Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Share Posted August 21, 2012 http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/WCWHollywoodPoster.jpg World Championship Wrestling in 1999 was a wrestling promotion that had just lost its crown to the World Wrestling Federation, which was surging ahead with its “Attitude Era” and new stars. Yet WCW still boasted an amazing roster of talent, some of the biggest names in the business, a huge fanbase, and the backing of a major corporation. By the start of 2000, WCW was well behind the WWF, losing both significant talent and many fans. Some 15 months beyond that and WCW would be gone forever. This project is an “alternative” history of WCW. The project kicks off in June of 1999 but the “deviation point” from reality begins at the start of 1999. Most of the major events that happened in American professional wrestling through the first five moments of 1999 still occurred here – end of "The Streak", the “Fingerpoke of Doom”, reunification of the split New World Order, the departure of The Giant (aka Big Show), and the tragic death of Owen Hart. The variations are smaller and will be detailed. The primary idea here is that WCW is sold to new ownership in June of 1999. That sets off a series of events which will form the core narrative of this project. I diligently attempt to keep a “realistic” feel to these projects. Some events are obviously a stretch, but most everything is done with some reason. As for the project name, the "Hollywood" aspect will make sense in time. The Narrative Anyone familiar with my previous WCW projects will be familiar with the narrative approach and presentation used here as it will vary little. This will use the same “overview” approach, broken down into monthly recaps. I will also include the occasional “editorial” to further flesh out some aspects. The presentation is intended to be like reading a book on the history of the given promotion. Each “chapter” (recap) covers a one month period. There is a fair degree of focus on the business side. Given the approach, the narration is from the point of view of someone who has had to conduct research and may get partial, conflicting or unsubstantiated information, which is often identified as such. Like most diary writers, I enjoy reader interaction, so if you have questions, ask them. Don't be afraid to ask "why?" on any given aspect. If you have suggestions or ideas, I'm open as well. The Game Unlike my previous two WCW projects, which were done with “full fantasy’ booking, this one is using TEW as a base. I modified and edited Genadi’s 1999 mod quite heavily, changing the start date to June 1999, modifying in the rosters, etc. I did not spend as much time polishing it as I would have preferred so I’m not quite sure how well the game will work with this one. Given that this is again an “overview” project, there will be little to no focus on the actual game results. I will be taking “creative license” quite extensively, especially as some of the situations I have planned cannot be replicated in the game at this point. If you prefer a project that is focused entirely on the game results in terms of grades, world happenings, and the such, this project might frustrate you. A lot. The Thanks A big thanks to Ed and Jim for helping with the ideas for this project, as well to Fuji for helping to solidify some concepts. jhd1 and fatallylost helped out with graphics, as well as the various belt render artists who contributed. There are too many to thank individually, but a big thanks to all the writers who have created projects that have inspired and entertained me, with Tristram deserving a special shout-out. As well, thanks to Genadi for the mod work he's done. Previous Projects World Championship Wrestling World Championship Wrestling 2002: Rebuilding the Empire World Championship Wrestling: Empire WCW Empire 2007: A New Chapter CornellVerse SWF: Generation Supreme Total Championship Wrestling: Tuesday Night Wars Supreme Wrestling Federation: Dark Days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Contents http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Recaps Prologue: Beginnings June 1999: The Bottom July 1999: Addition and Subtraction August 1999: Path of a Champion September 1999: Endings October 1999: Forward Movement November 1999: The Switch December 1999: Belief Editorials Profile: Sevastian Tikhon Interview: Paul Heyman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Promotion Information http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Based: Atlanta, Georgia http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/USA.pngFounded: 1988Style: Modern Wrestling _________________________________ Company Type: PrivateOwnership: Sevastian Tikhon via Red Devil Holdings CompanyPresident: James J. DillonProvisional Head Booker: Tony SchiavoneCreative Team Members: Mike Tenay, Arn Anderson, Konnan, Dean Malenko, Terry Taylor, Jimmy Hart and Dusty Rhodes _________________________________ Financial Information Estimated Value: $50m USHeadquarters: Atlanta, Georgia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 History http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Chronology November 1988 - Jim Crockett Promotions purchased by Turner Broadcasting and renamed to World Championship Wrestling February 1989 - Ricky Steamboat defeats Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight championship in a highly-regarded match May 1989 - Flair wins the belt back in another highly-regarded match August 1991 - Ric Flair leaves WCW for the WWF over dispute with President Jim Herd February 1993 - Eric Bischoff promoted to Executive Vice President of WCW - Ric Flair returns to WCW from the WWF June 1994 - Hulk Hogan signs with WCW September 1995 - WCW Monday Nitro debuts on TNT May 1996 - Scott Hall debuts on WCW Nitro, followed by Kevin Nash, forming The Outsiders July 1996 - Hulk Hogan turns heel at Bash at the Beach, forming the New World Order with The Outsiders - WCW Nitro begins to beat WWF Raw is War consistently in the ratings September 1997 - debut of Goldberg December 1997 - year-long feud between Sting and Hulk Hogan culminates in Starrcade main event & Bret Hart debuts in WCW April 1998 - WWF Raw defeats Nitro in ratings war for the first time in 84 weeks July 1998 - Goldberg wins WCW World Heavyweight championship December 1998 - Goldberg's undefeated streak ended at Starrcade by Kevin Nash January 1999 - infamous "Finger Poke of Doom" moment has Hogan become champion again February 1999 - the WCW contract of The Giant (Paul Wight) expires and he debut's on at St. Valentine's Day Massacre for the WWF as The Big Show May 1999 - Owen Hart dies when a stunt fails at the WWF's Over the Edge pay per view June 1999 - WCW is sold to Sevastian Tikhon and top stars on roster remain contracted to Time Warner - start of project June 1999 - WCW World Heavyweight championship is vacated when Diamond Dallas Page is removed from WCW programming by Time Warner - James J. Dillon is named WCW President August 1999 - Chris Jericho becomes WCW World Heavyweight champion in Path of a Champion - Kurt Angle debuts September 1999 - New World Order is forced to disband after losing War Games match against the Four Horsemen November 1999 - WCW programming switches networks - heavily hyped return of Goldberg falls through Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Hall of Champions http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg WCW World Heavyweight http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWWorldHeavyweight-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/ChrisJerichoWCW.jpg Chris Jericho Reign: 1st Won: August 14, 1999 Previous Champion: Vacant WCW United States http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWUS.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/ReyMysterioWCW.jpg Rey Mysterio Reign: 1st Won: December 19, 1999 Previous Champion: Raven WCW World Tag Team http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWTT.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWTT.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/DeanMalenkoWCW.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/LanceStormWCW.jpg The Four Horsemen Reign: 1st Won: December 19, 1999 Previous Champions: The Dudley Boyz WCW Cruiserweight http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWCruiserweight.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/ChristopherDanielsWCW.jpg Daniel Christian Reign: 1st Won: December 19, 1999 Previous Champion: Psycosis WCW Television http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Belts/WCW%20Belts/WCWTV-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/RobVanDamWCW.jpg Rob Van Dam Reign: 1st Won: October 24, 1999 (Halloween Havoc) Previous Champion: Steven Regal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Roster http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/AlexWrightWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/BillyKidmanWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/BookerTWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/BullyRay2WCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/BuffBagwellWCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ChavoGuerreroWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ChrisBenoitWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ChrisJerichoWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ChrisKanyonWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/CurtHennigWCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ChristopherDanielsWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/DeanMalenkoWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/DevonDudleyWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/DDPWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/EddieGuerreroWCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ErnestMillerWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/FinlayWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/HectorGarzaWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/HughMorrusWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/JuventudGuerreraWCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/KazHayashiWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/KonnanWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/LaParkaWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/LanceStormWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/PerrySaturnWCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/Psicosis2WCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/RavenWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ReyMysterioWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/RickSteinerWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/RobVanDam2WCWSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ScottSteinerWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/WilliamRegalWCWSmall.jpg Berlyn Billy Kidman | "The Shooting Star" Booker T Brian Adams Bryan Clark Bubba Ray Dudley Buff Bagwell | "The Stuff" Chavo Guerrero Chris Benoit | "The Rabid Wolverine" Chris Jericho | "Hollywood Christopher Daniels Chuck Palumbo Curt Hennig Daniel Christian Dean Malenko | "Ice Man" Devon Dudley Diamond Dallas Page Disco Inferno Dragon Kid Eddie Guerrero | "Latino Heat" El Dandy Ernest Miller Evan Karagias Fit Finlay Hak | "Hardcore" Hector Garza Hugh Morrus Jim Duggan Juventud Guerrera Kanyon | "Innovator of Offense" Kaz Hayashi Kurt Angle Konnan La Parka Lance Storm Lash LeRoux Meng Mikey Whipwreck Norman Smiley Perry Saturn Psycosis Raven Rey Mysterio Rick Steiner Rob Van Dam Scott Steiner | "Big Poppa Pump" Silver King Steven Regal | "The Lord of Thunder" Stevie Ray Vampiro Vincent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Roster II http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Broadcasters http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/DustyRhodesWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/LarryZbyszkoWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/MikeTenayWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/TonySchiavoneWCWSmall.jpg Dusty RhodesLarry ZbyszkoMike TenayTony Schiavone Managers & Valets http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/ArnAndersonWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/JimmyHartWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/TedDiBiaseWCWSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/TorrieWilsonWCWSmall.jpg Arn Anderson | Executive Consultant for Four HorsemenJimmy Hart | Manager of Hugh Morrus & Rob Van DamTed DiBiaseTorrie Wilson | Manager of The Dudley Boyz Personalities http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WCW/Small/JJDillonWCWSmall.jpg James J. Dillon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Roster III http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Tag Teams Anarchy: Raven & Perry Saturn Lenni & Lodi The Dudley Boyz: Devon & Bubba Ray Dudley The Four Horsemen - Dean Malenko & Lance Storm The Kings of Wrestling - Steven Regal & Curt Hennig Stables Raven's Flock: Raven, Perry Saturn, Kanyon, Daniel Christian & Berlyn The Four Horsemen: Ric Flair, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Lance Storm & Arn Anderson (Executive Consultant) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Shows http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg WCW Monday Night Nitro http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/TV/Banner/Small/WCWNitroSmall.jpg Network: TNNSlot:: Tuesday @ 9 PM ESTLength:: 2 hoursNetwork Debut:: September 4, 1995Total Number of Episodes: Theme: "Testify" by Rage Against the MachineAnnounce Crew: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, & Larry Zbyszko WCW Thunder http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/TV/Banner/Small/WCWThunderSmall.jpg Network: M2Slot:: Thursday @ 10PM ESTLength:: 2 hoursNetwork Debut:: January 8, 1998Total Number of Episodes: Theme: Announce Crew: Mike Tenay, Dusty Rhodes & Mark Madden http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWTheBigBangSmall-1.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWSuperBrawlSmall-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWHostileIntentSmall-1.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWAprilAdrenalineSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWBlazeofGlorySmall-1.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWGreatAmericanBashSmall-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWBashattheBeachSmall-1.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWEvolutionSmall-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWFallBrawlSmall-1.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWHalloweenHavocSmall-1.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWTotalMayhemSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/PPV/WCW/PPV%20Banners/Small/WCWStarrcadeSmall-1.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 Developmental System http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBanSmall.jpg Training Facility Facility: WCW Power PlantBased: Atlanta, Georgia http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/USA.pngOpened: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 21, 2012 Author Share Posted August 21, 2012 World Wrestling Federation http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/WWFSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Stamford, Connecticut http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/USA.pngSize: GlobalRank: #1Owner: Vince McMahonBooker: Vince McMahonFounded: 1952Style: Pure Sports EntertainmentMajor Stars: Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Mankind, Triple H, Kane, Big Show & Vince McMahon http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/SteveAustinWWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/TheRock2WWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/Undertaker2WWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/MankindWWFSmall.jpg http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/TripleH3WWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/Kane2WWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/BigShow2WWFSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/WWF/Small/VinceMcMahonWWFSmall.jpg World Championship Wrestling http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/WCWSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/USA.pngSize: NationalRank: #2Owner:Booker:Founded: 1988Style: ModernMajor Stars: New Japan Pro Wrestling http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/NJPWSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Japan http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/Asia/japan.pngSize: CultRank: #3Owner: Antonio InokiBooker: Antonio InokiFounded: 1972Style: MMA-influenced stong style with Super JuniorsMajor Stars: Shinya Hasimoto, Keiji Mutoh, Masahiro Chono, Generchiro Tenryu, Kensuke Sasaki & Tatsumi Fujinami All Japan Pro Wrestling http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/AJPWSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Tokyo http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/Asia/japan.pngSize: CultRank: #4Owner: Motoko BabaBooker: Keiji MutohFounded: 1972Style: Strong StyleMajor Stars: Mitsuharu Misawa, Kenta Kobashi, Toshiaki Kawada, Akira Taue & Vader Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/CMLLSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Mexico City http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/Mexico.pngSize: #5Rank: NationalOwner: Francisco "Paco" AlonsoBooker: Francisco "Paco" AlonsoFounded: 1933Style: Lucha LibreMajor Stars: El Hijo del Santo, Dr. Wagner, Atlantis, Canek & Negro Casas http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/CMLL/Small/HijoDelSantoCMLLSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/CMLL/Small/DrWagnerJrCMLLSmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/CMLL/Small/NegroCasasCMLLSmall.jpg Asistencia Asesoría y Administración http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/AAASmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Mexico City http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/Mexico.pngSize: #7Rank: CultOwner: Antonio PenaBooker:Founded: 1992Style: Lucha LibreMajor Stars: Latin Lover, Cibernitico, Pierroth Jr., & Abismo Negro http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/AAA/Small/LatinLoverAAASmall.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/AAA/Small/CiberneticoAAASmall.jpg Extreme Championship Wrestling http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Logos/Small/ECWSmall-1.jpg Headquarters: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/Flags/North%20America/USA.pngSize: #8Rank: CultOwner: Paul HeymanBooker: Paul HeymanFounded: 1992Style: Modern HardcoreMajor Stars: Tazz, Shane Douglas, Sabu, Tommy Dreamer, Terry Funk, Rhino & Mike Awesome, http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/ECW/Small/TazzECW2Small.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/ECW/Small/ShaneDouglasECW2Small.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/ECW/Small/SabuECW2Small.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/ECW/Small/TommyDreamer2ECW2Small.jpghttp://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Workers/Hollywood/ECW/Small/TerryFunkECW2Small.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 22, 2012 Author Share Posted August 22, 2012 http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k235/Bigpapa42_2006/WCW/Main/Banners/WCWHollywoodBan.jpg Prologue Beginnings No one saw the end of the Monday Night War coming. Anyone who claims they did indeed see that end coming either had a very potent crystal ball – which should probably be put to better use – or they are lying. We look at history with the benefit of hindsight. Looking back at how events unfolded, we are able to evaluate and analyze the influence of given of events on the subsequent events. We are able to gain an understanding of the chain. That's history. Attempting to analyze an event in real-time, as it unfolds, involves some degree of assumption and even guess-work, and is obviously not particularly accurate. Thus, it makes any claims from wrestling fans or insiders that they were able to examine the state of World Championship Wrestling prior to mid-1999 and determine that the Monday Night War would soon end exceedingly questionable. A complicating factor is that there is no real consensus on exactly when the so-called “Monday Night War” actually ended. Did it end in mid-1999 when World Championship Wrestling was sold? Did it end when WCW and the World Wrestling Federation were no longer going head-to-head on Monday nights anymore? Did it ever actually end? There is a compelling argument that can be made that it never actually did end at all, but simply changed form and venue somewhat. One of the more difficult elements in trying to anticipate the War ending, or even changing, would have been attempting to accurate assess the mistakes that WCW made through 1998 and early 1999. Not simply recognizing the mistakes being made but also to determine, with some degree of accuracy, the effect they would have on the company. Much ink can be spilled when discussing the mistakes that World Championship Wrestling made in the 1997 to 1999 period under the management of WCW President Eric Bischoff. In his defense, one can also spend significant time discussing the great decisions made, especially in the period prior. But both will be rather glossed over here, as detailed examination and analysis of those periods of time is not the intent here. That can be found elsewhere, by the same author if so desired. Some of the more notable mistakes that were made were the endless dominance of the New World Order group, the ending of Bill Goldberg's undefeated streak, and the subsequent “Fingerpoke of Doom”. Once again, one can examine, dissect, and debate the exact damage done by each of these, but such is not the intention here. While one can examine all different aspects of performance measurements, its rather telling to simply look at the ratings for WCW Monday Night Nitro. Back in 1998, Nitro consistently draw ratings in the 4.0s and occasionally topped the 5.0 mark. WCW and the WWF still traded weekly “wins” in the ratings war through much of '98. At the start of 1999, WCW was dipping into the 3s with regularity. The WWF was hitting in the mid-5s as a rule, moving into the 6s for some weeks, and went as high as 8.1 in May of 1999. While the WWF was enjoying this epic success in the ratings through the first half of 1999, WCW saw its ratings slide, hitting the low 2s by the end of May. The company managed to cut its weekly viewership in half in a five month period. It was not only the TV ratings that collapsed for World Championship Wrestling. Pay per view buy-rates, live show attendances, and merchandise sales all declined significantly as well. Just as quickly as WCW had risen a few years before, it tanked. Was a five-month decline in measurable results the primary reason that Time Warner sold World Championship Wrestling? This is rather commonly stated as fact, yet most indications are that it was not. Even just taking a realistic look at the timing makes it unlikely. Although the transfer of ownership took place at the start of June in 1999, the negotiations took some time and went back to much earlier in 1999. Which means the parent company of WCW, Time Warner, was willing to sell when the ratings and everything else had only begun to decline slightly. The actual effect of the declining results for WCW was that the company began to lose money. After posting significant profits through the previous years, WCW lost around $5 million through the first 5 months of 1999. This is also an oft-quoted reason for the sale. Once again, the timing makes that unlikely. Additionally, when one considers that WCW was providing its parent company with 6 hours of original television programming on a weekly basis, year-round and with no off-season, the loss of $10 million or more in a given year is not unreasonable. Especially when one considers that the wrestling business is often viewed as cyclical. Even when the ratings of Nitro and Thunder hit their lowest while part of the Time Warner empire, they were still amongst the most-viewed shows on their given networks. From the point in late 1988 where Ted Turner purchased Jim Crockett Promotions to create World Championship Wrestling through to the point in 1999 when it was sold, the company was profitable for only a few years. The real reason that Time Warner decided to sell WCW seems to be somewhat more simple and basic – a pervasive dislike of professional wrestling within the corporate culture of Time Warner. There are multiple reports of television executives within the Turner Broadcasting organization who did not hide their overt disdain for pro wrestling. It was a form of entertainment that was looked down upon as low-brow and base, treated with the same contempt that “reality TV” and trash-talk TV shows are by many networks. Unfortunately, this antipathy toward the wrestling business goes beyond TV insiders, as it is often reported that networks do have more difficulty in selling advertisers on pro wrestling shows as there is an inaccurate perception that those who watch wrestling are somehow less intelligent than the average television viewer. There have several stories about how Turner was encouraged to sell of WCW off by Turner Broadcasting executives but he was resident to the idea. Once Turner Broadcasting was purchased by Time Warner in late 1996, that encouragement reportedly became outright pressure. A common misconception is that Ted Turner owned World Championship Wrestling right up until it was sold. He had owned it previously but in a less direct manner than fans realize. It was an asset owned by Turner Broadcasting, which was in turn owned and run by Ted Turner. When Turner Broadcasting was merged with Time Warner, WCW became an asset or division of that corporation. Turner became the Vice President of TW and the head of its cable television operations. However, it would no longer be accurate to consider him the owner of a specific division. Although Turner retained a great deal of influence over what Time Warner chose to do with a given asset like WCW, insiders indicate that continual pressure through 1998 and early 1999 saw Turner eventually relent, at which point Time Warner began looking to sell off World Championship Wrestling. At the heart of the pressure exerted on Turner by other Time Warner executives was a desire to “cleanse” the corporation of an asset seen as “undesirable”. There have been reports that comparisons were made between pro wrestling and pornography. As one business historian has noted, “When mergers happen and conglomerates are created, it is not uncommon for certain assets to be sold if they don’t fit the new business model and direction of the new entity. That happens all the time. That is, fundamentally, what happened with the wrestling company, WCW. Turner wanted to keep it but that’s the danger of no longer being the one person in charge… You don’t always get final say anymore.” The negative perception by many executives was only compounded by several pending lawsuits involving WCW, and persistent rumors that more litigation was coming. There has also been some indication that the eventual merger between AOL and Time Warner may have contributed as well. Although the official story is that talks for that merger only began in late 1999, some have claimed that there were secret internal discussions going back as far as 1998, and that the idea of “cleansing” within Time Warner had that merger in mind. No one from within Time Warner is willing to confirm this on the record but it has been suggested by several former insiders. The irony of Time Warner wanting to get out of the pro wrestling business is that they did so at a time when wrestling was becoming more mainstream than ever before. More accepted and, for a time at least, once again influential on American pop culture. That said, its unlikely that recognition of that would have affected the decision of Time Warner executives to any extent. An interesting but ultimately pointless debate that often seems to crop up amongst fans is whether the decline of late 1998 and early 1999 was avoidable. Given that most attribute it to creative decisions made by WCW management – and specifically Eric Bischoff – it mostly certainly was. While some factors were outside of the control of those in charge creative, such as Eddie Guerrero's absence due to being involved in a serious car accident, many other decisions were just that – decisions. Bringing in The Warrior (better known as the Ultimate Warrior) in 1998 and paying him huge money for a feud that was considered childish and awful was a decision. Doing very little with the expensive Bret Hart signing was a decision. Refusing to deviate from the dominance of the New World Order was a decision. Eric Bischoff has defended his decision to suspend both Rey Mysterio and Psychosis in the spring of 1999, and then Konnan for protesting those suspensions, because the two popular luchadores refused to lose their masks in matches for WCW, stating that their refusal to follow management's orders amounted to insubordination. Yet that is overlooking the rather obvious decision made by Bischoff – or someone in WCW's booking team – that is was necessary for two popular masked wrestlers to lose those masks. Yet despite the recognition that the decline of WCW was a rather avoid circumstance, it may not have changed the end result of WCW being sold. Given the reported perception of the division by many executives within Time Warner, it would have simply delayed what was probably inevitable. The sale of World Championship Wrestling brought massive and immediate change to the promotion. It was not due to the new ownership making sweeping changes, nor a new management regime being installed. Rather, it was a direct consequence of the sale, and the change itself was a reason that new owner Sevastian Tikhon was able to purchase World Championship Wrestling for a bargain price. Simply put, the entire main event scene of the promotion disappeared. The top stars of WCW were not contracted to the promotion, but to the Time Warner corporation itself. This included Bill Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Bret Hart, Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Roddy Piper, and reigning World Heavyweight champion Diamond Dallas Page. Those men had the largest contracts in the promotion, all of which were guaranteed. They had also been consistently presented as the top stars in WCW, with some combination of them headlining every pay per view event going back into mid-1998. There was no way to transfer “ownership” of the contracts. Time Warner was reportedly willing to mutually terminate the contracts if the workers were (which would have freed them from the remaining financial obligation) but none of the given workers would accept that, for obvious financial reasons. Even if they had, they would have been free agents, and able to negotiate with the competition or demand whatever they wanted in a new contract with WCW. The contract situation came to light during the negotiation process and resulted in the purchase price of World Championship Wrestling dropped severely. As business analyst Sean Hinklebosom explained, “From a business standpoint, a wrestling promotion has some value in of itself. In the brand, if you will. But given the fans really pay to see the given talent, its there that most of the value lies. Take that away and the value is mostly gone.” How much did removing the biggest names from WCW affect the final sale value? Top-end estimates put it at as much as $100 million. Placing an actual figure on that might be difficult, as there were other factors that came to light during the sale negotiations which also lowered the selling price. Through April and May, as the sale was being finalized, the above-listed group of main event stars remained the primary attractions for WCW. They headlined the shows and were central in all the main storylines. Had WCW management been told to plan for it, there could have been some degree of on-screen preparation for the coming departures, but there was quite sipy none at all. They were all over the May 31st Nitro. And gone on the June 3rd Thunder. The lone exception was world champion Diamond Dallas Page. He continued to appear for WCW out of sheer loyalty, despite the contract issue. However, it would not end well for either WCW or Page himself. There are definitely some fans and some WCW insiders who celebrated the removal of the top stars. The continued headline status of “old” stars as well as the overt influence the likes of Hogan and Nash were able to exert on Eric Bischoff are oft-quoted root causes of the creative decline in WCW. Yet having them all purged at once like what happened was hardly the ideal way to force WCW into having to create new top-level stars. It was jarring to the viewers and it certainly did drive some viewers away. It was what would be called a “traumatic event” for the promotion. It would not be the only thing to have that effect, however. One positive piece of news for World Championship Wrestling around this time was a new contract for Chris Jericho. Very late in the negotiation process, Time Warner informed Tikhon’s representatives that Jericho’s contract would expire in the summer. He had originally agreed a one-year extension but that was never signed and he had since given notice. The Canadian was clearly frustrated at the political games that were rife in the WCW locker room and which kept younger talents like him from the top. For the incoming ownership, losing a great young talent like Jericho was not an option. Especially when the top of the card was being forcibly removed. Jericho himself would later confirm that although no official offer had been made yet by Vince McMahon, there were preliminary discussions and the owner of the World Wrestling Federation expressed a desire to “work with” Jericho. “I had one foot out the door,” Jericho stated in an interview when asked about his desire to leave World Championship Wrestling in mid 1999. “I wanted out. The WWF looked like the promised land at that point.” In late May, before Sevastian Tikhon was officially the owner of WCW, a representative of the Russian talked to Jericho about staying. He said no, but the new owner was not going to give up so easily. “Sevastian himself wanted to meet me with. We sat down, he poured us both a vodka, and he asked what I wanted. Not what it would take for me to stay, but what I wanted. So I blurted out a bunch of stuff. Just whatever came to mind. A dream list. I figured if we going to negotiate, why not ask for the moon, right? But he just said yes to everything. Every. Thing.” Jericho has admitted he stayed with WCW for money but also says he has not regretted the decision. Simply giving the wrestler everything he wanted makes for a stark contrast to the negotiating tactics that Tikhon's team demonstrated with Time Warner. Yet given how things worked out, one can hardly say that the Russian owner was wrong, either. Despite the sale of World Championship Wrestling being finalized in mid-May, there was no official announcement from either side. There have been suggestions that Time Warner didn't want to advertise the low price they were getting for WCW, while the new Russian owner didn't want the attention. An official announcement would have served an important purpose – making the WCW talent aware of the sale. There were rumors running through the company going back to late 1998 but after so long, virtually everyone in the company and the industry as a whole ignored those rumors. Shortly before the May 31st, 1999 Monday Night Nitro went live, Eric Bischoff called an all-talent meeting and announced that WCW had been sold to a Russian named “Sebastian Putin” and he would be the official new owner as of June 1st. “No one really believed it,” says wrestler Raven. “Bischoff and his guys, they liked to jerk everyone around. 'Work the boys', you know. We all just nodded and said 'yeah, whatever' cuz no one bought it. It was right after Owen died and I think everyone was kinda depressed over that, so we figured they were pulling something on us to take our attention away from that shit. Turns out it was true so what the **** did we know?” There were almost a dozen men in the room who definitely knew the sale had happened. Bret Hart was absent, dealing with the death of his brother Owen at a WWF event just a week before, but all the other major stars for WCW were at that Nitro. The big stars, who were contracted to Time Warner rather than WCW, had all been involved in the negotiation to a small extent, as Time Warner had offered to release them from their lucrative, guaranteed contracts. Obviously, none had agreed. They were also all aware that this would be their final Nitro before they were pulled by Time Warner when the sale became final the following day – with one exception. Yet nothing was said, either on air or reportedly to the fellow talent backstage. It would seem that even those who more detailed inside knowledge of the sale than everyone else in World Championship Wrestling may have still had their doubts about it. Some pro wrestling insiders peg that very meeting as the moment the Monday Night Wars officially came to a conclusion. Others point to the following day, when Sevastian Tikhon officially became the owner of World Championship Wrestling. Both would prove to be pivotal moments. However, it is the opinion of this writer that the Monday Night War never really did truly end. Hostilities remained in place, as we will see when we examine events going forward from June 1999. The war changed form, certainly, and was never quite the same head-to-head contest that it was during the peak. It became, essentially, a cold war. But winter doesn't last forever and it would get warm again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
infinitekillz Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Interesting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhudipoo Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 As a big fan of WCW and a big fan of your previous WCW diaries, I am absolutely thrilled that you're back with another. Looking forward to this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bestintheworld Posted August 22, 2012 Share Posted August 22, 2012 Big fan of all your wcw diaries, hopefully this ones just as good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Interesting Hope that's "interesting good" and not "interesting bad"... As a big fan of WCW and a big fan of your previous WCW diaries, I am absolutely thrilled that you're back with another. Looking forward to this. Thanks. Big fan of all your wcw diaries, hopefully this ones just as good And thanks as well. Hoping this one will live up to the previous ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Warhawk8492 Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Awesome job so far, any chance of Sting coming back to WCW? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted August 23, 2012 Share Posted August 23, 2012 Hm. Not a fan of some of the pre-story decisions you've made. Sting and the others deciding not to come back to work makes perfect sense, but Sting was a loyalist above and beyond any. Also, I'd imagine Ric Flair would revel in coming back on top to a WCW without any of the WWF guys who were his main problem, and I can't imagine what the problem is going to be with DDP. There's no reason he couldn't have just agreed to staying with WCW outright after terminating his contract. Hell, I'd imagine even Savage might consider sticking around now that Hogan wasn't hogging the spotlight. Or Goldberg, since WCW had made him and evidentally this Russian owner's got more than enough money to keep him happy. Not to mention that guys like Booker T, Rey Mysterio & Scott Steiner were also on Time Warner contracts. It wasn't just the main event, it was anyone who was relatively valuable. Ultimately, I find that you reusing main concepts from previous dynasties a bit annoying, and beneath your creative abilities. Jettisoning most of the main event scene feels hamfisted and as I've said, a redo of your old dynasties, where it felt more organic. The mentioned end to the Monday Night Wars is another one you've done before, though with great success. I'm still reading, because no one does WCW like you do, but still... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 23, 2012 Author Share Posted August 23, 2012 Awesome job so far, any chance of Sting coming back to WCW? Thanks Warhawk. There is definitely a chance that Sting and a few others return. It just won't be immediately. Hm. Not a fan of some of the pre-story decisions you've made. Sting and the others deciding not to come back to work makes perfect sense, but Sting was a loyalist above and beyond any. Also, I'd imagine Ric Flair would revel in coming back on top to a WCW without any of the WWF guys who were his main problem, and I can't imagine what the problem is going to be with DDP. There's no reason he couldn't have just agreed to staying with WCW outright after terminating his contract. Hell, I'd imagine even Savage might consider sticking around now that Hogan wasn't hogging the spotlight. Or Goldberg, since WCW had made him and evidentally this Russian owner's got more than enough money to keep him happy. Not to mention that guys like Booker T, Rey Mysterio & Scott Steiner were also on Time Warner contracts. It wasn't just the main event, it was anyone who was relatively valuable. Ultimately, I find that you reusing main concepts from previous dynasties a bit annoying, and beneath your creative abilities. Jettisoning most of the main event scene feels hamfisted and as I've said, a redo of your old dynasties, where it felt more organic. The mentioned end to the Monday Night Wars is another one you've done before, though with great success. I'm still reading, because no one does WCW like you do, but still... It honestly wasn't a consideration of whether I had used the contract issue before or not, since its what actually happened. When I started thinking about doing a 1999 project and thinking about having someone buy the company, I realized that the same thing that actually happened in 2001 when the WWE bought WCW would happen. Not having that happened would have felt false and unrealistic. As to why some of those workers wouldn't accept the mutual termination, I actually can't see many reasons why they would. Loyalty only goes so far when you look at all the reasons not to... Those workers were under lucrative guaranteed contracts. Very lucrative, in some cases. Accepting a mutual termination would have cost a few of those guys millions of dollars. Which is at least somewhat justifiable if you know you going to be able to turn around and sign an equally or nearly as lucrative guaranteed deal. But they don't know that. They might have to accept a lot less money or even none guaranteed. By itself, the financial factor would keep most guys from agreeing to a termination. But you also have to factor in that they don't know anything about this new owner or how he will run the company. Guys wouldn't be basing their decisions on what the other big names are doing because they wouldn't know right at that point, so it would really be more of an individual decision at the time. For someone like Flair, I expect where WCW was going from that point would be a major factor, including whether or not Eric Bischoff was going to remain in charge of the company. For some of the more manipulative-minded stars, they may decide to sit out for a time in hopes of gain extra leverage in later negotiations if they believe that their absence will cause a decline in business, a tact Hogan used many times. As a whole, the reasons to stay under contract to Time Warner, at least for the time being, seem a lot more realistic and compelling than guys giving up big sums of money out of loyalty and a desire to work. Beyond that, this is only declining a mutual termination at the point of the purchase by the new Russian owner. Accepting a contract buyout sometime later, or simply having their contract expire, opens up the possibility of some or all of those workers returning. Not really giving away anything shocking here, but some of them will be returning, but its merely a question of when and how. As for Booker, Steiner, and Mysterio, they indeed were all under the same Time Warner contracts as the rest of the top talent two years later when the WWF bought WCW out. Would they have been in early to mid 1999? I honestly don't know, but as none of them had moved into the main event scene yet, I doubt it. Mysterio was really just the most popular cruiserweight at that point (along with Jericho), while Booker T and Steiner were upper midcarders who weren't that close to the world title scene. Since I wasn't certain, it seemed safer to assume they weren't already under those guaranteed Time Warner contracts. The contract situation wasn't intended as an "easy" way to remove a few workers who I didn't want to have to book. It came with some negative consequences in that I also don't get to use some workers who I do want to use and would definitely have a role in WCW going forward. Not to mention that it would be a very traumatic event for the promotion and its fans. Having a new owner come in and everything changes for the better, then I find ways to remove the top talent I didn't want to keep (which would not be hard at all)... that would feel too "ideal" and easy and unrealistic to me... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Casey Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 It also brings up the option of making the 'return' of those workers a potential future storyline (and, knowing BP, one with a chance of going wrong). Say that the top-line stars don't wholly disappear from WCW programs. The fans can't be stopped from chanting for Goldberg. DDP can't lie about who he won the title from (Flair, Sting, Savage four corners, if memory serves). Someone like Jericho, who has a self-confessed tendency to let his mouth get away from him, might respond to fans by telling them that Nash is sitting on his rear end, earning big bucks from Ted Turner... Anyway, by incorporating that into a storyline, you could have... Kidman and Booker T feuding over bringing back some favoured top line stars. Kidman's fighting for Goldberg, Booker for Steiner (the first four names I thought of, regardless of likelihood ). The new management say that one of them can be brought in, and at GAB they square off with that at stake. Booker wins... but Vince has paid Steiner to come out and cut a pro-WWF promo before bailing through the crowd and heading north to New York without stopping. That'd be kinda awesome... Maybe not so realistic, but even so, it's an option. Myself, I'd take the egos. In TEW at least, you always have the option of putting Hogan and co up against the Saturns and Konnans of the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 24, 2012 Author Share Posted August 24, 2012 It also brings up the option of making the 'return' of those workers a potential future storyline (and, knowing BP, one with a chance of going wrong). Myself, I'd take the egos. In TEW at least, you always have the option of putting Hogan and co up against the Saturns and Konnans of the world Exactly. I have some ideas in that regard which should be fun. Some will help WCW and some will hurt... WCW took a big hit with losing the top stars at the point of the sale, so yeah, they are gonna suffer a drop but it won't be like the Empire project where there was a long period of sustained suckiness. In basic TEW playing terms, I don't mind dealing with ego's. Especially not when there are enough positive and forceful personalities to offset and keep a positive backstage. The incidents create some interesting possible scenarios and stories. When I first started planning the project as just a TEW game, I was going to have WCW bought out but didn't plan on removing the top names. I would just spend the first six to ten months finding ways to transition to younger stars being on top. When it morphed into a likely diary, I had to look at things more "realistically". And at that point, the guys who were likely contracted directly to Time Warner staying with Time Warner felt the most realistic approach. Of course, nothing would feel 100% realistic - even keeping WCW under Time Warner and just working to transition to the younger workers being the stars wouldn't have been completely realistic, since that didn't happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juggaloninjalee Posted August 24, 2012 Share Posted August 24, 2012 I like the premise of this diary. Too many times people INSERT NEW OWNER and then just play it how it was at that time. This concept actually seems to be a bit more realistic based on what happened when WCW sold to WWF. Excited to read this diary! Can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angeldelayette Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 My first comment but you know that I am reading, BP42! You are an excellent writer and an excellent writer of WCW in particular. I am looking forward to seeing how this one goes in particular! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lo-Drew Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Another BP diary, another one I'll be following. backstory seems interesting and I look forward to what you have planned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigpapa42 Posted August 25, 2012 Author Share Posted August 25, 2012 I like the premise of this diary. Too many times people INSERT NEW OWNER and then just play it how it was at that time. This concept actually seems to be a bit more realistic based on what happened when WCW sold to WWF. Excited to read this diary! Can't wait. Thanks JJL. The connection to what actually happened less than two years later was exactly why it felt like the most likely option to me. My first comment but you know that I am reading, BP42! You are an excellent writer and an excellent writer of WCW in particular. I am looking forward to seeing how this one goes in particular! Appreciated angel. Hoping to make this one different from the previous projects in a number of ways, even if the core presentation remains the same. Another BP diary, another one I'll be following. backstory seems interesting and I look forward to what you have planned. Glad you are reading. Thanks for jumping on board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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