beat me in Atlanta back a couple years ago. What a match. I just wish I would have come out of a it a little better, brother, but it was a good time for him to win the belt. Now, though? I'm not sure. That's your call, dude. You've got some good points there Hulk. Let me ask you this, and be honest, of the young talent we have now, who's got the most potential? Give me your top three. Top three, huh? Oh, man, I need to think about that. I've been a big fan of Buff Bagwell lately. He can really pull his weight. He knows how to handle himself in the ring and knows how to stand in the ring with more established stars. What do you mean by that, Hulk, if you don't mind me asking? Well, I just mean that he knows how to take a good loss. There's not many guys on the roster right now that can carry WCW. There's myself, Nash, Hall and Sting. That's about it right now. We're bringing in the ratings, and I don't see many of the younger guys being able to do the same. Remember, I know the ropes around here. I've seen it all and then some for some of these guys. After a little more small talk, the conversation ended. I knew that some of what he was saying was just to benefit himself. But could I really blame him? He's just looking out for himself. I'd probably do the same if it were me. The bigger question I have to ask myself is, of those points he made, which ones of those was he correct on? I looked at the clock. 5 o'clock PM. I think it's about time to call my first meeting with the creative team. After all, my first show, WCW Monday Nitro, is only two nights away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 I have a soft spot for WCW diaries... Good luck, I will be reading. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy my take on WCW. It's always fun to root for the underdog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 29, 2009 Author Share Posted October 29, 2009 Good luck with that. haha. All in all, though, I like the idea of WCW being run without Russo. To be honest, I liked Russo's booking style when he first came in and was the "man behind the desk"/higher power deal. However, from there it just went down hill. You've got a reader in me. I'm sure it will be tough. I'm really going to try to represent more of the behind the scenes aspects, where egos prevail. And I agree, I really did agree with Russo when he first came in, but then he slowly began to tank somewhere JUUUST before putting the title on David Arquette. I'm planning on Jack Black as a future champion though, haha kidding. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
totti Posted October 29, 2009 Share Posted October 29, 2009 I like this so far mate, good luck with it and i'll be reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 The First Meeting; The First Controversy I walked into the creative room for the first time. There sat all of the members of the WCW creative team: Kevin Nash, Mike Tenay, Kevin Sullivan and Dusty Rhodes. Well, the creative team that Turner has put in place since my joining WCW. http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/KevinNash.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/MikeTenay.jpghttp://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w15/TheWho87EWR/Wrestlers/KyKy/K%20Images/Kevin_Sullivan.jpghttp://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii294/LtPepper/DustyRhodes.jpg ME: Guys, we have a lot on our table right now. We are at a crossroads right now. We can either allow what was going to happen to happen, or we can make some changes. I decided to jump right into it. That's usually my style. Sometimes I can be a little too blunt, but this is the way I've always worked, and this is why I am where I am in this business. KEVIN NASH: What the hell are you talking about? We're doing just fine right now. The product is good and the storylines are hot. ME: Hot, Nash? HOT? WCW just tried to push a storyline between Master P and the No Limit Soldiers. You think that is going to compete with Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, and don't even get me started on Chris Jericho, who is doing in WWF what he should have been doing in WCW. We're far from hot right now, Nash. KEVIN SULLIVAN: With all do respect, sir, the ratings aren't doing so bad, and we're still bringing in money. ME: It's not just about the money and the ratings guys. Let me tell you an interesting fact that you might not be aware of. Exactly one year ago, WCW Monday Nitro drew a 4.5 rating. This year, 3.0. Don't talk to me about ratings. MIKE TENAY: Well, you have a point about ratings. But Kevin has a great point about money. Merchandise has still been flying off the shelves. ME: Mike, you're right. But we have to pay attention to exactly what merchandise is being sold. nWo shirts are topping the charts. NASH: It was the hottest thing in wrestling. ME: WAS is the key word, Nash. What happens when people forget about the nWo. Where's the money coming from then? DUSTY RHODES: You sayin' that you want the nWo to come back? NASH: That's a great idea. Think about it. Me and Hall joining back with Hogan. Feuding against guys like Savage, Sting, Lug.... ME: Actually, Nash and Dusty, I was thinking the opposite. The nWo is gone. It was possibly the best creation in the history of American Professional Wrestling, but it's lost its steam. Maybe someday it comes back, but not for a while my friends. It's time for something new. We need to get some of the younger guys involved and start developing new stars. TENAY: That's a great idea, boss. We have so many great young talent around. SULLIVAN: And there's a lot of great talent out there looking to be found. If we talk to the right people, we might be able to get our hands on them. ME: That's great thinking. You see, when WCW was at its hottest, what did WWF do? They went back to the drawing board. The drew up their own characters, and look where they are now. We cannot fall back on the same guys over and over, which is why there's going to be an influx of feuds involving established stars and younger, future stars. RHODES: Ohhh boy, I love this boss. I got my eye on a lotta guys out there who are just waitin' to burst. Who are some of the guys you are thinkin' of? I thought for a moment, then looked around the room. Not because I didn't already have an idea, but probably more for dramatic effect. I rolled off names like Rey Mysterio Jr, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Steven Regal and a few others. As I scanned the room for reactions, Mike Tenay was nodding his head in agreement. Sullivan looked interesting but not sold. Dusty had a smile from ear-to-ear and I could already see crazy storylines brewing in the wrestling genious' mind. Then my eyes looked with Nash, who had a half smile on his face, shaking his head back and forth. I called him on it. ME: So, Mr. Nash, how do you feel about that? NASH: Well those are all great wrestlers. There's a lot of good talent there, but here's the problem. Nobody knows they exist. I just don't see it working. ME: Which is why we need to put them with guys that people do know exist. I could see Nash getting fired up. I loved it. It's the most emotion I've seen from him in a while, on screen or off. NASH: And what guys are those..... boss? ME: Oh, you know, guys like Hogan, Flair, Sting, Savage, Luger and Hall to name a few. Oh...and you. You've got your work cut out for you now. This isn't going to be a free ride anymore. Nash slammed his fist down on the table, causing papers to fly in the air. He looked around the room. NASH: Can you guys believe this? He's going to run WCW into the ground. He doesn't know what he's doing! You think Rey Mysterio or Booker T is going to put WCW back in contention? Think again! This time I had the half smile on my face. Nash stormed out of the room. The others stayed and waited for a response. They must have thought that I was going to chase Nash down and baby him back into the room and give him everything he wanted. After all, that's probably how it's happened in the past. But this is exactly what I wanted. Some controversy. Some emotion. I knew the struggle was just beginning, though. Not because Nash was the first of the established stars that I was going to have to get through to, but because Nash is contractually obligated to be a member of the creative team. So I would be seeing a lot of him. Oh, and he, like a few others, has creative control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 I like this so far mate, good luck with it and i'll be reading. Thanks buddy. Hopefully you continue to enjoy! This is for anyone else reading: I work a lot during the week, so usually there will be an update or two during the week, and then most others occurring on weekends. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 WCW Roster http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/ChosenOne1989/WCW_Logo2.png Week 1, October 1999 Face, Heel MAIN EVENT Bill Goldberg Booker T Bret Hart Buff Bagwell Diamond Dallas Page Hollywood Hulk Hogan Kevin Nash Randy Savage Ric Flair Rick Steiner Scott Hall Scott Steiner Sid Vicious Sting Lex Luger UPPER MIDCARD Bam Bam Bigelow Brian Knobbs Chris Benoit Chris Kanyon Curt Hennig Dean Malenko Eddy Guerrero Jeff Jarrett Jim Duggan Kidman Konnan Meng Rey Mysterio Jr. Stevie Ray The Barbarian MIDCARD Berlyn Brad Armstrong Chavo Guerrero Jr. Dave Taylor Disco Inferno El Dandy Gerald Glacier Hugh Morrus Juventud Guerrera La Parka Mike Rotundo Norman Smiley Patrick Perry Saturn Pyschosis Riggs Shane Douglas Silver King Steven Regal Villano IV Villano V Wrath LOWER MIDCARD Barry Horowitz Blitzkrieg Ernest Miller Hammer Hardcore Hak Jamie Knoble Jerry Flynn Kaz Hayashi Lenny Lane Lodi Mikey Whipwreck Prince Iaukea OPENERS Big Vito Christian York Devon Storm Evan Karagias Joey Matthews Mark Jindrak Shane Helms Shannon Moore ENHANCEMENT TALENT David Flair Elix Skipper Shark Boy Tony Mamaluke WCW CHAMPIONS WCW World Heavyweight Champion http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/Sting1998.jpg Sting WCW United States Champion http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg115/TheWarBegins/WCW/SidVicious.jpg Sid Vicious WCW World Tag Team Champions http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w15/TheWho87EWR/Wrestlers/KyKy/B%20Images/Booker_T13.jpghttp://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/StevieRay.jpg Harlem Heat WCW World Television Champion http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/RickSteiner.jpg Rick Steiner WCW Cruiserweight Champion http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y199/Imarevenant/TEW%20Diary/cuts/LennyLane.jpg Lenny Lane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 Three Hours Before Nitro After staying up all night, scripting out my first Monday Nitro with the remainder of those who stuck around in the creative meeting, I felt overwhelmed. I must admit, I wasn't entirely happy with the show, although I doubt that I ever will be. I guess the scariest part of all is, with only a few days to prepare, I was unwilling to write months of scripts at a time. Sullivan and Tenay were really pushing for it. How can I blame them? Just a year ago, Bischoff was winging just about every WCW event. I did, however, manage to lay down the foundation for things to come. *** RING, RING, RING *** Who could be calling me now? As if I'm not busy enough. ME: Hello? http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii294/LtPepper/DustyRhodes.jpg DUSTY RHODES: Yo, Dusty here. Just thought I'd give ya a heads up. Seems our boys Nash and Hall ain't too happy with the script they just received. Boys might not show up tonight. Dammit! Do they think they're above the company? Actually, boss, they do. They gots creative control, you know? If they don't like somethin, they don't gotta do it. I was aware of their creative control, but I guess I underestimated their stubbornness. Let's see, I had them in a tag team match tonight against Harlem Heat. And you had Harlem Heat winning cleanly. You say that like it's a bad thing? They've earned it. Booker T is a future superstar. You might be right, boss, but listen here. You can't just let them win like that. Regardless of how much they deserve it. Cause, you know, then you're gonna be burying two established stars and it won't benefit Harlem Heat all that much, you know? I knew he was right. I just really wanted to set an early tone for what to expect in WCW from now on, and that is to expect the unexpected. I guess I should have been a little smarter about it. After all, Nash and Hall do bring in some ratings. Even though Booker T might be a future star, he still might not be ready for the main stage. Then it hit me. I got a fantastic idea for a way that Booker T can be in a feud that would perpetuate his career. And it still involved The Outsiders. And it still involved Booker T winning. And it would keep Nash and Hall happy. I quickly ended the conversation and went back to the drawing board. This was going to be good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthsiddus2 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I like this diary and I'll be reading. y'know you can edit all the creative control out of the contracts in-game right? could be interesting for storyline purposes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeMan Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 You, sir, have a devoted reader in me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Immortal1 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 This looks like it might be good. I'll keep reading. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 I like this diary and I'll be reading. y'know you can edit all the creative control out of the contracts in-game right? could be interesting for storyline purposes Yep. In the past, I may have edited creative control once or twice:p. But for this, I'm going to try to work around it. It can be stubborn in the game, so I have my work cut out for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throwback23 Posted November 1, 2009 Author Share Posted November 1, 2009 This looks like it might be good. I'll keep reading. You, sir, have a devoted reader in me. Thanks guys. I'm looking forward to this too. So far I've been having a blast with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hyde Hill Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Good luck and I like the fact you are keeping the creative control as it is more realistic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mad5226 Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 I agree I love it it adds a bit...or a lot of challenge it will be cool to see how you handle it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Macho Posted November 1, 2009 Share Posted November 1, 2009 Loving this mate, look forward to reading even more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristram Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Definitely different to imagine WCW without Russo. For what it's worth, I thought some of his ideas were really really really really really good. It just lacked ultimate execution. For example, M.I.A., Filthy Animals, Natural Born Thrillers, Team Canada and the like really gave the undercard a bit of impetus. It really introduced us to some good new names too. 1999 is an interesting time period in that there is so much you can do with this roster... Benoit and co go in 2000, and I thought were really working well in the Revolution through the tag ranks with the Jersey Triad (which I loved, by the way). Even looking through with the likes of West Texas Rednecks, y'know, I'm not a Cowboy, but I loved Hennig's song "Rap is Cr@p". Heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps and heaps you can do with this era, so I'm really looking forward to it. I hope you can find the balance of taking the stuff Russo did really well and blend it into optimum execution of storylines to balance the roster out better. His intentions were awesome, but certain storyline arcs made no sense and there probably was too much interference in matches costing wrestlers from gaining momentum from wins as it didn't really seem to matter anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Macho Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Looking forward to future updates, this is one diary ive really got into already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truth Posted November 5, 2009 Share Posted November 5, 2009 Disapointed I'm not going to see a David Arquette title run Very interesting start to a fascinating era. Looking forward to where it goes. By the way, in interviews that Scott Hall and Kevin Nash both seperately did with the Torch, they both claim they never had creative control in their contracts, but that they mostly piggy-backed Hogan's control. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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