The Final Countdown Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 The Golden Age and Beyond Related Threads: WWF: The Golden Age...and beyond? by The Final Countdown (March 1987-present) JCP 1988 - The Alliance Fights Back (a TGA... and Beyond Diary) by Ritchardo (April 1988-December 1988) JCP: The Race To The Top [TGAAB] by Anderz (December 1988-present) TGAAB-Verse Central http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/TGA.jpg Show Index: 1987: 3/5: Superstars of Wrestling 3/6: Wrestling Challenge 3/12 & 3/13: Superstars and Challenge 3/19 & 3/20: Superstars and Challenge 3/26 & 3/27: Superstars and Challenge 3/29: WrestleMania III 4/2 & 4/3: Superstars and Challenge 4/9 & 4/10: Superstars and Challenge 4/16 & 4/17: Superstars and Challenge 4/23 & 4/24: Superstars and Challenge 4/26: Big Apple Brawl 5/7 & 5/8: Superstars and Challenge 5/14 & 5/15: Superstars and Challenge 5/21 & 5/22: Superstars and Challenge 5/24: A Royal Challenge 5/28 & 5/29: Superstars and Challenge 6/4 & 6/5: Superstars and Challenge 6/11 & 6/12: Superstars and Challenge 6/18 & 6/19: Superstars and Challenge 6/25 & 6/26: Superstars and Challenge 6/28: King of the Ring 7/2 & 7/3: Superstars and Challenge 7/9 & 7/10: Superstars and Challenge 7/16 & 7/17: Superstars and Challenge 7/19: Bashed in the USA 7/30 & 7/31: Superstars and Challenge 8/6 & 8/7: Superstars and Challenge 8/13 & 8/14: Superstars and Challenge 8/20 & 8/21: Superstars and Challenge 8/26: Challenge and Superstars 8/30: SummerSlam 9/1 & 9/2: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 9/8 & 9/9: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 9/15 & 9/16: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 9/22 & 9/23: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 9/27: Rampage 10/6 & 10/7: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 10/13 & 10/14: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 10/20 & 10/21: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 10/25: WrestleFest 10/27 & 10/28: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 11/3 & 11/4: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 11/10 & 11/11: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 11/17 & 11/18: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 11/24 & 11/25: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 11/26: Survivor Series 12/1 & 12/2: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 12/8 & 12/9: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 12/15 & 12/16: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 12/20: Canadian Stampede 12/22 & 12/23: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 1988: 1/5 & 1/6: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars (summary only) 1/12 & 1/13: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 1/19 & 1/20: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 1/24: Royal Rumble 1/26 & 1/27: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 2/2 & 2/3: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 2/9 & 2/10: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 2/14: Valentine's Violence 2/16 & 2/17: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 2/23 & 2/24: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 3/1 & 3/2: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 3/8 & 3/9: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 3/15 & 3/16: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 3/22 & 3/23: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 3/27: WrestleMania IV 4/5 & 4/6: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 4/12 & 4/13: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 4/19 & 4/20: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 4/24: Grudges, Gripes & Grunts 4/26 & 4/27: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 5/3 & 5/4: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 5/10 & 5/11: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 5/17 & 5/18: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 5/22: Anarchy in the UK 5/24 & 5/25: Main Event, Challenge and Superstars 5/31: Main Event and Challenge 6/7: Main Event and Challenge 6/14: Main Event and Challenge 6/21: Main Event and Challenge 6/26: King of the Ring 7/5: Main Event and Challenge 7/12: Main Event and Challenge 7/19: Main Event and Challenge 7/24: Bashed in the USA 7/26: Main Event and Challenge 8/2: Main Event and Challenge 8/9: Main Event and Challenge 8/16: Main Event and Challenge 8/23: Main Event and Challenge 8/28: SummerSlam 8/30: Main Event and Challenge 9/6: Main Event and Challenge 9/13: Main Event and Challenge 9/18: Rampage 9/20: Main Event and Challenge 10/4: Main Event and Challenge 10/11: Main Event and Challenge 10/18: Main Event and Challenge 10/23: WrestleFest 10/25: Main Event and Challenge 11/1: Main Event and Challenge 11/8: Main Event and Challenge 11/15: Main Event and Challenge 11/22: Main Event and Challenge 11/24: Survivor Series 12/6: Main Event and Challenge 12/13: Main Event and Challenge 12/20: Main Event and Challenge 12/25: Christmas in Canada 12/27: Main Event and Challenge 1989: 1/3: Main Event and Challenge 1/10: Main Event and Challenge 1/17: Main Event and Challenge 1/22: Royal Rumble 1/24: Main Event and Challenge 1/31: Main Event and Challenge 2/7: Main Event and Challenge 2/12: Road to Wrestlemania 2/14: Main Event and Challenge 2/21: Main Event and Challenge 3/7 & 3/8: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 3/14 & 3/15: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 3/21 & 3/22: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 3/28 & 3/29: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 4/2: WrestleMania V 4/4: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 4/11: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 4/18: Main Event, Superstars and Chllenge 4/23: World Tour 4/25 & 4/26: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 5/2 & 5/3: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 5/9 & 5/10: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 5/16 & 5/17: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 5/21: No Holds Barred 5/23 & 5/24: Main Event, Superstars and Challenge 5/29: Wrestling Spotlight 5/30: Main Event and Superstars 6/5: Wrestling Spotlight 6/6: Main Event and Superstars 6/12: Wrestling Spotlight 6/13: Main Event and Superstars 6/19: Wrestling Spotlight 6/20: Main Event and Superstars 6/24: King of the Ring, Night 1 6/25: King of the Ring, Night 2 7/3: Wrestling Spotlight 7/4: Main Event and Superstars 7/10: Wrestling Spotlight 7/11: Main Event and Superstars 7/17: Wrestling Spotlight 7/18: Main Event and Superstars 7/23: Bashed in the USA 7/24: Wrestling Spotlight 7/25: Main Event and Superstars 7/31: Wrestling Spotlight 8/1: Main Event and Superstars 8/7: Wrestling Spotlight 8/8: Main Event and Superstars 8/14: Wrestling Spotlight 8/15: Main Event and Superstars 8/21: Wrestling Spotlight 8/22: Main Event and Superstars 8/27: SummerSlam 9/4: Wrestling Spotlight 9/5: Main Event and Superstars 9/11: Wrestling Spotlight 9/12: Main Event and Superstars 9/18: Wrestling Spotlight 9/19: Main Event and Superstars 9/24: Rampage 9/25: Wrestling Spotlight 9/26: Main Event and Superstars 10/2: Wrestling Spotlight 10/3: Main Event and Superstars 10/9: Wrestling Spotlight 10/10: Main Event and Superstars 10/16: Wrestling Spotlight 10/17: Main Event and Superstars 10/22: Wrestlefest 10/23: Wrestling Spotlight 10/24: Main Event and Superstars 10/30: Wrestling Spotlight 10/31: Main Event and Superstars 11/6: Wrestling Spotlight 11/7: Main Event and Superstars 11/13: Wrestling Spotlight 11/14: Main Event and Superstars 11/20: Wrestling Spotlight 11/21: Main Event and Superstars 11/23: Survivor Series 12/4: Wrestling Spotlight 12/5: Main Event and Superstars 12/11: Wrestling Spotlight 12/12: Main Event and Superstars 12/18: Wrestling Spotlight 12/19: Main Event and Superstars 12/24: Rage in the Cage 12/25: Wrestling Spotlight 12/26: Main Event and Superstars 1990: 1/1: Wrestling Spotlight 1/2: The Main Event 1/8: Wrestling Spotlight 1/9: The Main Event 1/16: The Main Event 1/21: Royal Rumble 1/30: The Main Event 2/6: The Main Event 2/13: The Main Event 2/20: The Main Event 2/25: Road to Wrestlemania 2/27: The Main Event 3/6: The Main Event 3/13: The Main Event 3/20: The Main Event 3/27: The Main Event 4/1: WrestleMania VI, Part I and Part II Championship History: ((Note: all championship histories follow actual history up to March 1987.)) World Wrestling Federation Championship: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/World.jpg The Undertaker http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Undertaker3.jpg Won In: the Royal Rumble match on January 21st, 1990 at Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, Indiana Previous Champions (March 1987 onwards): Ted DiBiase (#2): September 26th, 1989-January 2nd, 1990 (98 days) Bret Hart: April 2nd, 1989-September 26th, 1989 (177 days) Jake Roberts: November 24th, 1988-April 2nd, 1989 (129 days) Ricky Steamboat: August 28th, 1988-November 24th, 1988 (88 days) Ted DiBiase: August 30th, 1987-August 28th, 1988 (364 days) Hulk Hogan: January 23rd, 1984-August 30th, 1987 (1315 days) Title Statistics: Most Title Reigns: T1. Bruno Sammartino, 2 T1. Ted DiBiase, 2 (No one else has more than one title reign) Longest Title Reign (in days): 1. Bruno Sammartino (#1), 2803 2. Bob Backlund, 2118 3. Hulk Hogan, 1315 4. Bruno Sammartino (#2), 1237 5. Pedro Morales, 1027 Total Days Spent as Champion: 1. Bruno Sammartino, 4040 2. Bob Backlund, 2118 3. Hulk Hogan, 1315 4. Pedro Morales, 1027 5. Ted DiBiase, 462 WWF Intercontinental Championship: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/IC.jpg British Bulldog http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Bulldog2.jpg Won From: Sting on January 21st, 1990 at Royal Rumble in Indianapolis, Indiana Previous Champions (March 1987 onwards): Sting: August 27th, 1989-January 21st, 1990 (147 days) Mr. Perfect (#2): April 2nd, 1989-August 27th, 1989 (147 days) Brian Pillman: February 12th, 1989-April 2nd, 1989 (49 days) Mr. Perfect (#1): September 18th, 1988-February 12th, 1989 (147 days) Ricky Steamboat (#2): March 27th, 1988-August 30th, 1988 (156 days) Bret Hart: December 20th, 1987-March 27th, 1988 (98 days) Ricky Steamboat (#1): April 26th, 1987-December 20th, 1987 (238 days) Randy Savage: February 8th, 1986-April 26th, 1987 (442 days) Title Statistics: Most Title Reigns: T1. Tito Santana, 2 T1. Magnificent Muraco, 2 T1. Pedro Morales, 2 T1. Ricky Steamboat, 2 T1. Mr. Perfect, 2 (No one else has more than one title reign) Longest Title Reign (in days): 1. Randy Savage, 442 2. Pedro Morales (#2), 425 3. Magnificent Muraco (#2), 385 4. Greg Valentine, 285 5. Ricky Steamboat (#1), 238 Total Days Spent as Champion: 1. Pedro Morales, 619 2. Magnificent Muraco, 541 3. Tito Santana, 443 4. Randy Savage, 442 5. Ricky Steamboat, 394 WWF World Television Championship: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/TV.jpg "Beautiful" Bobby Eaton http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Eaton2.jpg Won From: Alexei Bakarov on October 31st, 1989 at The Main Event in Cedar Falls, Iowa Previous Champions (March 1987 onwards): Alexei Bakarov: February 21st, 1989-October 31st, 1989 (252 days) Sting: December 13th, 1988-February 21st, 1989 (70 days) Michael Pulitzer: June 21st, 1988-December 13th, 1988 (175 days) Brian Pillman: February 9th, 1988-June 21st, 1988 (133 days) Rick Rude: October 13th, 1987-January 26th, 1988 (105 days) Koko B. Ware: September 1st, 1987-October 13th, 1987 (42 days) Hercules: April 9th, 1987-September 1st, 1987 (145 days) Title Statistics: Longest Title Reign (in days): 1. Alexei Bakarov, 252 2. Michael Pulitzer, 175 3. Hercules, 145 4. Brian Pillman, 133 5. Rick Rude, 105 WWF World Tag Team Championship: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Tag.jpg Hartflush (Jimmy Flush and Jim Neidhart) http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Flush2.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Neidhart2.jpg Won From: The Rock 'n Roll Express on July 23rd, 1989 at Bashed in the USA in Kansas City, Missouri Previous Champions (March 1987 onwards): The Rock 'n Roll Express (April 2nd, 1989-July 23rd, 1989 (112 days) The Steiner Brothers (October 23rd, 1988-April 2nd, 1989 (161 days) Demolition (#2): March 27th, 1988-October 23rd, 1988 (210 days) Strike Force: January 24th, 1988-March 27th, 1988 (63 days) Demolition: August 30th, 1987-January 24th, 1988 (147 days) The Funks: July 19th, 1987-August 30th, 1987 (42 days) The Hart Foundation: January 26th, 1987-July 19th, 1987 (174 days) Title Statistics: Most Title Reigns: T1. Tony Garea, 5 T1. Mr. Fuji, 5 3. Chief Jay Strongbow, 4 (Several others tied with 3) Longest Title Reign (in days): 1. The Valiant Brothers, 370 2. Mr. Fuji and Professor Tanaka (#1), 337 3. The British Bulldogs, 294 4. Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch, 279 5. Mr. Fuji and Mr. Saito (#1), 258 Total Days Spent as Champion: 1. Mr. Fuji, 932 2. Johnny Valiant, 600 3. Tony Garea, 597 4. Professor Tanaka, 569 T5. Afa, 431 T5. Sika, 431 WWF Women's Championship: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Womens.jpg Masami Yoshida http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Yoshida.jpg Won From: Bull Nakano on January 8th, 1990 at Wrestling Spotlight in Hokkaido, Japan Previous Champions (March 1987 onwards): Bull Nakano: September 24th, 1989-January 8th, 1990 (106 days) Alundra Blayze: May 2nd, 1989-September 24th, 1989 (145 days) Matsumoto: August 28th, 1988-May 2nd, 1989 (247 days) Velvet McIntyre (#3): June 14th, 1988-August 28th, 1988 (75 days) Ripper Rhonda: March 27th, 1988-June 14th, 1988 (79 days) Velvet McIntyre (#2): April 2nd, 1987-March 27th, 1988 (360 days) The Fabulous Moolah (#3): July 9th, 1986-April 2nd, 1987 (267 days) Title Statistics: Most Title Reigns: T1. The Fabulous Moolah, 3 T1. Velvet McIntyre, 3 3. Wendi Richter, 2 (No one else has more than one title reign) Longest Title Reign (in days): 1. The Fabulous Moolah (#1), 479 2. Velvet McIntyre (#2), 360 3. The Fabulous Moolah (#3), 267 4. Matsumoto, 247 5. Wendi Richter (#2), 239 Total Days Spent as Champion: 1. The Fabulous Moolah, 966 2. Wendi Richter, 449 3. Velvet McIntyre, 441 4. Matsumoto, 247 5. Alundra Blayze, 145 WWF Royal Rumble: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Rumble.jpg 1990: The Undertaker 1989: Bret Hart 1988: Hulk Hogan Royal Rumble Match Statistics: Most Eliminations (single year): T1. Vader (1989), 7 T1. The Undertaker (1990), 7 T3. Bret Hart (1989), 5 T3. Andre the Giant (1988), 5 T5. Four wrestlers tied with 4 Most Eliminations (cumulative): 1. The Undertaker, 12 2. Vader, 9 T3. Andre the Giant, 7 T3. Bret Hart, 7 T3. Hulk Hogan, 7 Longest Match Time (single year): 1. Mr. Perfect (1990), 55:24 2. Owen Hart (1989), 30:42 3. Bret Hart (1989), 28:35 4. Randy Savage (1988), 27:44 5. Bret Hart (1990), 27:34 Longest Match Time (cumulative): 1. Mr. Perfect, 1:18:27 2. Bret Hart, 56:09 3. Owen Hart, 50:31 4. The Undertaker, 41:32 5. Hulk Hogan, 35:18 Full statistics available here. WWF King of the Ring: http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/KOTR.jpg 1989: Owen Hart 1988: Ricky Steamboat 1987: Ted DiBiase 1986: Harley Race 1985: Magnificent Muraco WWF's Ultimate Fan Series: 1989: Championship Pedigree, managed by Bernie Klein (BHK6)--Hulk Hogan, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana, Robert Gibson and The Rougeau Brothers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christmas_ape Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Excited to be able to read one of your diaries from the beginning as I enjoyed your ROH one, good luck, I'm definitely a reader! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huntman Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 This is gonna be epic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttj0001 Posted March 10, 2013 Share Posted March 10, 2013 Looking forward to this one! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 I plan to post an introduction to the diary proper tomorrow, but first, a little insight into what I envision from this diary. Many of you may have enjoyed my only previous diary on this board, where I ran ROH from its origins in 2002. I am a long-time ROH fan, and it was great fun to do my own take on the beginnings of the company. The process of writing the diary was honestly far more time-consuming than I had thought it would be, but the reader response made all of the effort worth it. I would still be working on it today, sticking with TEW2008 (yes, 2008!) if I hadn't had issues with my save data. As fun as it was, though, I have one rather large regret: it didn't last long enough. That may sound bizarre to those of you who followed it, as it was one of the longest-running diaries in the history of the forum, both in terms of how long it lasted and how many posts there were in the thread. But in the nearly four years I ran it, I booked a little over three years' worth of shows. I guess that's quite a lot, but for me, it wasn't enough. I wanted to see how the game world changed year after year, both in my company and throughout the rest of the world. That is what I hope to accomplish with this diary. I don't want merely to book a few years, make it into the early 90's and stop. I want to see the debuts of guys like Steve Austin, Chris Jericho and The Rock, and see if they ever approach the heights that they did in real life. I want to see if major promotions of the day like JCP and the AWA go under like they did in reality, or if their fates will be different this time around. And, of course, I want to put my own spin on the history of the promotion I grew up watching, the WWF. In order to attempt this, the length of my show write-ups will have to decrease in comparison to what you may be used to if you followed my ROH diary. Matches will be much less detailed, with only a few sentences to describe the general idea of what happened (big matches at PPVs will probably see a little more detail, but still not likely at the length I used to routinely reach.) Angles will follow a similar pattern; instead of writing a promo out word for word, I'm planning on summing up what happened and what was said, and perhaps throw in a direct quote or two to give them a bit of flavor. I also don't plan on taking predictions for my TV shows, at least in the current era. Things could always change as time goes on and the direction of the WWF shifts, but this is the plan for the time being. Excited to be able to read one of your diaries from the beginning as I enjoyed your ROH one, good luck, I'm definitely a reader! Well, this is only my 2nd diary, so you didn't have many chances to do so before now. Thanks for wishing me luck, and I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and please accept a hearty pat on the back for being my first commenter! This is gonna be epic It's gonna be legen...wait for it...oh, screw it. I hope you're right. I also hope some more of my ROH readers pop in, despite the totally different era and product. It'd be cool to see some familiar faces (equally cool to see new people, of course.) PS: I haven't even started my actual game yet; still tinkering with the editor to get things exactly as I want them. But when I do, I think you'll approve of one of the guys I'm going to try and sign right away. Looking forward to this one! Thanks! So am I; it should be a lot of fun. Before I go, let me throw a couple of questions out there. One: if I were to quickly implement a monthly PPV schedule, would anyone feel like I was straying from reality too radically, too quickly? I was originally going to just have the "big four" shows on PPV, and run a large untelevised event in the other eight months. But it seems kind of silly to handicap myself in that way, so I'm now leaning towards using the modern PPV schedule right away. If there is resistance to this idea, I'm willing to listen. Two: if anyone else has played as WWF in this time frame, have you come up with a feasible way to simulate a Saturday Night's Main Event type show? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttj0001 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Sounds like a good plan. Honestly, I only got to read part of the ROH diary, but the behind the scenes stuff is what hooked me. The length of the matches/promos aren't really that big of a deal to me, so do what's easiest for you. As far as the monthly shows go, that would be ok with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaysin Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I'm playing as JCP converted into WCW early and I decided to go with the 12 PPV system. I don't think anyone should really object to that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beejus Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I'm always interested to read a diary of TGA, but my interest is really piqued after reading some of your followers come in here and praise your work. I'll definitely be along for this. The game kinda does handicap an old school mod like this, as doing "the big four" is a huge disservice to yourself. There really is no reason to miss out on the money and prestige that the yearly schedule gives you, just to be realistic; at least, that's what I always tell myself when I'm doing a play of JCP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyver3 Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Wow that's all i thought when i saw this thread. I can say from experience that the golden age mod can be very interesting the farther you go (I've simmed to 02 for personal ROH and TNA games). Looking forward to your version of the federation and hopefully you make it to the new millennium and beyond. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEEL Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I cannot wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjhabeeb Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Very excited I'm am struggling through TGA now and I loved your previous work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 February 16th, 1987 My name is James Hill, and I am surrounded by people that hate me. Well, maybe hate is too strong a word. They certainly aren't very fond of me, though. I'm used to it, of course. They view me as an outsider, someone who has no business sitting in this room. Blackjack Lanza, Pat Patterson, Gerald Brisco, Chief Jay Strongbow, Tony Garea...every last one of them is 'one of the boys', someone who has been involved with the business for decades. Me, I'm a 20-year old kid who studied broadcasting and creative writing at UCLA before a chance meeting with Vince McMahon over the summer of '86 made enough of an impression for me to land a job here at Titan Tower, headquarters of the World Wrestling Federation. That doesn't explain why I've been summoned to this meeting, though. I really have no reason to attend a meeting between Vince and his crew of road agents, but when the boss calls, you answer. Fast. And call us Vince had, though the road agents seem just as clueless as I am as to why we're here. “Good morning, gentlemen,” Vince says cheerfully from his seat at the head of the conference table. “I assume you're all wondering why I've asked you here for this meeting?” Rhetorical, obviously. “The purpose of this meeting is for me to figure out which one of you will be my successor as the creative head of the World Wrestling Federation.” Wait...what did he just say? “Vince...what're ya talking about?” Brisco asks, voicing the question that is on all of our minds. “Why would you wanna walk away? We're doing huge business! RassleMania III is gonna be the biggest dang show in wrestling history!” “That's exactly why this is the perfect time for me to take a step back,” Vince says. “I've taken my dad's local New York 'rasslin promotion, and transformed it into a national powerhouse. This is truly the golden age of our business, and I see no reason for that to change at any point in the near future. The World Wrestling Federation is going to dominate the sports entertainment landscape well into the next decade, and even the next millennium. “But that's not enough for me. I don't want to confine myself to this one particular industry for the rest of my life. I want the WWF to become a global brand, far beyond professional wrestling. I want a WWF film studio, a WWF record label, perhaps a WWF professional football league. I want the WWF to become a brand name as big as any in the world. And in order for me to achieve those objectives, I must hand the reins of the wrestling side of our operation over to someone else.” Vince is pausing to take a sip of his coffee, and I'm struggling to comprehend what I've just heard. Vince McMahon, the man who revolutionized the professional wrestling business, is going to put his company in the hands of someone else? And just weeks before Wrestle-freaking-Mania, no less? “I will retain ownership of the company, of course, and reserve the right to return to my old position at any time if I feel it is necessary,” Vince continues after setting his coffee down. “But I trust that it won't be. One of you will take over for me, gentlemen, and I have the utmost confidence that whichever one of you I choose will make sure the World Wrestling Federation remains strong, and continues to grow.” “How are you going to decide who takes over for you?” Strongbow asks, while Garea and Patterson stare at me, obviously confused as to why I've been included in this group. I share the confusion, quite honestly. Anyone else in this room would make an obvious choice as the new booker. I stick out like a sore thumb amongst this group. “Good question, Jay," Vince says. "I'm going to ask each of you to share with me your vision for the WWF. I want you to detail what improvements you think could be made, and how you think the company can prepare itself to be a success not just now or a year from now, but a decade from now. I want to be sure that I'm turning things over into the right hands. Whichever one of you comes up with the best plan will assume control of the day-to-day operations of the WWF at the beginning of March. Sound good?” I'm nodding and saying yes, just as everyone else is. How else can we respond, really, after the bombshell we've just had dropped on us? “Excellent!” Vince says enthusiastically, a big grin on his face. “That's all I wanted to share with you, gentlemen. Now, I have a busy day ahead of me, so if you will excuse me...” Without another word, Vince is striding towards the door to deal with whatever else is on his agenda for the day, leaving behind a roomful of five ex-wrestlers turned road agents, and one kid who has been a WWF employee for all of seven months. One of the six people inside this room is about to become the man in charge of the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, little more than a month out from the biggest wrestling show of all time. And the prevailing thought running through my mind: why me? Why was I included in this meeting? Why is Vince looking at me as a candidate? Without consciously deciding to do so, I am on my feet and out the door, hurrying to catch up with Vince. I meet up with him in the hallway, and he turns as he hears my footsteps closing in from behind. “Make it quick, James,” he says. “I've got a busy schedule today.” “I know that, sir, and I'm sorry for interrupting you. I just wondered, why me?” “Why you? What do you mean?” Vince asks me, sounding puzzled. “Why did you want me in that meeting? Everyone else that's in there has so much more experience than I do, and would be far more logical choices to take over for you.” “Logical according to who? My judgment is the only one that matters, and I wanted you there. You're creative, you're smart, and you're not stuck in the past. So what if you're not a 'rasslin guy? That's a point in your favor, to be honest. I'm not looking for a 'rasslin guy. I'm looking for someone who has the vision to pick up where I'm leaving off, and keep the WWF thriving. Maybe the right person for the job is one of my experienced, longtime associates who are still in that room, or maybe that person is you, a young, bright kid with a different perspective and fresh ideas. That's what we're going to find out in the days to come. Now, if there's nothing else, I have a hundred different places to be, so I really must be going.” Vince is walking off again, but this time I'm not following him. I'm standing stock still, lost to the world as I begin mentally outlining the proposal I will submit. I have no doubt that if anyone else in that room is given control on March 1st, I will be handed my walking papers no later than March 2nd. But if I can sell Vince on my vision of the WWF's future, maybe I can save my own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyver3 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 nicely done with the intro hopefully your proposal to Vince is a good one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttj0001 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Great beginning... Really looking forward to see where you take this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjhabeeb Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 nicely done with the intro hopefully your proposal to Vince is a good one yeah lets hope you get the job Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texasrangers13 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 I hope Vince picks Chief Jay Strongbow!!!! Oh. I mean... I'm not a fan of the 80s-early 90s because I just don't know the time period, 95-02 is right in my wheelhouse. But I will be a huge fan of this. Best of luck on continued success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 Another backstory bit or two to post tomorrow, and hopefully tomorrow or the next day...the first show! (Unless Vince gives the job to Tony Garea instead! ) I guess I should have done this earlier, but what the heck, I'll do it now! A couple of acknowledgements: -Genadi & crew for the Golden Age mod, obviously. This is my 2nd diary, and both have been powered by one of Genadi's mods. Keep up the awesome work, dude! -Hive for the Clash of The Tians mod, which I have used to import some missing future workers/promotions to fill in some gaps. -justxyank for the Organic picture set(s), which I am switching to for this diary. I'm happy to be leaving KyKy behind! nicely done with the intro hopefully your proposal to Vince is a good one yeah lets hope you get the job Thanks for the well wishes, guys! My fingers are crossed. Great beginning... Really looking forward to see where you take this... I've already got tentative plans for most of my major PPV main events up through WMIV, but as I learned in my ROH game, plans are made to be broken. Hopefully you'll enjoy it either way. I hope Vince picks Chief Jay Strongbow!!!! Oh. I mean... I'm not a fan of the 80s-early 90s because I just don't know the time period, 95-02 is right in my wheelhouse. But I will be a huge fan of this. Best of luck on continued success. How DARE you root for the Chief! I'm glad you're going to be following along despite this not really being your era. Hopefully you can stick it out until I make it to the mid-90's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 12, 2013 Author Share Posted March 12, 2013 February 20th, 1987 Vince, I'm not sure exactly what you want to hear, or exactly what you're looking for. I never expected to be in this position, and I'm sure the rest of your candidates are similarly surprised to find me in the running. I may not have the years in the business and the in-ring credibility that most people would value when appointing a wrestling booker, but after our talk, I believe that those differences are exactly why I was in that room, and why you hired me in the first place. You aren't looking for a 'wrestling booker'; not in the traditional sense. The person who gets this job will make those traditional 'booking' decisions, but that's only one piece of the puzzle. Running the WWF isn't just about putting together a roster, hyping up big matches and drawing large gates. You have fundamentally changed the way this business operates, and in order to remain ahead of the curve and continue to build on this period of huge success, we have to constantly innovate. We cannot be afraid to break the mold and do things that no other wrestling company has the foresight or the guts to do. With respect to the rest of your candidates, I think most of them will propose essentially the same thing: business as usual. You aren't going to get that from me. You asked for a plan that had the long-term future of the company in mind, so here are the changes I envision should I be put in charge: Expand to a monthly pay-per-view schedule People doubted the pay-per-view concept, but you proved them wrong. WrestleMania has been an unmitigated success, and WMIII should break every record there is to break. But why should we stop there? Let's get a stranglehold on the PPV market before any other company can throw their hat into the ring. As I see it, the way to do that is to implement a 12-PPV schedule. Not all of our PPVs would be created equal, of course. I'm picturing three distinct tiers that all of these events would fit into. Alone at the top is the original, WrestleMania. It would remain the most prestigious and anticipated night of our year. It would also be the longest, at around 3 hours with 8-10 matches, and the most expensive to purchase. The next tier would be comprised of two or three shows that clock in at around 2 and a half hours and cost slightly less than WM, and the other eight or nine months, we would run two hour PPVs that would be even more modestly priced. With this setup, I think we should see a huge boost to our bottom line. Unfortunately, I think switching to this schedule would require us to discontinue our “Saturday Night's Main Event” tapings. The deal with NBC was great exposure, but if we're going to run a PPV every month, we can't afford to give away too many big matches on free TV. Create a WWF “farm system” In the past, we have not been afraid to sign the cream of the crop away from our competitors. There's no reason we can't continue to do so, but I think it would behoove us to additionally set up a subsidiary wrestling promotion. This would allow us to sign promising but green talent before any of our competition can get their hooks in them, and let them develop under our supervision until they're ready for the bright lights of the WWF. If the MLB does it, why shouldn't we? Build new superstars This isn't so much a change as a train of thought, but I think it merits a mention. Hulk Hogan is the golden goose, and having him as the face of the company has helped us reach unprecedented heights. But he won't be around forever. There's no reason to move him out of his spot at the present time, but it's important for us to recognize that we can't depend on him forever. In addition, Andre is a part-timer at best at this point, and Piper seems to be leaning heavily towards going to Hollywood after Mania. We are about to enter a critical juncture, and it is extremely important for us to start building up some fresh main event talent, whether they come from within our existing roster or from elsewhere. I have other ideas as to how the WWF can continue to grow into a truly global operation, but these are the nuts and bolts of my plans for future growth. Hopefully you like my ideas enough to entrust your company to me. If not, thank you for the opportunity nevertheless. “Have a seat, James.” I do so, claiming the seat opposite Vince. He looks quite comfortable sitting behind the large desk in his office, but I'm not feeling it. I've gotten rather attached to the idea of running the WWF over the last four days, and it will be quite the blow if Vince has called me in here to tell me he's going to go in another direction. “I read your ideas. Very interesting,” Vince says, and now he's pausing. I can't get a read on him. Did he like my ideas, or is he just humoring me? I can't tell, so all I can do is hold my breath and hope for the best. After seconds that feel more like months, Vince finally puts me out of my misery. “You've got the job. Congratulations.” It takes a moment for what he said to sink in, but when it does, I exhale loudly. Vince gives one of his familiar belly laughs at my reaction, and reaches across the desk to offer me his hand. I gladly take it, and he gives me a hearty shake. “Thank you so much, Vince. I won't let you down,” I promise, but he waves me off. “I know you won't. That's why I picked you,” he replies. “You were the only one who brought something new to the table. The others may have done a fine job in the short term, but I know that you're the right guy to lead this company into the future.” Now that the fluff is finished, it's down to business. “Now, as I said on Monday, you won't officially assume control until March 1st. In the meantime, we can sort of collaborate on the TV shows so you can put your own stamp on the lead-up to WrestleMania. Sound good?” “Absolutely. Can't wait.” I have no clue where this ride will take me or how long it will last, but I'm beyond excited to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttj0001 Posted March 12, 2013 Share Posted March 12, 2013 Congrats on the job. Quick question: are you playing with owner goals on? If so, that could present an interesting challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 13, 2013 Author Share Posted March 13, 2013 Congrats on the job. Quick question: are you playing with owner goals on? If so, that could present an interesting challenge. Not at the beginning, no. I may turn them on a bit later once I get my feet under me; we'll see. I purchased TEW2013 and started my save today, so I should hopefully get the first show up tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michgcs Posted March 13, 2013 Share Posted March 13, 2013 Congrats on the job. Quick question: are you playing with owner goals on? If so, that could present an interesting challenge. LOL It probably would've made for a really short diary if he didn't get the job Not at the beginning, no. I may turn them on a bit later once I get my feet under me; we'll see. I purchased TEW2013 and started my save today, so I should hopefully get the first show up tomorrow. Good to hear, looking forward to it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 14, 2013 Author Share Posted March 14, 2013 March 5th, 1987: Superstars of Wrestling http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/SOW.jpg March 5th, 1987 From the Meadowlands Arena in East Rutherford, New Jersey Attendance: 20,213 (sell-out!) Announce Team: Gorilla Monsoon, Vince McMahon and Jesse "The Body" Ventura http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/GorillaMonsoon.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/VinceMcMahon.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/JesseVentura.jpg http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/HulkHogan.jpg In a backstage promo, Hulk Hogan vowed that despite his hotly anticipated upcoming WWF Championship match against Andre The Giant at WrestleMania, he was fully focused on tonight's main event against Nikolai Volkoff. Hogan: "Don't think that you're gonna get off easy just because I've got a giant in my future, brother! Tonight is all about you and me, comrade, so whatcha gonna do when the red, white and blue runs wild on you!” Grade: B- British Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team (w/Johnny Valiant) http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/DaveyBoySmith.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/DynamiteKid.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/BrutusBeefcake.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/GregValentine.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/JohnnyValiant.jpg As the match was beginning, Jesse Ventura mentioned that the rumor mill indicated that the winning team would be granted a championship match against The Hart Foundation at WrestleMania. With that rumor perhaps serving as added motivation, the Dream Team managed to cut Dynamite Kid off from his half of the ring and do a number on him for several minutes, before Dynamite was able to lunge to his corner and make the hot tag to Davey Boy. The larger Bulldog went on a tear, but it was actually Beefcake who would decide the match by inadvertently striking his own partner with a clothesline. That miscommunication enabled Davey to roll Valentine up for the pin. Winners: British Bulldogs with a Schoolboy Rollup by Davey Boy Smith on Greg Valentine at 12:21 Grade: C http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/BrutusBeefcake.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/GregValentine.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/JohnnyValiant.jpg “The Hammer” was not happy about the loss. He berated Brutus for costing them the match, while Beefcake tried to apologize for his mistake. Eventually, Valiant was able to reason with Greg on his partner's behalf, and cooler heads prevailed. Grade: C http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/HonkyTonkMan.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/JimmyHart.jpg The Honky Tonk Man and Jimmy Hart were not the least bit remorseful about Honky's brutal assault of Jake Roberts on Superstars of Wrestling back in February, where Honky used his own guitar as a weapon against Roberts. In fact, they gloated about it. Honky: ”What I did to that slimy snake in his own “Snake Pit” might have been my greatest hit yet, Colonel! But I've got even more in store for him at WrestleMania III, because when the Colonel and the Honky Tonk Man hit Detroit Rock City, we're gonna show all those wannabe rock 'n' roll bands how a real musician does it!” Grade: B- Tito Santana vs. Dino Bravo (w/Johnny Valiant) http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/TitoSantana.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/DinoBravo.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/JohnnyValiant.jpg The Canadian strongman Bravo tried to use that vaunted power to take out Santana, but the former 2-time Intercontinental titleholder neutralized Bravo's strength advantage with his speed and technical wrestling skills. Bravo did his best to keep up with his more agile opponent, but when Tito locked on the Figure Four dead in the center of the ring, he admitted defeat. Winner: Tito Santana with the Figure Four at 08:51 Grade: C A video chronicling the conflict between Roddy Piper and Adrian Adonis was played. At the conclusion of the video, it was revealed Piper would be on the program the following week to discuss his upcoming Hair vs. Hair match against Adonis at WrestleMania. Grade: B http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/RandySavage.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/MissElizabeth.jpg “Macho Man” Randy Savage, flanked by the lovely Elizabeth, guaranteed victory against Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat when they meet at WrestleMania III for Savage's Intercontinental title. He also expressed his disappointment at beating Steamboat's friend George “The Animal” Steele by countout on the most recent Saturday Night's Main Event. But there was a silver lining for Savage. Savage: ”Next week on Superstars of Wrestling, The Animal goes one on one with the Macho Man one more time, but this time, there won't be any countout, no, no, no! This time, I'm gonna pin that freak's shoulders to the mat for the one-two-three! And Steamboat, I want you there! I want you to have an up close and personal view at what's gonna happen to you at WrestleMania III! OOH YEAH!” Grade: B Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff (w/Slick) http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/HulkHogan.jpg vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/NikolaiVolkoff.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Slick.jpg The Hulkster knew he wasn't going to have an easy night against Volkoff, a former WWF tag team champion. Volkoff was very aggressive during the match. Some may say he was overly aggressive, in fact, since he rarely attempted any pins even when he might have had the opportunity. Volkoff dished out quite a bit of punishment, and was aided in this endeavor by Slick, who got involved whenever the referee wasn't watching him. But the Hulk isn't the champion of the world for nothing. He rallied back with a flurry of punches to the face, knocked Nikolai down with a foot to the face, and dropped the big leg for the victory. Winner: Hulk Hogan with the Leg Drop at 10:28 Grade: B http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/HulkHogan.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/NikolaiVolkoff.jpghttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Slick.jpg Hogan was celebrating his win, but rather than checking on the fallen Volkoff, Slick was gesturing to the backstage area. His intent became obvious moments later. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/TheIronSheik.jpg The Iron Sheik, another Slick charge, ran down to the ring and ambushed Hulk from behind. It wasn't long before Volkoff was back on his feet, and both of them ganged up on Hogan. But the Hulkster overcame the odds; he fought both of his attackers off, knocked them over the top rope and to the floor with a double clothesline, and stood tall inside the ring as Slick and his men fled. Grade: B Overall Show Grade: B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rjhabeeb Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Like the new writeup style its not ROH but WWF isnt ROH......also with the extra shows you'll produce it should work well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ritchardo Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Excellent! Really looking forward to seeing how you go when you get your teeth sunk into this one and you've beaten me to the punch - my laptop is in the shop getting repaired today and I should have it back tomorrow... I had planned on re-running an '87 diary (and shortening the write-ups to keep me playing...) but I think I'll sit on my hands for now... maybe I'll go Crockett for a change! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BHK1978 Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Liked the first show, the only thing that sucks is with TEW you really are not allowed to book shows the way they were booked back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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