World Championship Wrestling 2002: Rebuilding the Empire

[Bigpapa42]

the Tristram Effect...

 

Very good tip of the hat there Bigpapa. You know at one time I thought there was actually a chance where Shawn would have showed up in WCW. But hey would have just screwed that up too. You get Bret Hart in and what the heck do you do in his very first PPV. Here Bret wear this shirt and be part of one the lamest ends of match where you should have had Sting trounce Hogan. GRRRRRR:mad:

 

Anyways great read so far as usual sir.

 

Gotta give credit where credit is due.

 

Perhaps nothing confounds me more about the fall of WCW than the misuse of Bret Hart. What a waste of talent.

 

It's funny, as i said before I started playing this mod after getting into your diary and the big move I wanted to make was to bring Angle into WCW. Of course I didn't think of this until my game was already started so I just edited his contract with "The E" to come to an end so I could snatch him up... Sadly it back fired and he turned me down then went to work in Japan... Needless to say i wasn't very happy, but I chalked it up to Vince making him sign a Do not compete clause in his contract.

 

I figured something similar might happen, which is part of the reason why I set everything up before I started the game.

 

I think Angle would be a fantastic addition to WCW. I'm going to have to wait awhile, though, and just hope that by the time his contract comes up, I've managed to grow bigger than the WWE...

[juggaloninjalee]

Something I would love to see is Vampiro running a heel stable kinda like the Ministry... Having Mortis, and Wrath as a tag team in his group. I mark for Vampiro.

[Ritchardo]

I like the idea of having Michaels sign up with the new look WCW - and I await your 'reasoning' post with interest. My only concern with the way it all transpired is not why it happened but rather how. Seems like a rather WCW-ish mistake of giving away huge buy-rates by not advertising HBK's return in advance. The return to the ring of Shawn Michaels after four years was a HUGE deal especially given the quality of the bout itself - giving this landmark moment away as part of a tag-team match against a makeshift tag team at the bottom end of a PPV, with little or no heat attached seems kind of crazy to me!

 

Just my two pence worth - who knows, maybe its addressed in the coming months!

 

Still loving the diary and the ideas behind it - looking forward to seeing where it's all headed.

[Bigpapa42]

Something I would love to see is Vampiro running a heel stable kinda like the Ministry... Having Mortis, and Wrath as a tag team in his group. I mark for Vampiro.

 

Vampiro is on a written deal in Mexico right now. We'll see what happens when he comes available.

 

I like the idea of having Michaels sign up with the new look WCW - and I await your 'reasoning' post with interest. My only concern with the way it all transpired is not why it happened but rather how. Seems like a rather WCW-ish mistake of giving away huge buy-rates by not advertising HBK's return in advance. The return to the ring of Shawn Michaels after four years was a HUGE deal especially given the quality of the bout itself - giving this landmark moment away as part of a tag-team match against a makeshift tag team at the bottom end of a PPV, with little or no heat attached seems kind of crazy to me!

 

Just my two pence worth - who knows, maybe its addressed in the coming months!

 

Still loving the diary and the ideas behind it - looking forward to seeing where it's all headed.

 

Actually, I was going to address the introduction of HBK in the article and left it out for length reasons. But I am well aware that an unannounced debut on PPV like that would be questionable. Someone suggested to me using Michael Shane as a way to bring him in, but I decided to go with the "surprise" approach, knowing that it had some obvious downsides.

 

First, it did feel like a "typical WCW" mistake to not try to build up the debut to maximize its impact. I liked that. I don't want to present something where WCW do everything "right" and are mistake and problem free. Second, with a history of "working the fans", there is a chance that some fans wouldn't believe it if they used a few hype videos. Third, it would establish that big moments do happen on WCW pay per views and not just in the ring. They've moved away from the heavy use of swerves and surprises, but they still have their moments. And fourth, they could have done it to protect themselves. Michaels is an unknown quality at this point - sure he can work through some practice matches, but will he be able to actually deliver in the ring when it counts? Worst case scenario is that they hype up his debut, put him in the ring with someone notable for his debut, and he stinks up the joint. So this approach would have minimized the risk for WCW management. There would have been other ways to risk manage the situation, but I liked this one.

 

To be honest, your reaction was pretty much what I expected and counted on.

[Bigpapa42]

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Media/EWR_net3.jpg

Wrestling Heat Editorial

A New Kid

By A.N. Marshall

 

What does it take to lose a legend? There are likely endless ways to do it, but there is one sure-fire method... money...

 

Its difficult to know just how history will look back on Shawn Michael's tenure in the WWE. There seems to be two conflicting perspectives. One looks on him as a talent who worked his way up the card despite lacking prototypical size, was a key role in a low spot for the promotion, and helped launch it back toward dominance. The opposite view tends to focus on a prima donna troublemaker who made it to the top when the WWE was down and who was forced to retire just as the recovery began. Most often, the truth lies somewhere in the middle... and neither view is really "wrong"...

 

Its difficult to say which development was more shocking to fans and insiders alike... that Shawn Michaels return to the ring as an active wrestler, or that he did so in World Championship Wrestling. Probably the latter.

 

Like The Undertaker, Michaels was seen as a WWE lifer. Unlike so many stars that McMahon made, he never seemed a risk to jump to the competition. The most powerful man in wrestling put up with a lot from Michaels, choosing him over Bret Hart when it came down to it. Even after his back injury, McMahon found ways to use the legend on occasion. The Heartbreak Kid was gone but clearly not forgotten. Not to mention his best friend, Triple H, becoming one of the primary figureheads of the promotion.

 

Both McMahon and Michaels are clearly loathe to talk about the circumstances that led to HBK becoming a legend for World Championship Wrestling. Both men have discussed it unwillingly and in little detail. There is not really a sense that either man feels wounded or betrayed, but simply a disappointment for how things worked out.

 

Vince McMahon acknowledges that he first became aware of Michael's near-recovery in mid-2001. The two apparently had some conversations about his possible future return in later 2001. Either late in 2001 or early in 2002, Michaels went to McMahon and told him that he would be ready to return to the ring within months. The response from Vince was not what Michaels expected - no excitement or plans. The wrestler soon understood why, when he sat down with the owner to negotiate a new full-time wrestling contract. Simply put, the contract didn't happen.

 

McMahon and the WWE has always presented the issue as "the WWE and Shawn Michaels could not come to terms". The implicit indication being there were negotiations and that those failed. McMahon has never come out and said that there was an offer made, which lends credence to Michaels claim that there was never an offer at all.

 

Shawn Michaels has only delved into the situation in any amount of detail once. It was during a shoot interview video made years after the incident, and while the actual sequence was edited out by his request, details of what was said made it into the dirt sheets. According to those, what Michaels said during the interview was that there was never any actual monetary offer made by McMahon. Nothing that was ever offered to him by the WWE which he refused or rejected. The "negotiations" were simply Michael's being told that the WWE “could not afford him”. That was it.

 

Michaels related another part of that meeting in a segment that did remain part of the shoot interview video that was released. After giving HBK the bad news, McMahon asked Michaels if he had any plans. When Michael said something about maybe doing some shows in Japan or Mexico, or running some shows in Houston with his wrestling school graduates. In a moment he probably later regretted, Vince told Michaels that he was free to use his trademarked nicknames and even his “Sexy Boy” theme. Michaels took him at his word and used them when he debuted in WCW. There was a quick “cease and desist” order from the WWE. When Michaels called McMahon personally and reminded him of the offer made in the meeting, McMahon relented. It is believed that Michaels later purchased the trademarks and song from the WWE.

 

If the decision not to sign Shawn Michaels was a purely business decision, it is a defensible one. After the failure of the XFL, Vince McMahon lost some of the financial might he had built up prior. Some went so far as to talk of the WWE having “financial concerns”. One also has to consider that McMahon was looking ahead to trying to sign both Steve Austin and The Rock to new contracts within the next year, with rumors suggesting both men wanting “big money”. Michaels was 36-years old and coming off a major injury that kept him out of the ring for four years. There was no way to know whether he would return able to perform at a high level. Not to mention concerns over the prima donna attitude he became notorious for in his prime. As some would point out, Michaels made for a “high-risk investment” when he was making his return to wrestling.

 

Of course, that is making the assumption that Michaels would have demanded top-level money. There is no indication he would demanded that. Since McMahon never even discussed finances, he had no idea if HBK would have accepted a lesser deal simply to return. After he spoke to Eric Bischoff just weeks after his meeting with McMahon, Michaels accepted a fairly lucrative contract offer from World Championship Wrestling without much in the way of hardball negotiating. As he would later say, HBK just wanted to get back to work.

 

The claims of the WWE having “money problems” is also somewhat misleading. The WWE was hardly broke in early 2002. The company was still making more money than any wrestling promotion in the entire history of the business. The XFL was certainly a financial hit, but it was one the WWE could afford to take. There was still money to buy out the AOL-Time Warner contracts of Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash in late 2001, signing those two and Scott Hall to “significant” contracts. Even if one looked on Shawn Michaels as a “high-risk investment”, it was a risk that McMahon could have and obviously should have taken.

 

A favorite suggestion amongst rumor-mongering fans is that the decision did not come from Vince McMahon but Triple H. There is little doubt that Triple H and his Kliq wielded notably backstage sway over McMahon, and obviously over Stephanie McMahon. Sway that was often seen to be used to the advantage of Triple H and his friends. That influence would come to create some serious backstage tensions, with Steve Austin, The Undertaker, and The Rock reported to have taken issue with the power that the Kliq was given. So if Triple H was afraid of sharing power with his old friend Shawn.... While the story is certainly juicy, it seems to be little more than a story. By all accounts, Michaels remains good friends with Triple H, Nash, Hall, and the others. Any criticism of the WWE power brokers should be limited their reported lack of lobbying of McMahon in an effort to change his mind.

 

With the benefit of hindsight, its unimaginable that Vince McMahon would make the same decision. The same mistake. Michaels most certainly found his pre-injury form, and some would say that he had become even better. With WCW's greater emphasis on workrate, HBK fit right in. He had lost none of his entertainment value, either. Backstage, he hardly seemed to be the same man who had built some a reviled reputation in the 1990s. After becoming “born again” during his retirement, Michaels took a much different approach in his backstage dealings. He became a leader, a teacher, and a mentor. Michaels even went so far as to trying to make amends with Bret Hart and invited “The Hitman” to attend WCW shows.

 

By all accounts, there was a great deal of respect between Michaels and Paul Heyman. The Heartbreak Kid ended up in a very good spot in World Championship Wrestling. Likely better than he would have found in by returning to World Wrestling Entertainment. Shawn Michaels seems to be, for the most part, without regret when it comes to his decision to join WCW. Vincent Kennedy McMahon, conversely, likely has significant regrets on his part in the process of Michael's joining the Bischoff & Heyman revolution.

[mikemelling]

This diary is amazing... I've always been what I would call a "WWE Fan" as opposed to a wrestling fan. To be fair, I never really bought into WCW even when they were winning the war. The benefits of WCW to me was that it made the WWE work harder, smarter and better to beat their rivals.

 

Had this scenario been real? Well I can honestly say I would have potentially switched teams. Forget about wearwolves and vampires, team WCW would have been winning the war.

 

That's a testiment to the writer and a testiment to the man behind the work.

 

And whilst 80% of the credit has to go to the writer, I have to acknowledge the mod maker behind the 2002 mod for making the scenario possible.

 

Big Papa, Genadi... My hat is off to the both of you.

[Bigpapa42]

This diary is amazing... I've always been what I would call a "WWE Fan" as opposed to a wrestling fan. To be fair, I never really bought into WCW even when they were winning the war. The benefits of WCW to me was that it made the WWE work harder, smarter and better to beat their rivals.

 

Had this scenario been real? Well I can honestly say I would have potentially switched teams. Forget about wearwolves and vampires, team WCW would have been winning the war.

 

That's a testiment to the writer and a testiment to the man behind the work.

 

And whilst 80% of the credit has to go to the writer, I have to acknowledge the mod maker behind the 2002 mod for making the scenario possible.

 

Big Papa, Genadi... My hat is off to the both of you.

 

Thanks for the kind words, Mr. Melling. Its great to hear that the project is enjoyed. And like you, I was always more of a WWF/WWE guy than a NWA/WCW guy. It had more to do with accessability than choice for me, but I know the history of the WWF/E much better. With WCW, I'm having to learn.

 

I definitely agree with you about Genadi and his contributions. Huge. I seriously doubt I would have tackled a real world project again without finding a fantasy scenario that felt realistic and resounded with me. Genadi's scenario does just that.

[tristram]

Appreciate the kind words, Boom, and I'm glad you are enjoying.

 

I didn't follow too closely in 2002, so I can't honestly say how much of a question mark Michaels was, at least amongst fans. But I have to think there would be legitimate concerns that he couldn't be the same guy he was before he left.

 

___________________

 

So... I'm taking requests... sorta...

 

I feel like I'm getting a ton of feedback on this project - which is most appreciated. Yet, in a way, I miss the dynamic that the prediction contest adds. Which is ironic, since I had no intention of using the prediction contest when I first started my first project (Gen-S). I can't really see a prediction contest working, not without changing the format and I'm loathe to mess with what seems to be working so well. So I decided I'd throw out the idea of letting readers make "suggestions".

 

I'm not really lacking for ideas or direction at this point (quite the opposite, really). But if there is something you would love to see - a particular worker in WCW, a particular feud, tag team, etc - let me know. Whether in the thread here or just via PM. I make no promises that it happens, but I'll see what I can do. The downside is that, without show-by-show presentation, you wouldn't get to see that feud or storyline play out in that much detail. But I'll try to give it some attention...

 

I will say that part of the reason I'm opening things up like this is Tristram. Our resident WCW guru had helped me out with this project, in large part because he is truly passionate about WCW. I only watched and followed so much, so my connection to WCW is less significant. I recently realized that if it wasn't for Tristram talking about Kanyon, I don't know that I would be using him as effectively. So you can call this... the Tristram Effect...

 

LOL - the tristram effect. Thanks mate. Although many others would call the tristram effect the route to failure Yep, I'm one of the few diary writers on here I'm sure that ended up being fired in the middle of writing a diary!!!

 

I'm glad you have got HBK. I look forward to what you can do with him. In my original Death diary, by some freak of fortune I too picked up HBK and he helped stabilise my semi-main event area with some ridiculously good matches while working as a Horsemen heel. Ahhh... memories.

[Bigpapa42]

LOL - the tristram effect. Thanks mate. Although many others would call the tristram effect the route to failure Yep, I'm one of the few diary writers on here I'm sure that ended up being fired in the middle of writing a diary!!!

 

I'm glad you have got HBK. I look forward to what you can do with him. In my original Death diary, by some freak of fortune I too picked up HBK and he helped stabilise my semi-main event area with some ridiculously good matches while working as a Horsemen heel. Ahhh... memories.

 

I'm willing to wager more than a few have managed to either get fired or completely tank a company... But I prefer my Tristram Effect...

 

Michaels is an addition I am quite looking forward to making use of. I really think he fits in well with the new approach that this WCW is taking.

[Bigpapa42]

World Championship Wrestling

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/WCWSmall.jpg

 

June 2002

 

The summer of 2002 would turn out to be a good period for World Championship Wrestling. Coming off a solid spring, the momentum continued to build through a strong month of June.

 

The month kicked off in great fashion, as the first Nitro of June started with a promo between Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair that would be considered “a classic” by many fans. It started with “The Heartbreak Kid”coming down to the ring, notably without his out nephew Michael Shane. Michaels cut a great emotional promo where he talked about the hard work he put in to recover from his back injury, then alked about how much the opportunity to step back into the ring in WCW meant to him, and finally he put over WCW by talking about his great respect for the promotion and its history, especially workers like Sting and Ric Flair. In talking about “The Nature Boy” and the Four Horsemen, it seemed as though Michaels was about to state he wanted to become a Horsemen. Before he could, Flair came out to a reaction from the fans was huge. The back and forth between the two legends remained civil for a just short bit, until Flair straight out asked Michaels if he wanted to be a Horsemen. HBK said yes, but Flair responded by telling the newcomer he wasn't worthy. Flair ripped on Michaels, telling him about how he had been a “prima donna punk kid” when they had worked together before, and that the Bret Hart incident in '97 showed he had only gotten worse. The comments had a shoot feel to them, and Flair was voicing the concerns about Michaels that many fans and even some of the WCW talent had. Michaels was well aware he had built up a rather negative reputation in that regard, so he could hardly argue. He didn't, but simply told Flair that he would prove himself to both the legend and the fans, then walked away. That promo set the tone for the early months of HBK's run in WCW.

 

Later in that same show, Ric Flair introduced members number two and three of his new Four Horsemen – Lance Storm and Mike Awesome. The reigning WCW World Tag Team champions were both very solid workers, and they had become the premier tag team in World Championship Wrestling. They also brought with them their lovely manager Stacy Kielber, though the flirty exchanges between her and Flair were a bit uncomfortable for more knowledgeable fans, who knew that she had once been engaged to Flair's son David. The final new member was not introduced yet. Throughout the rest of the month, Flair and Arn Anderson (who was functioning as a “consultant” for the new stable) were shown in a series of short angles where they talked to WCW talent. It was very much like an interview process. Some of the segments were fairly amusing as workers tried to convince the two veterans of what they could add as Horsemen, such as Alan Funk offering his services, then being unable to come up with anything when asked what he would bring to the Horsemen. Flair and Anderson seemed very interested in Diamond Dallas Page, but he told them he was more focused on his reformed friendship with US champion Kanyon. Booker T seemed almost desperate as he lobbied for the spot. Still, the process of the formation of the legendary stable dragged on.

 

The Great American Bash is one of World Championship Wrestling's biggest annual events, second only to Starrcade in importance. Such a big show required a big main event, and there was one clear choice – the much-anticipated rematch between Goldberg and the still-unbeaten Brock Lesnar. That match was the focus of much of the build toward the pay per view, but it was supported by many other intriguing matches that were built up leading into the show, including Shawn Michael's first singles match in WCW, which would be against Rob Van Dam.

 

The Great American Bash 2002 turned out to be another strong show for WCW. The WCW World Tag Team championship match between Alpha and their continual rivals Kronik opened the show, with the challengers winning the belts after interference from Torrie Wilson. Next up was an entertaining 6-man ladder match for the WCW Cruiserweight championship, which was won by Jamie Knoble, giving the heel cruiser his first reign with the belt. Eddie Guerrero went over Shane Douglas in a surprisingly good match, followed by Kanyon defending his US title against Hugh Morrus and Scott Steiner. Ric Flair carried Sean O'Haire to a quality encounter that the veteran won. The match of the night was easily Shawn Michaels versus Rob Van Dam, which HBK won and proved that he “still had it” when it came to being able to put on quality matches. Finally, in the eagerly-anticipated main event, Brock Lesnar took some thirty minutes to defeat Goldberg, retaining the WCW World Heavyweight championship after hitting Goldberg with a pair of F-5s.

 

Despite the anticipation and the hype, the main event was disappointing. It was not a terrible match. However, when compared to their Starrcade match from the previous December, it was a clear step below in quality. Some blamed Lesnar, feeling that the young champion was yet incapable of carrying a match the way a champion should be able to. Others blamed Goldberg, and specifically, his lingering shoulder injury. Despite the mediocre main event, the GAB show was still a solid success and it would do no notable damage to WCW's momentum. Especially since there was already a clear new challenger for Lesnar's WCW World title... Shawn Michaels....

 

Mid-June saw the start of the second annual W1 King of the Cruisers tournament. For 2002, it was expanded to 16 cruiserweights. It featured most of the cruisers in WCW, plus Sabu and the return of Juventud Guerrera. It also debuted a hard-hitting youngster who went by the name Low Ki, who would become a regular on ECW afterward. With the 2002 edition of the W1 featuring a large field and many matches, a great many of the early round matches were not televised. Whether they were dark matches or held on house shows, all of them were made available on the WCW website, a fact that commentator Mike Tenay often promoted. Putting matches onto the website for fans to watch as streaming video would become a regular approach for the promotion. At this point, it showed that Heyman did feel the cruiserweights were a key part of WCW.

 

On the ECW brand, things were beginning to really get rolling. The feud between Commissioner Mick Foley and ECW Champion Raven continued, with the veteran champion cutting weekly promos to denounce the new version of Extreme Championship Wrestling. The ECW Tag Team championship belts were reintroduced, with Alpha defeating the team of Shane Douglas and Steve Corino to become champions. Low Ki made his debut on the show mid-month, joined by the menacing and aggressive monster known as Samoa Joe. The aggressive and hard-hitting style of the pair was quickly accepted by the ECW fans, who would soon start a chant of “you're gonna get your f*cking head kicked in” each time either came out for a match.

 

June also saw the debut of a key WCW buzzword, which had already become oft-used backstage amongst both management and talent. It became a keyword for fans as well, however, as commentators began talking about it on-air. The buzzword – or words, really – was “work-rate”. It was explained to viewers that “work-rate” was a key reason that some of the athletic and dynamic workers (such as Eddie Guerrero, Lance Storm, Kanyon, and even Rey Mysterio) were finding success in the “new” WCW. While some were against the use of an inside industry term for fans, especially given WCW's history of flirting with kayfabe in the past, the intent of the Tenay talking about “work-rate” seemed obvious – it gave clear definition to how WCW continued to differentiate from the product of the WWE.

 

“Work rate” was not the only way for a worker to find success in World Championship Wrestling under Paul Heyman. Truly, the basic criteria to being featured regularly and even pushed was the ability to put on good matches. Workers who lacked the ability to regularly put on solid and/or entertaining wrestling matches – be it for age, lack of athleticism, lack of work-rate, or lack of overall in-ring ability – found themselves falling down the pecking order. Obviously, not all of those who were declining in importance were pleased with the development. Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell were both rather unhappy with things, with Bagwell being particularly vocal at finding somewhere “that his skills would be truly appreciated”. He never explained where that might be, however...

 

Luger and Bagwell were not the only unhappy talent in WCW around this time. While the locker room was generally considered a far more positive place than it had been in the past, there was not universal contentment. Scott Steiner was still featured quite heavily as he was still part of Heyman's Dangerous Alliance, but he was clearly the least important of the trio. “Big Poppa Pump” apparently believed he still deserved a place at the very pinnacle of WCW. Given his continually-declining mobility and overall ring ability, he was probably the only person who felt that way. Although Sean O'Haire remained highly visible, most of the rest of the group once known as “The Natural Born Thrillers” were not looked at as key long-term components of Heyman's vision. Shawn Stasiak was so unhappy that he asked for and was given his release.

 

While many fans were waiting for a new Monday Night War to erupt between WCW and the WWE, neither side seemed particularly interested in renewing hostilities on that level. There was less choice involved when it came to TNA, where Tony Schiavone and Jeff Jarrett seemed intent to “take it to” their former employer in any way possible. In late June, WCW management became aware that TNA has made contact with rising cruiserweight star A.J. Styles. Aware that the youngsters contract was coming up, TNA made promises about making Styles a star and central focus for the new promotion if he jumped ship. Styles chose to stay loyal, making Paul Heyman aware of the approach and committing to a new long-term contract with World Championship Wrestling. While there was nothing illegal about the approach made by TNA, it was clearly not intended to engender a positive working relationship between the promotions. For WCW's part, Eric Bischoff was more concerned with ensuring the success of his own promotion.

 

Despite the existence of some amount of discontent in the locker room, the positives still far outweighed the negatives. It was much the same for the promotion as a whole. Both inside the company and amongst industry observers, there was a general feel that WCW was moving forward in its recovery and growth.

 

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/WWEGreatAmericanBash1.jpg

WCW Great American Bash 2002

 

Kronik d. Alpha © for the WCW World Tag Team Championships

 

Jamie Knoble d. Rey Mysterio Jr ©, Billy Kidman, Chavo Guerrero Jr, A.J. Styles & Jushin Lyger for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship

 

Eddie Guerrero d. Shane Douglas

 

Kanyon © d. Hugh Morrus & Scott Steiner for the WCW United States Championship

 

Ric Flair d. Sean O'Haire

 

Shawn Michaels d. Rob Van Dam

 

Brock Lesnar © d. Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship

[juggaloninjalee]

WCW and TNA are at war? That is great. I almost wish AJ Styles went to TNA to make things interesting.

 

Everyday I check this diary to see if it has been updated with a news article or monthly recap. I think this style diary would be great with some cornellverse promotions too.

[mikemelling]

Agreed... I love the style and the format, it's fantastic.

[mad5226]

I'm a bit surprised you had Brock go over cleanly again. I mean I understand making him look like an unstoppable force, but you may be flirting with that line Hogan crossed back in 98 (I think) where it becomes obvious to the fans that no one can touch him and they begin to turn on it.

[mikemelling]

I wouldn't be so sure, I mean... We have HBK ready to stake a claim for the gold, plus a number of young stars that could "take his crown". Nothing like a dominent champ being knocked off his pedistal by a first time challanger.

[totti]

I'd like HBK to beat Brock, but I think that it's such a good chance to basically create a new star babyface over night. Michaels is obviously very over despite not wrestling for four years and he can definitely build whatever overness he lost up quickly. I think whoever beats Brock will really benefit and why no create a new main eventer in the process? It's a difficult one though because then you have to choose the right person.

 

Sack Bagwell and Luger! Always been a waste of space, both of them.

 

I'd like to see Steiner stay though, for some reason I quite like Big Poppa Pump.

[Bigpapa42]

WCW and TNA are at war? That is great. I almost wish AJ Styles went to TNA to make things interesting.

 

Everyday I check this diary to see if it has been updated with a news article or monthly recap. I think this style diary would be great with some cornellverse promotions too.

 

With WCW and TNA... Yes and no. There are definite hostilities there, but its moreso from the TNA side. They are taking shots at WCW and such because that number two spot is where they are aiming for, at least off the start. For WCW, though, TNA are not a threat. Not yet. There is very little that TNA could do to hurt WCW.

 

Which is why I haven't declared war on them at this point in the game. It would be like bullying the skinny runt kid. Once they get rolling, then it would be fine.

 

And I'm glad you are enjoying.

 

Agreed... I love the style and the format, it's fantastic.

 

Its funny - I wasn't really sure the basic overview approach would fly here. Not sure why. But I really expected this project to kinda fly under the radar for some reason. Suffice to say, the response for you readers has been pretty amazing.

 

I'm a bit surprised you had Brock go over cleanly again. I mean I understand making him look like an unstoppable force, but you may be flirting with that line Hogan crossed back in 98 (I think) where it becomes obvious to the fans that no one can touch him and they begin to turn on it.

 

The great dilema of creating an unstoppable monster... How do you then stop what you've shown as unstoppable? How can you end an undefeated streak to really make it pay off? Definitely things I have considered. I'm hoping the payoff to Lesnar's build up will be worthwhile. I have things pretty planned out. For the next two years, for the most part, though obviously with some flexibility.

 

The key, I believe, is not to make the monster invulnerable. Unstoppable is one thing, because that can be moreso just that no one has found the right way to stop him yet as opposed to he can't be stopped. But invulnerable is boring.

 

See, this is where an overview style does have some weakness. I don't always put the detail I could or even intended to. In that rematch, Goldberg put up a helluva fight. It took half an hour and two finishers to put him down, so it would have been a major battle. Putting Lesnar over clean on this one was important, I think, because a tainted or incomplete victory would leave fans wanting another match. Not a bad thing, unless there is no plans for another match for awhile.

 

In a way, its a bit of a puro approach I'm taking with Lesnar. Each match would tell the observant fan a bit more about him and his strengths, but also about his weaknesses. So its becomes a greater story of the champion and his reign. In this bigger overall picture of Lesnar, the clean win over Goldberg here would be important. Goldberg is physical, powerful, and aggressive. Second only to Lesnar in WCW in those regards. That would be the only way that Goldberg could go at the young champion, because its really the only way that Goldberg knows. So after the win here, fans and other wrestlers would know decisively that trying to overpower, be more physical, or more aggressive against Lesnar is not the way to defeat him.

 

I wouldn't be so sure, I mean... We have HBK ready to stake a claim for the gold, plus a number of young stars that could "take his crown". Nothing like a dominent champ being knocked off his pedistal by a first time challanger.

 

When Lesnar finally does lose, it should definitely be a big deal. Whether that will be putting over a young talent, or establishing a new alpha dog...

 

I'd like HBK to beat Brock, but I think that it's such a good chance to basically create a new star babyface over night. Michaels is obviously very over despite not wrestling for four years and he can definitely build whatever overness he lost up quickly. I think whoever beats Brock will really benefit and why no create a new main eventer in the process? It's a difficult one though because then you have to choose the right person.

 

Sack Bagwell and Luger! Always been a waste of space, both of them.

 

I'd like to see Steiner stay though, for some reason I quite like Big Poppa Pump.

 

Lesnar losing definitely should create a new star... But would HBK really need the boost at this point? I mean, his debut for WCW - even done in a low key way - created a buzz amongst fans and the industry. In his second PPV match, he went over the #2 heel in the company in the semi main event. So he's a pretty big deal in WCW already. Plus, having him go over the unstoppable champion at this early point probably wouldn't win over those fans who still see him as "the enemy'...

 

If this was a non-diary game, I probably would've dumped both Luger and Bagwell already. But I didn't want to clean every vestige of WCW's past right away. That feels... false. Like trying to erase the connections of where WCW came from. I actually did like Luger back in the day, but he's not so useful at this point...

[totti]

Lesnar losing definitely should create a new star... But would HBK really need the boost at this point? I mean, his debut for WCW - even done in a low key way - created a buzz amongst fans and the industry. In his second PPV match, he went over the #2 heel in the company in the semi main event. So he's a pretty big deal in WCW already. Plus, having him go over the unstoppable champion at this early point probably wouldn't win over those fans who still see him as "the enemy'...

 

If this was a non-diary game, I probably would've dumped both Luger and Bagwell already. But I didn't want to clean every vestige of WCW's past right away. That feels... false. Like trying to erase the connections of where WCW came from. I actually did like Luger back in the day, but he's not so useful at this point...

 

I meant to say that although personally I wouldn't mind HBK going over him, I think that if you gave the nod to somebody else then it would help them to become a mega star. Not really sure who though, but probably somebody like an Eddie Guerrero or a Booker T or if you could build him quick enough, Chris Kanyon. HBK certainly doesn't need the win especially beating RVD at the last PPV which shows everybody that he's still as good as ever.

 

I see where your coming from on the Bagwell/Luger situation. They can always be useful to help get new talent over if all else fails.

[Guest cmdrsam]

This is a different approach. I like it so dont get me wrong. This is just different. Crisp, clean and to the point. And you get enough meat to pick out of your teeth. Its kinda like a chicken wing. Always want more.

[Bigpapa42]

I meant to say that although personally I wouldn't mind HBK going over him, I think that if you gave the nod to somebody else then it would help them to become a mega star. Not really sure who though, but probably somebody like an Eddie Guerrero or a Booker T or if you could build him quick enough, Chris Kanyon. HBK certainly doesn't need the win especially beating RVD at the last PPV which shows everybody that he's still as good as ever.

 

I see where your coming from on the Bagwell/Luger situation. They can always be useful to help get new talent over if all else fails.

 

Ah, see what you meant now. Sorry.

 

Honestly, when it comes to someone finally defeating Brock Lesnar, unless it happens in a really sketchy way, it would be a major benefit to almost any WCW worker. From Ric Flair on down, and it would benefit each in some slightly different way. The plan I have in place would benefit the recipient in a specific way... and I won't say more or I'll end up giving something away...

 

BTW, if its Kanyon, Tristram's head could explode with joy...

 

When it comes to "maintaining the feel of a promotion" by retaining workers, its a fine line. Luger and Bagwell don't get jobs for life out of that approach, not by a long shot. I just didn't want to do an immediate house cleaning of the roster and get rid of a lot of guys who have a lot of long-term WCW ties. As time goes by, their value in that regard lessens and they need to have other value. So the question is do Luger and Bagwell have "other value"...?

 

This is a different approach. I like it so dont get me wrong. This is just different. Crisp, clean and to the point. And you get enough meat to pick out of your teeth. Its kinda like a chicken wing. Always want more.

 

Glad you are enjoying the streamlined approach. I never thought having my work compared to a chicken wing could be a compliment, but indeed it is. Thank you, sir.

[juggaloninjalee]

Buff Bagwell is semi useful. He can be put in matches or set asa mouth piece for someone. Even putting him with rookies in tag teams for a bit. Buff is alright in my opinion I guess.

[totti]

Ah, see what you meant now. Sorry.

 

Honestly, when it comes to someone finally defeating Brock Lesnar, unless it happens in a really sketchy way, it would be a major benefit to almost any WCW worker. From Ric Flair on down, and it would benefit each in some slightly different way. The plan I have in place would benefit the recipient in a specific way... and I won't say more or I'll end up giving something away...

 

BTW, if its Kanyon, Tristram's head could explode with joy...

 

When it comes to "maintaining the feel of a promotion" by retaining workers, its a fine line. Luger and Bagwell don't get jobs for life out of that approach, not by a long shot. I just didn't want to do an immediate house cleaning of the roster and get rid of a lot of guys who have a lot of long-term WCW ties. As time goes by, their value in that regard lessens and they need to have other value. So the question is do Luger and Bagwell have "other value"...?

 

No problem, mate. I could have worded it a little better.

 

Very much looking forward to seeing who will beat Lesner and how their going to do it. Should be very interesting I'm sure.

[Bigpapa42]

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Media/EWR_net3.jpg

Wrestling Heat Editorial

The Las Vegas Connection

By A.N. Marshall

 

In 1999, the World Wrestling Federation spent $9 million to purchase the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel. The stated intent was to create a WWF-themed hotel and casino. Credit to Vince McMahon for dreaming big, but that particular dream never came to fruition. Which is not to say Las Vegas was safe... Professional wrestling would find a foothold in Sin City, but it would not come from the McMahon Empire, but Eric Bischoff's World Championship Wrestling.

 

Since WCW became WCW, Atlanta has always been its home. That had much to do with Atlanta being home to Turner Broadcasting. Even after the buyout by Bischoff and his investor's, however, the promotion did not pull up its roots and move elsewhere. WCW still has its home there, in a sprawling three-story building in the northwest of the city, not too far from Georgia Tech University. Since early 2002, WCW has a second home, in Las Vegas.

 

It would seem that the dalliance between WCW and Sin City first began in the summer of 2001. The city was host to the first face-to-face meeting between Eric Bischoff and Paul Heyman, the start of a business relationship that would eventually see Heyman take over creative control of Bischoff's promotion. Both men are said to be fans of Las Vegas and its delights, so it makes some sense.

 

According to Heyman, one of the demands he had when he agreed to take over the booking of World Championship Wrestling was the creation of a new talent development system, which eventually become known as "The Pipeline". WCW had only the Atlanta-based Power Plant facility, which was really only a introductory training camp. Heyman wanted an actual development territory, similar to how the WWE had Ohio Valley Wrestling. Heyman has stated repeatedly that such a focused system of development for young new talent was absolutely vital for WCW to move forward. In early 2002, Bischoff gave his head booker the money and resources required to set up said system. While Heyman could have set up the actual developmental promotion anywhere, he chose the desert oasis of Las Vegas.

 

The promotion was called Full Throttle Wrestling. Heyman has given many reasons why he chose Las Vegas as its home, but a primary one was that the endless cycle of tourists and gamblers coming through the city, who gave the promotion a constantly changing audience to work in front of. Another factor was cheap flights into the city, a consideration since Heyman wanted to be able to send veteran wrestlers on short “working vacations” to Las Vegas, where they could spend a week or two working with the developmental talent while enjoying the city.

 

Full Throttle Wrestling opened its facility in March of 2002 and ran the first show in April. This was just the first of WCW's connections to the city. The next would open up in May, as WCW opened a second training camp, to compliment the Power Plant which was still running in Atlanta.

 

It was also sometime in May that Eric Bischoff made the decision to open up a second WCW office, which would be located – not surprisingly – in Las Vegas. The promotion leased an office space that was a bit less than a mile from to the east of the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. It would open up within just a few weeks. This secondary headquarters for World Championship Wrestling would eventually became the primary base of operations for Paul Heyman. Many would point to this fact as proof that Heyman and Bischoff “still had heat”, though there is little else to support this assertion. Regardless of the motivations behind Heyman's decision to “relocate”, Las Vegas would soon be home to the entire creative side of the promotion. While the primary Atlanta headquarters would deal with most business aspects, the Las Vegas office would eventually handle much of the merchandise development and stock maintenance for WCW.

 

In June, Heyman and Bischoff would be in Las Vegas together for an announcement that would further tie World Championship Wrestling to Sin City. Were the pair there to announce the development of a sprawling WCW-themed hotel and casino resort complex that would cost hundreds of millions to build? Thankfully, no. Just a few years before, Bischoff might have dared to dream that big – though notably, he was still playing with someone else's money roll back then. The “new” Eric Bischoff was far more grounded. The announcement was that the promotion had leased a three-story storefront on the south end of the Las Vegas Strip, nearly forty-thousand square feet of space that would become home to The House of WCW.

 

The idea was to make The House a must-see for any WCW fan who visited Las Vegas. It was to feature a first floor cafe, a second floor memorabilia museum, and a third floor merchandise store. There would be valuable and rare WCW and NWA memorabilia throughout. It would eventually come to house WCW's Hall of Fame. If that was not enough to interest wrestling fans, The House would also continually host both current WCW stars and wrestling stars from the past. Not just former WCW stars, but stars from the territorial days. WCW would pay the old stars to come in for a few days or weeks to interact with fans and provide autographs. It was like a year-round fan fest. Unlike the Nitro Grill, it was not a restaurant and it was not poorly-run.

 

Though construction on The House of WCW would take months, it would become a fun attraction for wrestling fans who were visiting Vegas. Over time, it would turn out to be a great success for World Championship Wrestling. It would also win the promotion plaudits within the industry, as it was a way to give back to some of the stars of the past, many of whom had been left with little by the business they so loved.

 

One could look for lessons to be found in the different approaches that the WWE and WCW took in Las Vegas, and the corresponding degrees of success each found. One might be better served looking at the two men behind those approaches, and what the approaches said about Vince McMahon and Eric Bischoff respectively. It is perhaps notable that in the following years, McMahon would reportedly mock Bischoff's “small thinking” in his approach to Las Vegas. And yet it was WCW who had a notable profile in the city and not the WWE...

[juggaloninjalee]

Another great write up. Even though this place in Vegas doesn't exist it makes me want to go there and check this place out.

[jstarr187]

The Vegas location is really brilliant. Great twist.

[Bigpapa42]

Thanks guys. Its a bit of a fluff piece, as its not really about anything that's actually in the game. But I like the thought of adding depth to the promotion and to the "evolved" Bischoff character.

 

Rather than a recreation of the Nitro Grill or WWE's The World, I see it as a combination between a year-round fan fest (with a WCW focus, obviously) and the WWE Experience that they put on annually at WrestleMania. Location-wise, I was thinking of the M&M World spot near the MGM Grand on the south end of the strip. Maybe that exact location, but something similar.

 

There is a bit more to the Vegas connection, but that will be detailed in a later editorial.

 

I guess I should also note that I am now caught up to what I had posted on the other site. So the stuff from this point on will be posted as its written. So the regular daily updates are done. Which isn't to say it will be a long time between posts. Just that they won't necessarily by the same pace.