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WCW 1999 Beating the Odds


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Posted

The end of 1998 was a complete disaster for WCW. Their rating had slowly been dropping off. While their rival the WWF was pushing boundaries with the likes of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, WCW couldn’t seem to do anything right. They blew the biggest feud the world had ever seen with Hollywood Hogan and Sting. Completely dropped the ball with the arrival of Bret Hart, and now their biggest debacle to date, Starcade 1998 Goldberg dropped his title and ended his unprecedented winning streak to the likes of Kevin Nash. This is when I came in. My name is Clayton Adams, and while most of you have probably never heard of me I have been the writer of the three biggest television programs in the US. While this doesn’t always transfer over to the world of wrestling Mr. Turner has decided it’s enough to at least get my foot in the door. With the AOL Time Warner merger rumor gaining more and more fire, Mr. Turner has started paying more attention to WCW and he wants to see improvements before there is no longer anything he can do about it. I have been told that my duty here is strictly that of an advisory role. I have no say in the card, nor does anyone on the writing team have to listen to any of my ideas. It may not sound like the best job in the world, but for the amount of money I’m making doing it I’d be a fool to pass it up.

Posted

The first official show of the year, WCW Nitro is taking place is front of a sold out crowd in South Carolina. I didn’t make any of the booking meetings this week, nor have I talked to much of the staff. Instead I have been setting up my office and going over the roster to get an idea of what is going on here. One look at the roster however and it isn’t very hard to see. The roster is grossly inflated, the “stars” of the show are all old enough to get a senior citizen discount at Denny’s, and to say the locker room is divided would be the understatement of the century. In their defense however, they do have a lot of stars currently out due to injury. Getting them back could go a long way with getting this company back on track. I jot down a few notes that I want to bring up at the next meeting, knowing all too well they will fall on deaf ears, then head to the arena to get a front row seat of my new company.

Posted

WCW Monday Nitro

Live from the BI-LO Center in Greenville, SC

Live on TNT

 

WCW Heavyweight Championship:

Kevin Nash ©

Vs.

Hollywood Hogan

 

Ric Flair

Vs.

Scott Steiner

 

Benoit and Malenko

Vs.

The Faces of Fear

 

Chris Jericho

Vs.

Raven

 

Kaz Hayashi

Vs.

Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Vs.

La Parka

 

Kurt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff

Vs.

The Giant

 

Booker T

Vs.

Johnny Swinger

 

Roddy Piper

Vs.

Buff Bagwell

 

Quick Picks:

 

Kevin Nash © Vs. Hollywood Hogan

 

Ric Flair Vs. Scott Steiner

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. The Faces of Fear

 

Chris Jericho Vs. Raven

 

Kaz Hayashi Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. Vs. La Parka

 

Kurt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff Vs. The Giant

 

Booker T Vs. Johnny Swinger

 

Roddy Piper Vs. Buff Bagwell

Posted

Kevin Nash © Vs. Hollywood Hogan

 

Ric Flair Vs. Scott Steiner

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. The Faces of Fear

 

Chris Jericho Vs. Raven

 

Kaz Hayashi Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. Vs. La Parka

 

Curt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff Vs. The Giant

Booker T Vs. Johnny Swinger

 

Roddy Piper Vs. Buff Bagwell

 

Its spelled Curt Hennig by the way :p

Posted

Kevin Nash © Vs. Hollywood Hogan

He just won it. I don't see him dropping it to Hogan again. Wolfpac are nWo Hollywoods rivals now.

 

Ric Flair Vs. Scott Steiner

I wanted to pick Flair but I think you are going out with the old and going to have the not as old guy win.

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. The Faces of Fear

Benoit and Malenko could become headliners eventually... at least Benoit could. Malenko could be a gateway to the top kind of guy.

 

Chris Jericho Vs. Raven

Jericho needs a push. While I enjoyed Raven then I don't think he will win.

 

Kaz Hayashi Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. Vs. La Parka

I chose La Parka but really any of these guys could win.

 

Curt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff Vs. The Giant

He is the Giant. He should be dominant!

 

Booker T Vs. Johnny Swinger

Booker T is much better than Johnny Swinger.

 

Roddy Piper Vs. Buff Bagwell

Again picking the not as old guy here.

Posted

Kevin Nash © Vs. Hollywood Hogan

 

Ric Flair Vs. Scott Steiner

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. The Faces of Fear

 

Chris Jericho Vs. Raven

 

Kaz Hayashi Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr. Vs. La Parka

 

Kurt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff Vs. The Giant

 

Booker T Vs. Johnny Swinger

 

Roddy Piper Vs. Buff Bagwell

Posted

Monday Week 1 January 1999

WCW Monday Nitro

Live from the BI-LO Center in Greenville, SC

Attendance: 15,951 (live on TNT)

Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, and Bobby Heenan

 

 

Pre Show Results:

In an extremely short match, Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Hak in 4:38 by pinfall with a Diving Headbutt.

Rating: D+

 

In an extremely short match, Diamond Dallas Page defeated Lash Leroux in 4:21 by pinfall with a Discus Lariat.

Rating: D+

 

In an extremely short match, Goldberg defeated Glacier and Jerry Flynn in 3:48 when Goldberg defeated Jerry Flynn by pinfall with The Spear.

Rating: C-

 

Main Show:

 

The show kicks off with the new WCW champion Kevin Nash making his way to the ring. He says that he plans on giving Goldberg the rematch he deserves, but first he has unfinished business with someone. He calls out Hollywood Hogan and says he wants to match tonight for the title. Hogan accepts, but Goldberg comes out and says he deserves his shot now. Nash tells him to calm down and promises to give him his rematch next week on Nitro after he takes care of Hogan once and for all.

Rating: B

Notes: The segment lifted the crowd.

 

Roddy Piper Vs. Buff Bagwell

 

Piper is a true legend of the sport no question about it. But, let's face it he's old, can't move around the ring much these days, and doesn't draw the crowd of a Hulk Hogan. Seems to me the best way to really use him at this point is to let him get some younger more talented guys such as Bagwell over.

 

In a bout that had a good crowd and good action, Buff Bagwell defeated Roddy Piper in 6:29 by pinfall with a handful of tights.

Rating: C

Notes: None

 

Booker T Vs. Johnny Swinger

 

This was really just a filler match that served to, number 1 get Booker T some television time, and number 2 help try and improve Swinger just in case we ever do try to push him.

 

In an extremely short match, Booker T defeated Johnny Swinger in 3:20 by pinfall with a Harlem Hangover.

Rating: D+

Notes: Booker T looked good out there.

 

The camera goes backstage next where the Four Horsemen are gathered. Flair tells them they need to get back the level of competition they are known for, and tells everyone to step up their game if they want to continue being a part of the Horsemen.

Rating: B

Notes: This segment lifted the crowd.

 

The Giant Vs. Kurt Hennig W/ Eric Bischoff

 

The Giant's contract is coming to an end, and the powers that be have decided that it's not going to get renewed. I have mixed feelings about this, mainly because his ability to draw. Having said that, he is fairly limited in the ring, and even against a great like Hennig he can't pull a great rating.

 

In a bout that had a good crowd and good action, Curt Hennig defeated The Giant in 5:35 by pinfall with a Hennig Plex following interference from Eric Bischoff.

Rating: C

Notes: None

 

After the match The Giant attacks Hennig and grabs him by the neck. Before he is able to slam him to the mat however Bischoff takes out the big man’s legs. The two then begin to give him the boot.

Rating: C+

Notes: None

 

Kaz Hayashi Vs. La Parka Vs. Chavo Guerrero Jr.

 

It's no secret that the cruiserweight division is the crown jewel of WCW. These three are exceptionally fun to watch in the ring. The problem is they don't generate enough heat to really pull off great ratings.

 

In a bout that had solid in-ring action but non-existent crowd heat, Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated Kaz Hayashi and La Parka in 6:04 when Chavo Guerrero Jr. defeated La Parka by pinfall.

Rating: D+

Notes: None

 

After the match Chavo celebrated his victory until Norman Smiley ran down to the ring. Chavo never saw him coming and was blindsided by a forearm smash to the back of the head. This was followed by some viscous kicks to the ribs before Chavo was able to slide out of the ring and harms way.

Rating: E

Notes: None

 

Chris Jericho Vs. Raven W/ Chastity

 

Chris Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers, and was really a lot of fun during his stint in WCW. Raven of course has always been able to tell a great story in the ring, and I'm hoping putting these two against each other a few times will really bring out the best of both of them.

 

In a match that had some good action but not much in the way of heat, Raven defeated Chris Jericho in 10:21 by pinfall with a Piledriver.

Rating: C+

Notes: Raven and Chastity have pretty good chemistry.

 

After the match Jericho grabbed a mic and said that the referee was counting fast and that Raven was clearly holding his tights. He then goes on to demand that this loss gets immediately stricken from his record.

Rating: C

Notes: None

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. Faces of Fear

 

The horsemen have always been a force, and this was no different. Even though their opponents were more experienced as a team, bigger, and stronger. Benoit and Malenko still came out and proved to the world why they are members of the most elite stable in pro wrestling history.

 

In a match that had some good action but not much in the way of heat, Benoit & Malenko defeated Faces Of Fear in 7:04 when Chris Benoit defeated Meng by pinfall with a Dragon Suplex.

Rating: B-

Notes: Meng was really off his game tonight. This match lifted the crowd.

 

Ric Flair makes his way to the ring next. He talks about how great it is to be back in South Carolina, then goes on to tell us how last time he was here there were two beautiful women who were lucky enough to get a ride on... well you know the rest.

Rating: B

Notes: This segment lifted the crowd.

 

Ric Flair Vs. Scott Steiner

 

Now I know I said age was a huge issue, and it is. But I'm sure everyone can agree with me when I say Flair is an exception to the rule. The man can put on a show no matter what age, and the fans eat it up.

 

In a bout that featured great action and a good crowd, Ric Flair drew with Scott Steiner in 7:28 following a double disqualification. During the match we also saw Eric Bischoff run in and attack Flair, and Diamond Dallas Page also attacks Scott Steiner.

Rating: B

Notes: This match lifted the crowd.

 

WCW World Heavyweight Title Match:

Kevin Nash Vs. Hollywood Hogan

 

As the story goes this was arguably the nail in the coffin for WCW. Not only was this the night Foley won the WWF title and fans switched over to see it (an event I couldn't simulate in TEW). It was also the night the NWO got back together with the infamous finger poke of doom. I thought several different times about not writing this into the story, but in all honesty I think it's something that I can make work. Plus keep in mind, my character has nothing to do with this Nitro, so it seems inappropriate to alter this major event in WCW history.

 

In an extremely short match, Hollywood Hulk Hogan defeated Kevin Nash in 3:59 by pinfall after the Finger poke of Doom. Hollywood Hulk Hogan wins the WCW World Heavyweight title.

Rating: C

Notes: The match suffered because of the lack of selling on display.

 

After the match Hall, Nash, and Hogan all reunited in the ring. Meanwhile, Goldberg rushed the ring going after Kevin Nash. He was quickly brought down however by the strength in numbers. Before to much damage could be done though Bret Hart hit the ring in a dead sprint. At first Hogan and his cronies thought Hart was there to join the fun, but after a quick right hand leveled Hogan they knew something was wrong. Hart battled all three members of the N.W.O. and held his own for a few minutes before falling to the numbers. However, the fans popped as they saw their icon Sting lowering himself from the rafters with his trusty baseball bat. The N.W.O. decided this was a good time to leave the ring, and the heroes stood in the ring wanting their revenge.

Rating: B-

Notes: Goldberg came across well. Scott Hall looked dreadful in this segment. This segment lifted the crowd. The face turn of Bret Hart was a complete success.

 

Final Rating: C+

TV Rating: 6.12

Raw Rating: 7.52

Final Notes: This show may have hurt our popularity.

 

And so concludes the first show. Stay tuned for the fall out of the show, and see what happens next.

 

As always, feedback of all kinds is always welcome. I'll get a roster up before the next show.

Posted

Like most fans I left the show in utter disbelief. If the losing of Goldberg wasn’t big enough this finger poke of doom nonsense has got to be at least a foot in the grave for WCW. I’m not sure who’s idea that was, but my bet is Mr. Turner can’t be happy. Tomorrow’s meeting should be interesting to say the least. Perhaps the only good thing to come from the night was the face turn of Bret Hart; let’s just hope they can use him correctly this time.

 

48 Hours later...

 

The fall out of Monday Nitro was something I could have never expected. Fans sent in angry letters, reporters bashed WCW and pro wrestling in general. WCW was the joke of late night television, the worst possible outcome was multiplied by ten and that’s what happened. People started getting handed a pink slip, and in a bizarre turn of events that I never saw coming I was given full control of the booking decisions. Obviously what I wanted to do was scrap every storyline currently running and vacate every title, but I knew the backlash of that would greatly outweigh the good. Instead I was in damage control mode. I had a day until the live Thunder broadcast, and while it was considered our “B” show I knew better than to foul it up. The next 24 hours bled together as one. I began writing and rewriting possible storylines, I merged those into the existing ones, and prayed to God the fans would enjoy it. One thing was for sure though, it couldn’t get much worse…right?

Posted

The Roster

 

 

Main Event:

 

Bret Hart

Buff Bagwell

Curt Hennig

Diamond Dallas Page

Goldberg

Hollywood Hulk Hogan

Kevin Nash

Lex Luger

Ric Flair

Roddy Piper

Scott Hall

Scott Steiner

 

Upper Midcard:

 

Bam Bam Bigelow

Booker T

Chris Benoit

Chris Jericho

Dean Malenko

Fit Finlay

Konnan

Meng

Raven

Rick Steiner

Stevie Ray

The Giant

 

Midcard:

 

Barry Windham

Berlyn

Billy Kidman

Brian Adams

Disco Inferno

Ernest Miller

Hammer

Hugh Morrus

Juventud Guerrera

Kanyon

Kenny Kaos

La Parka

Norman Smiley

Perry Saturn

Rey Mysterio Jr.

The Barbarian

Vampiro

Wrath

 

Lower Midcard:

 

Bobby Duncum Jr.

Chavo Guerrero Jr.

Glacier

Hector Garza

Horace Hogan

Jerry Flynn

Prince Iaukea

Psychosis

Riggs

 

Opener:

 

Evan Karagias

Hak

Kaz Hayashi

Lash Leroux

Mikey Whipwreck

Sick Boy

 

Enhancement Talent:

 

Johnny Swinger

The Wall

 

Occasional Workers:

 

Barry Darsow

Chris Adams

Dave Taylor

David Flair

Jim Duggan

Jim Neidhart

Michael Wallstreet

Steve McMichael

 

Managers:

 

Arn Anderson

Chastity

Harley Race

James Vandenberg

Jimmy Hart

Kevin Sullivan

Kimberly Page

Miss Elizabeth

Ralphus

Sonny Onoo

Storm

Vincent

 

Announcer:

 

Mike Tenay

Tony Schiavone

 

Color Commentator:

 

Bobby Heenan

Larry Zbyszko

 

Referee:

 

Charles Robinson

Nick Patrick

Randy Anderson

 

Authority Figure:

 

Eric Bischoff

Gene Okerlund

JJ Dillon

 

Road Agent:

 

Dusty Rhodes

Earl Robert Eaton

Paul Orndorff

Terry Taylor

 

Out Injured:

 

Eddy Guerrero

Lodi

Randy Savage

Rick Rude

Robbie Rage

Sting

The British Bulldog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted

Thursday Week 1 January 1999

WCW Thunder

Live from Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, NV

 

 

WCW World Heavyweight Title Match:

Hollywood Hogan ©

Vs.

Lex Lugar

 

Bam Bam Bigalow

Vs.

Diamond Dallas Page

 

David Flair

Vs.

Disco Inferno

 

Norman Smiley

Vs.

Wrath

 

Benoit and Malenko

Vs.

Horace Hogan and Brian Adams

 

The Giant

Vs.

Buff Bagwell W/ Eric Bischoff

 

 

Quick Picks:

 

Hollywood Hogan © Vs. Lex Lugar

 

Bam Bam Bigalow Vs. Diamond Dallas Page

 

David Flair Vs. Disco Inferno

 

Norman Smiley Vs. Wrath

 

Benoit and Malenko Vs. Horace Hogan and Brian Adams

 

The Giant Vs. Buff Bagwell W/ Eric Bischoff

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