Let There Be War: A WCW Tale

[Nobby_McDonald]

TFC in WCW. How come I never noticed this before?

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 1

 

The night before Fall Brawl, Vince ran his latest In Your House PPV. I'll give him credit where it is due; the main event of Owen Hart beating older brother Bret for his first successful world title defense was a very good one. I'd rate it at a B+, better than our War Games match. The rest of the show was lacking, though. I think it was a B effort overall, which means our B+ was better.

 

Vince pulled the trigger and re-signed Warrior, who will probably make his return to the company sometime in October. He gives them some needed star power, but also a huge headache.

 

The WWF also beefed up their women's division with several signings. According to my staff, Bull Nakano and Akira Hokuto are the best of the bunch. Not that it matters much to me so long as we don't have a female division of our own.

 

I'm about to swoop in and offer a written deal to one of Vince's upper card guys who has been working under a PPA deal. Maybe that'll teach him to lock his guys up so I can't steal them out from under his nose like I did Luger.

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 1

 

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Monday, Week 1, October 1995

From the Roanoke Civic Center in Roanoke, Virginia

Attendance: 9,727

Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan

 

Pre-Show: The Shark defeated Joey Maggs in 05:08 (D+) and Sgt. Craig Pittman defeated Tim Horner in 05:24 (D).

 

 

We began with what has become our usual intro; we promoted our show, including Hulk answering the challenge of the Giant and Ric Flair wrestling VK Wallstreet, and took some shots at Raw's taped format while I gave away their results. I think I did some good improv while I mocked the WWF's Owen Hart/Diesel title rematch, but Bobby's quips weren't as sharp as they usually are. (Grade: C+)

 

With The Giant standing in the background, Taskmaster said we would find out later on tonight whether or not Hulk still had the courage to face a giant like he did 8 years ago. But he said that the Dungeon of Doom wouldn't be satisfied just with the World title and the destruction of Hulkamania; they were going to take over WCW itself. That's why he was challenging Sting to put the United States title on the line against him at Halloween Havoc. Some of Kevin's lines were borderline nonsensical here, but I was still pleased with the angle as a whole. Fans are really reacting to this storyline. (Grade: B+)

 

Eddie Guerrero vs. Dean Malenko: We went back to the well with this Fall Brawl rematch, and despite Eddie having an off night, he and Malenko delivered action that was the same high quality as their PPV bout. Guerrero avenged his controversial loss with the frog splash at 10:19. (Grade: C+)

 

Mean Gene was conducting an interview with the Nasty Boys, but it was interrupted by the Blue Bloods. Regal said that it was an insult that a pair of uncultured scoundrels like the Nastys were getting interview time while a team like the Blue Bloods was left off of the show. The Nastys screamed at them and dared them to fight, but the Blue Bloods said they were highly-skilled athletes who only competed inside the ring. Brian Knobbs demanded that this segment be unscripted, so I did so despite my reluctance. The Nastys and Gene actually held up their end well, but Regal and Eaton struggled to be heard. (Grade: C)

 

Johnny B. Badd vs. Maxx Muscle: Johnny took on DDP's bodyguard as part of his ongoing pursuit of the TV title. Muscle's power brawling game and Johnny's fast paced aerial moves made for a better match than I'd expected. Badd unsurprisingly got the win at 08:28. (Grade: C+)

 

DDP snuck down to try and ambush Johnny after the match, but Badd ducked the attempted belt shot and unloaded with punches before Dallas fled the ringside area. Despite being disappointed with their output at Fall Brawl, I'm not ready to end this feud just yet. (Grade: C+)

 

Men at Work vs. Meng and Zodiac (w/Taskmaster): Glorified squash here. The Dungeon of Doom dominated this, with Meng looking really good in the buttkicker role. Kevin Sullivan also did some good work on the floor, guiding his men as they went over their victims at 04:52. (Grade: D)

 

Ric Flair joined Mean Gene for an interview about both the Brian Pillman/Arn Anderson situation and his match against VK Wallstreet. Ric was on point with his lines here, and Gene's reactions were great too. (Grade: B)

 

Dave Sullivan vs. Kurasawa (w/Col. Parker): Kurasawa got back on track here in his first appearance after the ending of his feud with Hawk, beating “Evad” at 07:29 in convincing fashion. Col. Parker did his customary good work on the outside. (Grade: C-)

 

Mean Gene called down Harlem Heat, the new WCW Tag Team Champions. The new champs said that they were sitting at home in Harlem enjoying their victory last week when a couple of “old-school suckas” showed up on their turf and called them out. They said that they don't ever back down from a fight, and any time the Steiner brothers want some, they can come get some. That brought out the Steiners, and a back-and-forth argument ensued, which led into both teams agreeing to a title match at Halloween Havoc. Sherri and Booker worked as well as ever together, and she helped Stevie out as well. (Grade: B-)

 

World Cruiserweight Championship--Jushin Liger vs. Brian Pillman (©): Another Fall Brawl rematch, this one Pillman's first cruiserweight title defense. Much like the Guerrero/Malenko match from earlier, this was every bit as good as what fans got on the PPV. The end came when Liger missed on a top rope attempt and Pillman cradled him for the pin at 12:40. (Grade: B-)

 

VK Wallstreet gave an interview, saying that not even Space Mountain could compare with the power and influence of Wall Street, and he'd prove it in tonight's main event. (Grade: B-)

 

When Hulk Hogan pulled up in the parking lot, Lex Luger and Randy Savage were waiting for him. Savage offered to have Hulk's back if anything went down, but Hulk said he needed to handle this by himself. Lex said that that was probably a good idea, otherwise Hulk might “accidentally” take him out like he did Sting, a comment Hulk did not appreciate. Hulk and Lex had some good improv and sold their mutual animosity well, but Savage was very poor. (Grade: A)

 

Ric Flair vs. VK Wallstreet: Two experienced grapplers were our main event, and they put on a very good match that blended together solid wrestling and cheap shots from both men. Wallstreet got in plenty of offense, but had to submit to the figure four at 13:46. (Grade: B+)

 

Brian Pillman came down to the ring after the match and got in Ric Flair's face, yelling at him about holding Arn Anderson down. As they were arguing, Arn himself came down. He put himself between them and played peacemaker, saying that this pointless arguing had to stop. Flair and Pillman were both reluctant, but ended their argument to appease Anderson. There was great improv from all three, but Pillman's performance was poor as he cut off Flair multiple times and interrupted the flow of the segment. (Grade: A)

 

In our final segment of the night, Hulk Hogan came down to the ring and called out the Giant. Once his rival was on the ramp, Hulk cut an impassioned promo about all the giants and monsters he'd slain throughout his career. He worked the crowd exceptionally well, drawing them into his speech and causing them to erupt when he agreed to put his title on the line against the Giant at Halloween Havoc. (Grade: A*)

 

Show Overall: B+

TNT Rating: 7.29

 

Raw Overall: B-

Raw USA Rating: 4.75

 

 

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Saturday, Week 1, October 1995

From the Spartanburg Auditorium in Wilmington, North Carolina

Attendance: 2,000 (sell-out!)

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay

 

Alex Wright defeated Billy Kidman at 05:17. (D+)

 

Mean Gene interviewed Dallas Page, who was furious at the news that Johnny B. Badd had been granted a rematch for the TV title at Halloween Havoc. (B-)

 

The American Males defeated the State Patrol at 05:29. (D)

 

A video package announced that Sting would return this Monday on Nitro. (B+)

 

Huh Morrus (w/The Taskmaster) defeated Julio Sanchez at 05:20. (D+)

 

In an interview with Gene, the Steiner Brothers said that at Halloween Havoc, they would prove they were still the best tag team in the world when they took the tag team titles from Harlem Heat. ©

 

Rey Misterio Jr. defeated Devon Storm at 06:35. (C-)

 

Scott Norton defeated Cobra at 04:10. (D-)

 

After the match, Norton shouted that he wanted better competition. (D)

 

When questioned by Mean Gene, Arn Anderson assured him that the previous tension surrounding Ric Flair, Brian Pillman and himself was water under the bridge, and he had an idea to prove it that he would reveal this Monday on Nitro. (B)

 

Show Overall: C

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 1

 

Ken Shamrock of UFC fame announced he wanted to resume his pro wrestling career. Shamrock has credibility as a legitimate athlete and tough guy, something I think I can mold into an interesting character. I immediately got in touch with him and we’ve agreed to terms on a contract. Interestingly, Brian Knobbs strongly objected to the signing. I guess Shamrock made at least one friend when he visited the locker room for the Saturday Night tapings though, because I saw he and Joey Maggs carrying on a long conversation.

 

Tensions have been mounting between the WWF and Smoky Mountain Wrestling, owned and booked by Jim Cornette. The same Jim Cornette who also works for Vince as a color commentator. THAT should make for some interesting on-air commentary...

 

On the heels of my blockbuster addition of the Steiners, Vince introduced a new duo to his own tag team division on his Superstars show--the long-awaited combination of Bushwhacker Luke and Henry Godwin! They’re using the totally fitting name of ‘The V.I.P.s'. Is Vince going senile at age 50?

 

WWF and the USA Network are taking notice of the ass kicking we’re giving them in the ratings, and have responded with a heavy promotional campaign for next week’s episode. Their rating will probably see a nice uptick as a result. Fine by me; at least give me a challenge!

 

<hr noshade size=3>

 

A comment in the mod section led me to check the sizes of the networks, and I saw that this mod has TNT a full size bigger than USA. I’ve bumped USA up to TNT’s level where they belong, and the last note is my way of providing an in-story explanation for the huge ratings jump I expect them to have as a result.

[franticloser]

Lol I forget to check this and come back to find out I am number one in the predictions WOO!

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 2

 

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Monday, Week 2, October 1995

From the Portland Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon

Attendance: 9,178

Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan

 

Pre-Show: Zodiac and Meng defeated Joey Maggs and Tim Horner in 06:28 (D+) and Hawk defeated Billy Kidman in 04:47 (C+).

 

We welcomed fans to another live episode of WCW Monday Nitro. I took some good cracks at the WWF as I revealed that their world champion, Owen Hart, would lose to the newest flavor-of-the-month Ultimate Warrior in a non-title match. Meanwhile, the REAL world champion, Hulk Hogan, would do battle with The Shark in tonight’s only live main event. Dusty had some great lines of his own as he talked about the return of Sting, who hadn't been seen since Hulk Hogan accidentally hit him with a pipe at Fall Brawl. (Grade: C+)

 

Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Disco Inferno: This was the Nitro debut for the exciting Mysterio, and we talked up both that and his participation in a special 4-man Cruiserweight Showcase at Halloween Havoc, also featuring Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko and Sabu. The action here was pretty basic. Disco fit some of his gimmick stuff in, but most of the focus was on Mysterio, who won in 08:34. (Grade: C-)

 

The Nasty Boys were interviewed by Mean Gene, and the three of them discussed the just-announced match they would have with the Blue Bloods at Halloween Havoc. The Nastys tried to establish the clash in style and background, but they struggled. Gene did a better job of playing up the brawler vs. technician aspect of the match. (Grade: C)

 

World Television Championship--Chris Kanyon vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©) (w/Maxx Muscle and the Diamond Doll): Prelim wrestler Kanyon got some ring time on the main show, but this result was never in doubt. Page retained his title in 05:26 after dropping Kanyon with a discus lariat. (Grade: C-)

 

DDP got on the mic after the match and taunted Johnny B. Badd, saying that he was going to beat him, humiliate him and send him to the back of the line at the PPV. Unfortunately, Dallas rambled a bit here and failed to totally engage the crowd. Badd eventually came running out from the back, and DDP beat a quick retreat. (Grade: C)

 

Julio Sanchez vs. Scott Norton: Total squash. Norton tossed Julio around the ring and pinned him after a Power Bomb at 02:51. (Grade: D-)

 

Gene tried to interview Norton, but he again bellowed that he was tired of fighting these bums and demanded better competition. Gene recoiled and stammered, playing up his fear well. (Grade: B-)

 

Next up was a backstage pre-tape from Hulk. He said he would run through the Shark tonight, and imagine it was the Giant he was fighting the whole time. There wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy about his performance itself, but the fans still love Hulk and are invested in this feud. (Grade: A*)

 

World Tag Team Championship--The American Males vs. Harlem Heat (©) (w/Sherri): The Heat made their first defense since getting the belts back at Fall Brawl, but everyone knew that nothing was going to come between their big match against the Steiners at Halloween Havoc. Still, Sherri kept the crowd involved, and the great chemistry from the brothers helped elevate this throwaway match. The Heat won in 13:10. (Grade: C+)

 

Gene interviewed Harlem Heat after their defense, and they talked about the looming match with the Steiners. Stevie really stepped up to the plate here, delivering some great lines as he said that no matter how many teams they’d beat and how many titles they’d won, the Steiners had never faced a team like Harlem Heat. Gene put the segment over further and really pushed the idea that this was the team of the 80’s coming back to take on the best team in the world today. (Grade: C+)

 

The Armstrong Brothers vs. Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman: This match was in even less doubt than the previous tag match. The most notable aspect of this match was the obvious chemistry between Pillman and Arn. Double A has been part of many great teams in his career, but I think even he might be surprised at how well he and Brian worked together. Anderson won it for his team with a Spinebuster at 09:10. (Grade: C+)

 

Arn grabbed the mic after the match and asked Ric Flair to join them inside the ring. Once Naitch did so, AA said that Pillman and Flair needed to put their petty differences aside for good. He’d spent time around both men, and he knew that the three of them together would be unstoppable. In order to prove it, he’d gone to WCW matchmakers and organized a 6-man tag team match for the three of them at Halloween Havoc. Arn was really on fire in this segment, and Pillman’s lukewarm reaction to aligning himself with Flair was great as well. Ric’s turn didn’t go as well, as he veered away from the intended message of putting his trust in his best friend and relied too much on his catchphrases. The segment ended with Arn convincing the two of them to shake hands. (Grade: C+)

 

Jim Duggan vs. Big Bubba Rogers: Two of our bigger stars without any current program were given the spotlight in the semi-main event. There were no surprises here; they wrestled their usual brawling type of match, won by Bubba with his Bubba Slam at 13:08. (Grade: C+)

 

Gene welcomed Lex Luger, Randy Savage and a returning Sting out for a joint interview. The three of them said that while Hulk dealt with the big man, they’d be taking care of the rest of the Dungeon of Doom at Halloween Havoc. Luger and Savage promoted their tag match against Zodiac and Meng. Randy was really on point, entertaining like only he can as he talked about welcoming the Dungeon of Doom into the danger zone. Sadly, the time off may have affected Sting. To be blunt, he was terrible in his performance as he accepted the Taskmaster’s challenge for a United States title match. Gene stepped in and threw him a lifeline, but the segment definitely suffered. (Grade: B-)

 

Hulk Hogan (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. The Shark (w/The Taskmaster): Two old enemies met in our main event. Of course, Mr. Tenta was just the appetizer for Hulk’s showdown with the Giant. Hogan and Taskmaster had some good verbal exchanges and staredowns throughout this match. Other than that, this was a pretty formulaic Hulk vs. big man match, albeit one dragged down by a lack of selling. Hulk slammed the 400-plus pounder and dropped the leg for the pin at 12:58. (Grade: B)

 

The Giant came out to the ramp after the match, and Sullivan joined him. With Hulk standing in the ring, Kevin cut a promo promising that at Halloween Havoc, his mission would be completed at long last. Finally, the Giant would fulfill the Dungeon of Doom’s purpose and kill Hulkamania. The crowd wasn’t really buying Kevin’s performance, and a few flubbed lines didn’t help. Still, the heat between Hogan and The Giant was palpable, and carried this segment. (Grade: A)

 

 

Show Overall: B+

TNT Rating: 7.31

 

Raw Overall: B

Raw USA Rating: 5.83

 

 

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Saturday, Week 2, October 1995

From the Bohler Gymnasium in Pullman, Washington

Attendance: 2,000 (sell-out!)

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay

 

 

Devon Storm defeated Mark Starr at 04:34. (E+)

 

Mean Gene interviewed Eddie Guerrero, who was excited to prove himself in the Cruiserweight Showcase at Halloween Havoc. (C-)

 

Hugh Morrus (w/the Taskmaster) defeated Dave Sullivan at 06:20. (D)

 

Morrus and Sullivan stopped by for an interview with Gene, and Sullivan said that Morrus would soften Sting up for him this Monday on Nitro. (C+)

 

Dean Malenko defeated Ultimo Dragon at 05:59. (C-)

 

Gene welcomed Alex Wright next. Wright was disappointed not to be part of the Cruiserweight Showcase, but said he believed he was good enough to compete for that belt or any other belt in WCW. (C-)

 

The Renegade (w/Jimmy Hart) defeated Horace Boulder at 04:31. (D)

 

V.K. Wallstreet defeated Mr JL at 06:18. (C-)

 

A video played promoting the Hulk Hogan/Giant contract signing this Monday, six days before their title match at Halloween Havoc. (B+)

 

Show Overall: C

[Nobby_McDonald]

Looking forward to Halloween Havoc.

[The Final Countdown]

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WCW HOTLINE OFFICIAL PREDICTION GAME

 

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match?

 

<hr noshade size=3>

 

Looking forward to Halloween Havoc.

So am I! Hopefully I’ve done a good job of building hype for the Hogan vs. Giant match.

[KnowYourEnemy]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

[Dawn]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match? That's a tough question...I'll go with The Giant vs. Hogan.

[franticloser]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

This is a hard one since I smell a turn or swerve so I went back and forth

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match? This is a hard one but hm I guess I will go with Giang vs Hogan

[Beejus]

Can't wait for the next Nitro and Havoc!

 

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

Not sure how you'll pull it off, but I think Hogan drops the belt to Giant.

 

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

The Dungeon get some major gold tonight.

 

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

Can't see them winning EVERYTHING, though.

 

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

The Steiners taking the belts won't be a bad idea.

 

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

Page as the only champ to retain? It could happen!

 

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

While there could possibly be a swerve on the way, these guys aren't gonna lose to this JOB Squad.

 

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

I think Eddie or Rey would be almost too easy to go with... so I say Dean.

 

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

PLEASE.

 

What will be the best match? I'll say Sting vs Taskmaster.

[smwilliams]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match? Hogan vs Giant

[Zergon]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

I could see this one going the other way too as Giant might have better set of challengers (Savage, Luger, Sting) than Hogan (Flair and.... yeah, can´t really think of anyone else, I guess Taskmaster and Anderson would be the most obvious choices?) but I figure that Hogan keeps the belt for now and I could see a possible turn for one of the top four faces in near future with all the tension between them too so that could set-up new challenger(s) for Hogan.

 

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Dungeon needs to win somewhere as I expect this feud to continue bit further and this looks most likely spot for them to win since I would expect Sting to move into World Heavyweight Championship chase soon.

 

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

I guess this would be the most likely spot to turn one of the faces heel if it´s going to happen this show but I don´t think it happens quite yet. Also, I just don´t see Meng and Zodiac going over here even with the distrust between Luger and Savage.

 

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

Could usually go either way but this time I would say that it´s too early for a title change.

 

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

DDP seems to be receiving a push and I see no reason why he wouldn´t win this one.

 

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

There´s obvious tension on the heel side but even with that, I don´t see them losing to three midcard guys.

 

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

This is a tough one. I personally rate Sabu as weakest from these four while Misterio is still a bit too new IMO to get a win here so to me, it´s between Eddie and Dean Malenko and I go with Eddie but it´s a close call.

 

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

I just never liked Nasty Boys, don´t really know why but I just don´t see them being anything more than a midcard team at best.

 

What will be the best match? The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

[guyver3]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match? Sting Taskmaster

[taylor22]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

I think the Giant will win but he wont get the belt. Hopefully no Yeti/Giant dry hump

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

What will be the best match? Tag Title Match

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 3

 

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Monday, Week 3, October 1995

From the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida

Attendance: 10,000 (sell-out!)

Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan

 

Pre-Show: The American Males defeated The State Patrol in 05:23 (D+) and VK Wallstreet defeated Cobra in 07:51 (C-).

 

 

At the announce table:

We did our usual intro, but rather than simply giving the Raw results away, I mentioned that rumors were flying throughout the WCW offices. According to said rumors, one of the wrestlers featured in the WWF’s taped main event was fed up of working for “the minor leagues” and would show up live on Nitro later on tonight. I think I did a really good job milking this tease, if I do say so myself. Dusty and Bobby discussed what was on the slate for Nitro, namely the contract signing for Hulk Hogan vs. The Giant. Dream injected some of his passion and charisma here, and really talked up the magnitude of both this contract signing and the threat The Giant posed to Hulkamania. (Grade: B-)

 

World Cruiserweight Championship--Alex Wright vs. Brian Pillman (©):

Since Pillman will be in a six man tag on Sunday, I figured I’d work in a Cruiserweight title defense tonight. I have high hopes for Alex, who at 20 years old still has plenty of time to develop. I don’t think he’s quite ready to carry the ball just yet though, nor is he skilled enough to carry a match or an opponent. That wouldn’t normally be a problem when sharing the ring with someone as talented as Pillman, but Brian looked a bit out of sync tonight. It was still a fine opening match and successful title defense. (Grade: C+)

 

In the ring:

Ric Flair and Arn Anderson came out to help Pillman celebrate in the ring. Well, Arn came out to celebrate; Ric didn’t look to care all that much. Pillman got on the mic to gloat over his win and talk about how he would be similarly successful in the six man tag match at Halloween Havoc. Arn nodded along in agreement, but Ric looked skeptical. Very little was said about Renegade or the Males, but that was by design; they’re merely bit players in this storyline. (Grade: B-)

 

Jerry Sags vs. Earl Robert Eaton: The promos between these teams haven’t gone all that well, so I thought I’d try a singles match. I think it was a success, and this match did more to interest people in the tag match at Halloween Havoc than any of their verbal segments. When Eaton couldn’t beat Sags by outwrestling him, he put his feet on the ropes for a cheap pin at 08:02. (Grade: B-)

 

In the parking lot:

We went out to Gene Okerlund. He was standing near a limousine, and said that all his attempts to learn who was inside had been rebuffed, but indications were that it was indeed a current main event star from the WWF. We’re milking this reveal for all it’s worth. The segment was cut off by a commotion in a different area of the parking lot... (Grade: C+)

 

In the parking lot:

The camera rushed over to the source of the ruckus, and discovered the Steiner Brothers and Harlem Heat arguing with each other. Heated words were exchanged, but security was there to make sure the two teams didn’t come to blows. We’ll save the physicality for Halloween Havoc and make people pay for it. (Grade: C+)

 

Eddie Guerrero and Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko and Sabu (w/The Sheik):

We previewed Sunday’s Cruiserweight Showcase by putting all four guys in a tag match. They weren’t accustomed to teaming together, but their individual talents made up for that lack of experience. During the course of this match, I felt like there were noticeable signs of both Mysterio and Malenko becoming more comfortable performing within the constraints of the live TV format. Mysterio went over Sabu with a beautiful Springboard Hurricanrana at 10:13. The kid really is a fantastic talent. Then again, you could say that about everybody in this match. (Grade: C+)

 

In the parking lot:

At last, we were ready to unveil the most recent talent I pilfered from Vince. The door of the limo opened, and out stepped...

 

 

 

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Jarrett.jpg~original

 

Jeff Jarrett! We cut to a commercial as he was walking into the building, and came back with him standing in the aisle with Gene. Gene asked him why he was here, and he said it was simple: he was tired of wrestling against inferior competition. That’s why when he wrestled “that truck-driving wannabe” Diesel in the main event of Monday Night Raw taped last Tuesday that would air later on tonight on the USA Network, he didn’t even bother trying to win, which he could have easily done. Instead, he smashed a guitar over his head and sent a message on his way out the door. But now he would be facing the true best wrestlers in the world, because he was in WCW.

 

This brought out Randy Savage. Savage wanted to be the first one to welcome Jarrett to WCW. He knew all about leaving “New York” to find competition, so he was going to do Jeff a favor and give him his first match in WCW, right here tonight! Jarrett laughed and accepted the challenge, and we had our “impromptu” main event for the night. I liked the idea of really crapping all over Vince’s taped format by having Jarrett appear in the main event of both shows on the same night, which is why we set this match up. As for the segment, I thought Gene’s reactions to Jarrett’s arrival felt believable and put him over as a star. Randy did his part also, coming across really well. (Grade: B)

 

Hawk vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman:

I don’t have much for Hawk right now after wrapping up his feud with Kurasawa at Fall Brawl. I do have a rough idea for a future program, but it’s not something that will be starting imminently. As for the match itself, it was perfectly acceptable but nothing to write home about. I’m sure no one was surprised to see Hawk win with a Flying Clothesline at 07:37. (Grade: C+)

 

In the ring:

After a commercial, we went to a talk show segment a la Piper’s Pit, hosted by Larry Zbyyszko. It’s as-yet-unnamed, but we’ll need to come up with one if it becomes a recurring segment. Johnny B. Badd and DDP were the guests, on to promote their TV title match at Halloween Havoc. They went over a lot of the same talking points used throughout the feud; Johnny’s a former TV champion who hates the way DDP clings to the title by any means necessary, DDP thinks Badd shouldn’t even be getting this chance since he already failed to win the title at Fall Brawl, etc. The addition of Larry helped though, as he delivered a really well-spoken speech in which he reminded everyone that he was a former TV champion himself, and he felt that it was up to Badd to prove himself by defeating Page. DDP was great throughout the segment as well, reacting to anything either Larry or Johnny said without missing a beat. Johnny struggled to keep up with the two of them, unfortunately. (Grade: B-)

 

Sting vs. Hugh Morrus (w/The Taskmaster):

This was Sting’s first match since Fall Brawl, but the real purpose here was to build interest in his Halloween Havoc match with The Taskmaster. With that in mind, the match was structured around incidents and staredowns between Sting and Sullivan at dramatic moments. I think this worked, thanks in large part to some really good work from Kevin. As for the actual in-ring action, Hugh Morrus did not look out of place mixing it up with one of the premiere superstars in the company. He’s a big, athletic kid (as he showed by performing a Moonsault, even if Sting did roll well out of the way.) He might very well go far in WCW. There was no way he was winning this one, of course. Sting took it via the Scorpion Deathlock in 09:41. (Grade: B)

 

Backstage:

Luger and Savage were standing near the curtain before our pre-main event commercial break. Lex wished Randy luck, and promised he would keep an eye out in case the Dungeon of Doom decided to try anything. He did a really nice job of appearing passionate and sincere as he made this promise. Randy was equally strong in delivering his reply, in which he stated that while he might not have fully trusted Lex when he first came back to WCW, he was proving his reliability bit by bit. (Grade: B)

 

Randy Savage vs. Jeff Jarrett:

Jarrett’s in-ring debut led to a very good match, even if the psychology was a bit off in certain spots. I haven’t seen his taped match with Diesel yet, but a few of my well-placed informants have, and they only gave it a B- grade. If that’s the case, hopefully the fans will notice how much better his Nitro debut was when compared to his final Raw match. That could only be good for us as we continue to take the fight to Vince. Randy and Jeff told a simple but effective face vs. heel story, with everything building to Randy making a late comeback, dropping Jeff with a Flying Axehandle and going back up for the big elbow. At that moment, Meng and the Zodiac ran down and knocked Randy off of the top rope for a DQ finish. (Grade: B+)

 

In the ring:

Jarrett left after the match, and Meng, Zodiac & Kevin Sullivan took the opportunity to beat down Randy. You could tell how over Randy is with the fans by how concerned they were as the beating progressed. Zodiac’s participation in the beatdown left a lot to be desired, though. Sting raced down to try and help, but with the 3-on-1 plus fatigue after his own match, we were able to make him look valiant in his failed save. We also reminded the fans about Lex Luger’s words before the match and openly questioned why he hadn’t come out. (Grade: B-)

 

In the ring:

It was now time for the contract signing, moderated by Okerlund. Sullivan was by The Giant’s side as always. Kevin went on a rant about how the first giant might have failed to kill Hulkamania in the biggest match of all time eight years ago, but things would be different now. This giant was younger, faster, hungrier, and even more vicious than the previous. Kevin’s dialogue was much improved from last week. He really made you believe that he despised Hogan and everything he stood for. Gene reacted well to his venom with some nice verbal responses that painted Sullivan as a deranged individual, but his overall performance was disappointing.

 

Kevin also posed the question of where Hogan was when the Dungeon was taking it to his buddies Savage and Sting, but Hulk acted like he had no idea what he was talking about. Hulk stumbled in his attempt to play this subtly, and I think the message got muddled a bit as a result. He was better when in the more familiar territory of hyping the match, saying that if there was one thing his battle with Andre taught him, it’s that the bigger they are, the harder they fall. There was no violence in this particular contract signing. We instead closed with a Hogan/Giant staredown, deliberately trying to mimic WrestleMania III. (Grade: B+)

 

 

Show Overall: B+

TNT Rating: 7.04

 

Raw Overall: B-

Raw USA Rating: 5.77

 

 

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Saturday, Week 3, October 1995

From Disney MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida

Attendance: 1,000 (sell-out!)

Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay

 

 

Mr. JL defeated Billy Kidman at 04:51. (D-)

 

DDP was interviewed by Mean Gene, and said any questions about whether or not he could defeat Johnny B. Badd would be laid to rest at Halloween Havoc. (C+)

 

Bunkhouse Buck and Dick Slater (w/Col. Parker) defeated Men at Work at 05:38. (D+)

 

Arn Anderson was next to visit Gene. AA said that he, Ric Flair and Brian Pillman would make an example of those “sacrificial labs” Renegade and the American Males. (B)

 

Ultimo Dragon defeated Devon Storm at 04:58. (D)

 

Gene welcomed Jeff Jarrett. Double J said he would be at Halloween Havoc, and hinted that he would be watching one particular match very closely. (B)

 

Jushin Liger defeated Rip Rogers at 06:11. ©

 

The Taskmaster defeated Joey Maggs at 05:51. ©

 

Tony and Mike recapped the big matches scheduled for Halloween Havoc and reminded fans how to order this big event. (C-)

 

Show Overall: C+

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 3

 

Vince looks to be trying to shake things up: he turned Bret Hart heel on his most recent taping. You’d think that would lead to a big push, but he promptly lost to Bam Bam Bigelow in the semi main of Raw. Way to get that turn over, Vince! Not that I’m complaining.

 

We recently signed Ric Flair to a 2-year contract extension. Even at age 46, he’s still one of the very elite workers in the world, and is also right up there with the Hogans and Savages in terms of popularity. I’m very excited to re-up Ric, and I think we’ve got some interesting stories in the works that should make sure he stays relevant.

 

The Giant may be getting a huge push right out of the gate, but he doesn’t seem to be letting it go to his head. At our Halloween Havoc go-home show, he brought in beer for the boys. If you’re looking to endear yourself to a pro wrestling locker room, free alcohol is a great way to go. I’m glad that he appears to be a level-headed guy who hopefully won’t be a problem in the locker room.

 

In a similar story, Jushin Liger organized a video game tournament with the boys after our Saturday Night tapings. The avid gamers in the company (the younger members of the roster, primarily) certainly appreciated the gesture.

 

One of our developmental talents, Adam Copeland, has been heavily recommending his buddy Christian Cage to our head trainer at USWL, Paul Orndorff. I humored the kid by watching a tape, and quickly discovered that he wasn’t just blowing smoke: Cage can work, and is already solid on the mic. I’ve signed him and sent him to Orndorff and the USWL for grooming.

 

I’ve decided to keep a closer eye on ECW, one of the fastest rising independents out there. They recently ran a big show called Anarchy Rulz, headlined by The Sandman retaining the world title against Raven. On the TV taping following that, Sandman and Cactus Jack beat Raven and Stevie Richards in a tag match. There are a few guys in ECW I’m scouting, but no one I’ll be signing just yet.

[rtcrules]

World Heavyweight Championship: The Giant vs. Hulk Hogan (©)

Im not really sold on this but I cant see faces sweeping

 

United States Heavyweight Championship: The Taskmaster vs. Sting (©)

I think Double J gets involved either after the win or causes a DQ.

 

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac

I thought about a Luger turn but Double J gives you som more badly needed heels.

 

World Tag Team Championship: The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat (©)

 

World Television Championship: Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (©)

DQ or count out to keep the belt on DDP

 

The Renegade and The American Males vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

 

Cruiserweight Showcase: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu

 

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

 

What will be the best match? Giant v Hogan

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 3

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Havoc.jpg~original

Sunday, Week 3, October 1995

From the Kiel Center in St. Louis, Missouri

Attendance: 30,000 (sell-out!)

Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SBischoff.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SDusty.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SHeenan.jpg~original

 

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hpczwtWbdO0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

 

 

Pre-Show: Alex Wright defeated Disco Inferno in 10:07 © and Hawk defeated VK Wallstreet in 16:24 (B).

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SBischoff.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SDusty.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SHeenan.jpg~original

 

We welcomed everyone at home to the scariest event of the year, Halloween Havoc. I tried to slip in a little dig at the WWF’s In Your House PPV the previous night, alluding to this being the only show of the weekend worth paying for, but I don’t think it really landed. Discussion quickly moved on to the card, with most of the focus naturally being on the Hogan/Giant main event. Bobby was fantastic here, talking about how he’d had the best seat in the house right at ringside the last time Hulkamania was threatened by a true giant. And while Hogan might have survived by the skin of his teeth back then, The Brain had a feeling he wouldn’t be so lucky this time around.

 

 

Grade: B-

 

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Dean Malenko vs. Sabu (w/The Sheik)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Eddie.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Rey.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Malenko.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sabu.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SSheik.jpg~original

 

The Cruiserweight Showcase kicked off the show in an attempt to get the crowd pumped up with exciting in-ring action. I think they did a fairly decent job at this. Malenko continues to become more comfortable performing in front of the WCW audience with every appearance. As for Eddie and Rey, they’re two of the most exciting wrestlers in the world. I think they could both be stars if we can just establish their characters with the fans.

 

We continued to push the Guerrero/Malenko rivalry by having them in the ring against each other plenty, but we also got something going between Misterio and Sabu. They got into a game of “can you top this”, with aerial displays of escalating excitement and danger, in direct contrast to the crisp technical exchanges between Guerrero and Malenko. That relentless pace may have been the reason that Sabu was looking slightly winded during the home stretch. Mysterio landed a crazy dive over the top rope onto Sabu that took them both out of the equation, and Eddie used the opportunity to win the match with a Frog Splash on Malenko.

 

 

Winner: Eddie Guerrero with a Frog Splash on Malenko at 12:08

Grade: C+

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/TV.jpg~original

Johnny B. Badd vs. Diamond Dallas Page (w/Diamond Doll and Maxx Muscle)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Badd.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/DDP.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SKimberly.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SMuscle.jpg~original

 

We ran the Badd/DDP matchup out there once again, and once again, it was something of a disappointment. They told the same basic story of Dallas trying to stall for time, and Johnny chasing him down. Then, with under a minute to go, Badd got desperate and started taking big chances to try and beat the clock. That led to a critical missed aerial move, and Page seized the moment and retained the title with a Diamond Cutter. Politics played a part in this one, as I needed to give Johnny more offense than I really wanted in order to get him to lose without complaint. We’re putting this feud in the rear view mirror.

 

 

Winner: Diamond Dallas Page with the Diamond Cutter at 09:42

DDP retained the Television Championship

Grade: C

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Shamrock.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SLarry.jpg~original

 

In another of Larry Zbyszko’s unnamed interview segments, he introduced a debuting Ken Shamrock. The idea for the first part of this segment was for Larry to establish Shamrock’s UFC credentials and present him as the “world’s most dangerous man”, but he wasn’t wholly successful. Larry’s lack of knowledge of the ultimate fighting world shone through in some of his comments. Thankfully, Shamrock showed a natural aptitude for reading the crowd and playing off of their reactions to what was being said. He came across as both likable and tough.

 

That was only the first half of the segment, though...

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Norton.jpg~original

 

Scott Norton interrupted things. He got in Shamrock’s face and said that, as he’d been demanding better competition, the so-called word’s most dangerous man fit the bill nicely. Shamrock was ready to go, but security hit the ring before the two men could come to blows.

 

 

Grade: B-

 

The Nasty Boys vs. The Blue Bloods

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Knobbs.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sags.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Regal.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Eaton.jpg~original

 

This has been an under-the-radar feud, but quietly turned out to be one of the better matches on the show. The team experience of the Nastys and the wrestling chops of the Blue Bloods may have had a lot to do with that. I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but Jerry Sags seemed to step up his game from a performance standpoint. I was impressed with both teams tonight, but as I think the Blue Bloods are more important long-term, they got the win via Regal Stretch.

 

 

Winners: The Blue Bloods with the Regal Stretch on Sags at 09:31

Grade: B

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Flair.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Arn.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Pillman.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SMeanGene.jpg~original

 

The trio of Flair, Anderson and Pillman joined Gene for an interview. Arn insisted that there may have been problems between Flair and Pillman and even Flair and himself, but tonight they were going to show that all of that was in the past. Arn was really believable here in his passion as he talked about how strong they would be as a unit; he was the bright spot in this segment to be sure.

 

Pillman didn’t excel like Double A, but he held up his end and didn’t drag things down. He said it would be an honor to join forces with his good friend Arn Anderson tonight, but pointedly did not mention Flair. Ric was supposed to respond in kind by giving Brian some backhanded compliments, but he sort of drifted off center and got sidetracked telling old stories about being out on the town with Arn here in St. Louis. That might be entertaining in its own right, but it felt out of place here and diminished the overall impact of the segment.

 

 

Grade: B-

 

The American Males and The Renegade (w/Jimmy Hart) vs. Ric Flair, Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Renegade.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Bagwell.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Riggs.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SHart.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Flair.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Arn.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Pillman.jpg~original

 

Flair might not have been at his best during the pre-match interview, but he definitely brought his A game once the bell rang. He looked absolutely excellent in there, even working with the likes of Renegade and the Males. In fact, some of the best moments of the match came when Flair jawed with Jimmy Hart, who also looked good at ringside. Those two guys are born entertainers, and it showed during their interactions.

 

I don’t think it’s any secret that the heel team are on a completely different level than these three faces, so really the only drama here was the tenuous partnership of Flair and Pillman. We played that up throughout the match with uneasy tags and plenty of showboating, with both guys trying to upstage each other. This played into the finish as well: Pillman was poised to finish Riggs off with a big aerial move, but Flair made a blind tag and slapped on the Figure Four.

 

 

Winners: Flair, Anderson and Pillman with the Figure Four by Flair on Riggs at 16:27

Grade: B-

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Luger.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Savage.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SMeanGene.jpg~original

 

It was Luger and Savage’s turn for a pre-match interview, but the match itself was not the only topic of discussion. Gene asked Lex where he was when Savage was attacked by the Dungeon of Doom on Monday, and why he didn’t come down to help despite giving Randy his word that he would be watching. Luger’s answer was that he’d been ambushed beforehand. According to Lex, someone had struck him in the back of the head with some kind of blunt object and knocked him unconscious. He didn’t know who had attacked him, but promised that if he found out who was responsible, he’d make them pay. Lex brought the right amount of anger and intensity, but all that shouting may have gotten him sidetracked, as he stumbled at some points. Gene took over towards the end and fluidly shifted the focus over to Savage.

 

Randy looked unsure as to whether or not to believe Luger, but shook it off and said that they had business to take care of. Tonight was the end of the Dungeon of Doom, and it would start with the Madness and the Total Package, yeah!

 

 

Grade: B-

 

Lex Luger and Randy Savage vs. Meng and Zodiac (w/The Taskmaster)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Luger.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Savage.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Meng.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Zodiac.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SSullivan.jpg~original

 

This match was probably third on the bill at best, but the actual result was far stronger than anyone expected, myself included. Maybe that was down to the star power of Luger and Savage, the presence of Taskmaster at ringside, the way the Dungeon of Doom has been featured, or a combination of all of the above. Either way, I think this match connected with the crowd better than any other on the show.

 

Meng and Zodiac were presented as legit threats against their top of the card opposition, and got more than their share of offense in. In the end, though, Savage held Meng off while Luger got Zodiac up in the Torture Rack.

 

 

Winners: Luger and Savage with the Torture Rack by Luger on Zodiac at 16:14

Grade: B+

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Hogan.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SHart.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SMeanGene.jpg~original

 

Gene tried to get a sense of Hulk’s mindset as this huge showdown with The Giant neared. Hulk was nothing short of phenomenal in this segment. He put Giant over huge as the biggest threat Hulkamania had ever faced, and said that he knew that he would have to dig deeper than ever before if he was going to come out the other side. But he knew that the Hulkamaniacs would have his back, and their support would make all the difference. Gene was also great throughout this segment. We couldn’t have asked for anything better to hype this match even further.

 

 

Grade: A*

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Tag.jpg~original

The Steiner Brothers vs. Harlem Heat {©} (w/Sherri)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/RSteiner.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SSteiner.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Booker.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Ray.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SSherri.jpg~original

 

I was hoping that the Steiners would help boost the tag team division, and I think we saw some of that here. This was a step above Harlem Heat’s title match against Buck and Slater at Fall Brawl. Both of these teams have great chemistry, and it showed in this match. They know exactly how to structure and put on a quality tag team match.

 

The Steiners were closing in on the victory, and set Stevie Ray up for their Steiner Bulldog finisher. Sherri tossed one of the tag belts into the ring, and Booker smashed it into Scott Steiner’s face for a DQ finish. There was no way I was going to bring this program to a close this quickly, and a DQ finish seemed like the best way to set up for a return match.

 

 

Winners: The Steiner Brothers by DQ in 17:27

Harlem Heat retained the World Tag Team Championship

Grade: B

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Jarrett.jpg~original

 

Before the next match started, we had a brief shot of Jeff Jarrett walking down the aisle and pulling up a chair at ringside.

 

 

Grade: B

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/US.jpg~original

The Taskmaster vs. Sting {©}

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sullivan.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sting.jpg~original

 

Heading in, I considered this a sleeper candidate for match of the night. It wasn’t bad by any stretch, but it could have been better if the Stinger had performed to his usual standards. Alas, he was not on top of his game for this match. But between his natural talents and charisma and Sullivan’s understanding of how to play his devious heel character, the match didn’t look out of place as the semi main event of a PPV.

 

Sullivan pulled out every dirty trick at his disposal to cut off all of Sting’s comeback attempts, building anticipation to the inevitable furious comeback at the end. Sting finally unloaded on the Taskmaster and locked on the Scorpion in the middle of the ring to retain the title.

 

 

Winner: Sting with the Scorpion Deathlock at 16:56

Sting retained the United States Heavyweight Championship

Grade: B

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Jarrett.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sting.jpg~original

 

After the match, Jarrett got up from his seat and entered the ring. He got on the mic and said that he’d come to WCW to beat the best of the best, and all he’d heard was that the guy most synonymous with WCW for years now was Sting. So if he was going to make an impact, what better way than by beating Mr. WCW and becoming the new United States Champion? The crowd booed loudly, and Jeff took great pleasure in taunting them as he strolled back up the aisle. He was tremendous here; his delivery was crisp, and he knew exactly how to draw the fans into his promo. Meanwhile, Sting was not given a chance to respond, and just stared at Jarrett. This was a very strong segment to kick this program off.

 

 

Grade: A

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Hogan.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Giant.jpg~original

 

Just before the main event, we ran a video recapping everything from Giant’s debut in the summer to this title showdown. Strong effort from our production team here, and a great lead-in to the main event.

 

 

Grade: A

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/World.jpg~original

The Giant (w/The Taskmaster) vs. Hulk Hogan {©} (w/Jimmy Hart)

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Giant.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SSullivan.jpg~original vs. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Hogan.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SHart.jpg~original

 

I think the buildup to this match has been great, but there was an inherent risk that came along with it. It was a major gamble to throw a 23-year old in a PPV main event in his very first official match. Add in the fact that we asked him to go almost 16 minutes, and we were really asking a lot of him. Too much, really. You could see him gasping for breath towards the end, which was no surprise. I also think that his general performance wasn’t quite up to the level he’s demonstrated in his Power Plant sessions and the rehearsals for this match. Kevin Sullivan did do a good job on the floor as per usual, but it wasn’t enough to offset these many negatives. The match was still a passable main event, but we didn’t quite strike gold.

 

We eschewed the basic Hulk formula a bit here, as Giant was in control from the opening bell (though the effect of his offense was dulled due to some subpar selling from Hulk) right up until Hulk’s big late match comeback, which was also lessened because Giant isn’t experienced enough to sell it properly. He got the big man off of his feet for the first time all match with the boot, dropped the leg...but Giant kicked out! That got the crowd roaring, just as I’d hoped. It also led to a scuffle between Hart and Sullivan on the floor, which the referee went out to defuse. Hulk rolled out to the floor and dropped to his knees in disbelief after the kickout, and went over to the timekeeper's table to stare at his belt (to say goodbye to it, or so Bobby claimed.) For some reason, a steel pipe was also on the table, and it didn't escape Hulk's notice. He stared at the pipe for a moment, and then brought it into the ring with a grim look on his face. Just as Giant had gotten back up, Hulk dropped him cold with the pipe. He tossed it out of the ring and covered Giant for a 3-count from a referee who was none the wiser.

 

 

Winner: Hulk Hogan after using a steel pipe at 15:54

Hulk Hogan retained the World Heavyweight Championship

Grade: B

 

http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Hogan.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Sting.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Savage.jpg~originalhttp://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Luger.jpg~original

 

Sting, Luger and Savage joined Hulk in the ring after the match, and all three looked at a loss. As they stared at him, we talked about how shocking Hulk’s actions were. Bobby came down on him hard, saying he truly deserved to wear the color yellow after resorting to such a heinous act to hold onto that title. Dusty and I tried to defend Hulk, but made sure to come across as stunned and unsure of what to say. Meanwhile, the staredown continued in the ring. Savage and Sting were unreadable, but Lex looked downright angry as he looked back and forth between Hogan and the pipe that was still in clear view on the floor. Amidst it all, Hulk held onto his belt and looked at his three fellow wrestlers, as well as the fans. Hulk’s performance was really great here, as he hit just the right conflicted expressions and body language in response to the mixed reaction from the fans.

 

 

Grade: B-

 

 

Show Overall: B+

 

Prediction Scores (out of a possible 9):

 

KnowYourEnemy: 7

guyver3: 7

 

franticloser: 6

Zergon: 6

 

Smasher1311: 5

Beejus: 5

smwilliams: 5

rtcrules: 5

 

taylor22: 3

 

Standings in Prediction Contest after 2 shows:

 

franticloser: 13

 

KnowYourEnemy: 12

guyver3: 12

 

smwilliams: 10

 

Beejus: 9

 

taylor22: 8

 

horseman4lyfe: 6

Zergon: 6

 

angeldelayette: 5

CPBHBK: 5

RKOwnage: 5

Matt: 5

Smasher1311: 5

 

RingRider: 4

 

w4lru5: 3

[franticloser]

Great show as always TFC, can't wait to see your Starrcade

[Beejus]

Shades of heel from Hogan, or just finally being called on his usual tactics?!? (I've been watching a lot of 80s stuff lately lol)

TUNE INTO NITRO TOMORROW NIGHT TO FIND OUT!!!

 

Really good show, and plus you can't go wrong with using the early 90s Havoc theme. The 94 and 95 ones are okay, but don't really get across the feel quite like this one does, especially 94's. As franticloser said, can't wait to see how your Starrcade shapes up!

[The Final Countdown]

October 1995, Week 3

 

During our post-Halloween Havoc meeting, I praised Lex Luger and Randy Savage for carrying the surprise Match of the Night, and both men seemed pleased by it. I also sought out the Giant to give him a hug, thank him for giving it his all in such a high profile position for his first match, and say I couldn’t wait to see his continued development. He thanked me for the opportunity and promised he would continue to work on getting better. With his attitude, I don’t think we need to worry about him being a one-hit wonder who fades into obscurity after one program with the Hulk.

 

Sabu was not happy about not being given the win in the show opener. Even when I promised that Dean Malenko would be the one to take the fall, it still wasn’t enough to appease him. He did his job when I refused to budge, but I could tell he was angry when he came back through the curtain. If he doesn’t like it, tough. He can go back to working in Paul E’s bingo hall if he’s unhappy with the way I utilize him.

 

The night before Halloween Havoc, the WWF put on their latest In Your House PPV. After the recent Bret Hart heel turn, you’d think they would feature him in a prominent match...but nope, he didn’t wrestle at all. He’s only your most consistent in-ring performer, Vince. No need to find a spot on the card for him! Little brother Owen headlined the show, retaining the world title against Bam Bam Bigelow in a solid match we gave a B rating. The show as a whole was only a B-, so we clearly put on the better event. A match featuring Bret Hart could have made things closer, but I guess it was more important to use the likes of Man Mountain Rock, Big Matty Smalls, Sonny Rogers, AC Conner and The Brooklyn Brawler.

 

The same night as In Your House, ECW presented a big show of their own titled All Out Warfare. I guess Paul E doesn’t have: A) a calendar, and B) common sense, because he scheduled this show on the same night that his champion (Sandman) was working for USWA. Thus, there was no title match on the show. The main event of Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck defeating Raven and Stevie Richards was a very good one though, rating out as a B. The show itself was a C+, which wasn’t too far behind the WWF’s output.

 

<hr noshade size=3>

 

Great show as always TFC, can't wait to see your Starrcade

Thanks. I’m very much looking forward to Starrcade as well.

 

Shades of heel from Hogan, or just finally being called on his usual tactics?!? (I've been watching a lot of 80s stuff lately lol)

TUNE INTO NITRO TOMORROW NIGHT TO FIND OUT!!!

 

Really good show, and plus you can't go wrong with using the early 90s Havoc theme. The 94 and 95 ones are okay, but don't really get across the feel quite like this one does, especially 94's. As franticloser said, can't wait to see how your Starrcade shapes up!

What’re you talkin’ about, brother? The Hulkster would NEVER resort to dirty tricks, dude! (Please ignore all the years he spent backraking the heels.)

 

I was going to embed the ‘95 version for historical accuracy, but I just thought the early 90’s one sounded way better. Quality over faithfulness.

[smwilliams]

During our post-Halloween Havoc meeting, I praised Lex Luger and Randy Savage for carrying the surprise Match of the Night, and both men seemed pleased by it. I also sought out the Giant to give him a hug, thank him for giving it his all in such a high profile position for his first match, and say I couldn’t wait to see his continued development. He thanked me for the opportunity and promised he would continue to work on getting better. With his attitude, I don’t think we need to worry about him being a one-hit wonder who fades into obscurity after one program with the Hulk.

 

Sabu was not happy about not being given the win in the show opener. Even when I promised that Dean Malenko would be the one to take the fall, it still wasn’t enough to appease him. He did his job when I refused to budge, but I could tell he was angry when he came back through the curtain. If he doesn’t like it, tough. He can go back to working in Paul E’s bingo hall if he’s unhappy with the way I utilize him.

 

The night before Halloween Havoc, the WWF put on their latest In Your House PPV. After the recent Bret Hart heel turn, you’d think they would feature him in a prominent match...but nope, he didn’t wrestle at all. He’s only your most consistent in-ring performer, Vince. No need to find a spot on the card for him! Little brother Owen headlined the show, retaining the world title against Bam Bam Bigelow in a solid match we gave a B rating. The show as a whole was only a B-, so we clearly put on the better event. A match featuring Bret Hart could have made things closer, but I guess it was more important to use the likes of Man Mountain Rock, Big Matty Smalls, Sonny Rogers, AC Conner and The Brooklyn Brawler.

 

The same night as In Your House, ECW presented a big show of their own titled All Out Warfare. I guess Paul E doesn’t have: A) a calendar, and B) common sense, because he scheduled this show on the same night that his champion (Sandman) was working for USWA. Thus, there was no title match on the show. The main event of Cactus Jack and Mikey Whipwreck defeating Raven and Stevie Richards was a very good one though, rating out as a B. The show itself was a C+, which wasn’t too far behind the WWF’s output.

 

<hr noshade size=3>

 

 

Thanks. I’m very much looking forward to Starrcade as well.

 

 

What’re you talkin’ about, brother? The Hulkster would NEVER resort to dirty tricks, dude! (Please ignore all the years he spent backraking the heels.)

 

I was going to embed the ‘95 version for historical accuracy, but I just thought the early 90’s one sounded way better. Quality over faithfulness.

 

Listen, Vince is unconventional. He knew that WCW would feature a WHC match, so he decided to go in the opposite direction.

[The Final Countdown]

<p>October 1995, Week 4</p><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/Nitro.jpg~original</span><p> <strong>Monday, Week 4, October 1995</strong></p><p><strong> From the Omaha Civic Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska</strong></p><p><strong> Attendance: 10,000 (sell-out!)</strong></p><p><strong> Announce Team: Eric Bischoff, Dusty Rhodes and Bobby Heenan</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> <em>Pre-Show: Big Bubba and John Tenta defeated The Renegade and Cobra in 08:23 </em><em><strong>(D+)</strong></em><em> and Mr. JL defeated Billy Kidman in 04:33 </em><em><strong>(D)</strong></em><em>.</em></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38016" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">At the announce table:</span></em></p><p> I sarcastically said that fans COULD watch a nothing tag match in which Sid and Owen Hart beat the Dudes with Attitudes over on the taped show, or they could watch the renewal of one of the greatest rivalries in history when Sting and Ric Flair locked up in our main event. I think my lines were pretty good, but in retrospect some of my facial expressions might have hurt my overall performance. </p><p> </p><p> Dusty talked about the World War 3 Battle Royal, in which 60 men would occupy three rings, with the winner to challenge for the World Championship at Starrcade. I think he did a great job of stressing the magnitude of this match, and made us chuckle when he said he was thinking about putting the cowboy boots back on and entering the match himself. Bobby brought up what Hulk Hogan had done at Halloween Havoc, saying that people were finally seeing him as the no-good snake he’d known him to be for years. Bobby had a rare misfire here; I think he went a little too over the top with his anger, getting away from the comedic one-liners that have always been his strong point.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: C+) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">In the ring:</span></em> </p><p> Lex Luger had plenty to say about Hulk Hogan. Lex said he’d been there in the WWF a couple years ago when Hulk was defeated by Yokozuna and slunk away with his tail between his legs, leaving it to Lex to step up for America and defeat Yokozuna. From that moment on, he’d known that the Hulk Hogan that everyone looked up to for years was gone. That’s why he hadn’t trusted him from the moment he’d come back to WCW, and now everyone was seeing that he was right not to trust him.</p><p> </p><p> He also said that after seeing Hogan hit Giant with the pipe at Halloween Havoc, it became obvious who ambushed him last week on Nitro--Hogan! The way Lex saw it, Hogan was insecure and felt threatened, and tried to take out not just him last week, but also Sting back at Fall Brawl. But he was still standing, and he challenged Hogan to be a man and meet him in the ring one-on-one! Lex really enjoyed the freedom I gave him here to say whatever he wanted, and I think his choice to work the WWF references into the promo really added an element of reality.</p><p> </p><p> That brought out Hogan’s manager Jimmy Hart. Jimmy said he hadn’t been able to get in touch with Hulk in the last 24 hours, but he knew that he wasn’t the kind of man who would do the things Lex was accusing him of. And as Hulk’s manager, he had the power to accept the challenge on his behalf--Hulk would give Luger a title match at World War 3, and prove he was still the same heroic man he’d always been! The fans obviously were disappointed at not seeing Hulk, and it flustered Jimmy and negatively impacted his delivery.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: B+) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Sabu (w/The Sheik):</strong></p><p> We carried the “can-you-top-this” portions of the four way between these two on the PPV over into a solo bout here. Unfortunately, without Malenko and Guerrero there, it became obvious that these two have awkward chemistry. Sheik did what he could to help things along, and they did their best and pulled out some of their aerial tricks, with Rey getting the pin at 09:29 with a beautiful Hurricanrana. Sabu raised a big stink about putting Rey over, but I told him to get out there and do his job if he wanted to collect a paycheck. If he keeps this prima donna attitude up, he won’t last long in WCW. </p><p> <strong>(Grade: C-) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">In the ring:</span></em> </p><p> Brian Pillman cut a promo about his Cruiserweight title defense against Eddie Guerrero up next. He said that this would be the perfect opportunity for him to prove just how good he is, because unlike last night at Hallowen Havoc, there wouldn’t be anyone there to hog the spotlight and claim a victory he’d earned (an obvious reference to Ric Flair’s blind tag at Hallowen Havoc.) Brian did tremendous work on the mic; he straddled the line perfectly in showing his frustration and distrust of Flair without being too over the top angry.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: B+) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong><span style="text-decoration:underline;">World Cruiserweight Championship--</span></strong><strong> Eddie Guerrero vs. Brian Pillman {©}:</strong></p><p> This match was the polar opposite of the opener in the sense that we hit upon a combination that actually had pretty good timing as opponents. That combined with the fact that Guerrero and Pillman are great in-ring talents led to a solid match, though not quite as solid as it could have been. More on that in a moment. </p><p> </p><p> Ric Flair strutted his way down the aisle midway through the match and had some fun interacting with the fans. He didn’t get involved in the match itself, but Pillman was thoroughly distracted throughout. That distraction caused him to miss an aerial attempt, and Guerrero took advantage with a Frog Splash to win the title in 10:38! I had to protect Brian in the booking of the match as a concession to keep him happy while losing the belt, and that hurt the match a bit. But as I was going to have Flair show up anyway, I had no issues with appeasing Brian.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: C) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Backstage:</span></em> </p><p> Mean Gene was interviewing Harlem Heat when the Steiners barged in. The two teams jawed back and forth, with the Steiners calling Harlem Heat out for getting themselves DQed to save their titles. Booker defended their actions by claiming that back in Harlem, there were no rules to play by and no referees to say you were being too rough. All that mattered was who was still standing at the end, and at Halloween Havoc the only ones who walked out of that ring were the Heat, suckas! The natural conclusion to this was the Steiners demanding another title shot. Sherri didn’t look to be in favor of that idea, but Stevie said that Harlem Heat wasn’t afraid of a couple of fancy college boys from Michigan, so they’d see them again at World War 3!</p><p> <strong>(Grade: B-) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>The American Males vs. The Giant and The Taskmaster:</strong> </p><p> The booking of this match was painfully obvious to everyone, I’m sure. Giant and Taskmaster steamrolled the Males. Riggs did seem to show some improved brawling skills, I should note. Giant toyed with the Males for a bit before finishing Bagwell with the Chokeslam at 07:41.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: C) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">In the ring:</span></em> </p><p> After the match, Sullivan got on the mic and cut a very newsworthy promo. He said that the Dungeon of Doom had been created to destroy Hulkamania, and last night, they succeeded. He thought they were going to accomplish their task by physically destroying the man himself. Instead they’d forced him into a situation where he knew he was going to fail, and in order to hold onto his spot at the top, he’d abandoned his ideals and broken the trust of all his little Hulksters.</p><p> </p><p> Because they had done what they set out do so, he was officially disbanding the Dungeon of Doom. However, he and the Giant would be waiting to welcome Hulk to the dark side once his metamorphosis was complete. Kevin’s improvised lines have been hit or miss at times, but this was a definite hit. He had the fans unsure of what to think or how to feel about Hulk, which was one of the crucial purposes of this promo. The other being the split of the Dungeon of Doom, a group that has passed its expiration date. I think the new direction I'm going to take with Giant and Sullivan will prove far more interesting anyway.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: A) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Ken Shamrock vs. Sgt. Craig Pittman:</strong></p><p> Shamrock made his in-ring WCW debut in what we hyped as a match between two of the toughest men in wrestling. They stuck mainly to brawling, with a bit of technical wrestling interspersed here and there. You could see Ken becoming more comfortable performing in front of the crowd as the match went on. I don’t think anyone was surprised when Shamrock won in 07:52 with an Ankle Lock. </p><p> <strong>(Grade: C-) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">In the ring:</span></em> </p><p> Scott Norton came down to confront Shamrock after the match in a continuation of their staredown at Halloween Havoc. They pushed and shoved, but several wrestlers came out to pull them apart before they could set off an out of control brawl.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: C-) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Backstage:</span></em> </p><p> Brian Pillman and Ric Flair were arguing about what happened earlier. Pillman blamed Flair for costing him the Cruiserweight title, while Ric said that he’d just come down to see the great Brian Pillman in action all by himself, with the spotlight solely on him. Arn Anderson stepped between the two and yelled at them to cool it before reminding Ric that he had a main event match with Sting to prepare for. Brian was once again on point here with some great delivery, but as seems to happen far too often, Ric went off message in spots and spouted some of his 80’s catchphrases instead.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: B-) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Jim Duggan vs. Jeff Jarrett:</strong> </p><p> Duggan and Jarrett had a fine little match, with Hacksaw wrestling his usual basic brawling match and Jeff showing off both his technical skills and his adeptness at playing the cowardly heel. The ending saw Jarrett bring Hacskaw’s 2x4 into the ring, and when the referee was removing it, he smashed his guitar over Duggan’s head for a cheap 3 count at 13:20.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: B) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">In the ring:</span></em> </p><p> Jarrett got on the mic and verbally trashed Sting before daring him to prove that he truly was one of the best in WCW just like Jarrett had always heard. And the way he could do that was by giving Jarrett a shot at the United States title. Jeff’s delivery was not nearly as good here as it was the night before. Anyway, Sting came out and said he would be happy to accept the challenge. He said Jarrett could have a shot any time he wanted, and a smiling Jeff named World War 3 as the perfect time for him to win his first gold here in WCW. </p><p> <strong>(Grade: B) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <em><span style="text-decoration:underline;">Backstage:</span></em> </p><p> Mean Gene tried to get Randy Savage’s thoughts on Hulk Hogan’s actions the previous night, as well as Lex Luger’s accusations earlier tonight. Randy said he didn’t agree with Lex about Hulk ambushing him last week, and he didn’t think the shot to Sting at Fall Brawl was intentional either. But Randy admitted that he was shocked at what Hulk did to beat the Giant. He said that he, just like Gene, was there eight years earlier when Hulk beat Andre, and he sure didn’t see him use a pipe to do it. He’d fought both with and against Hulk for about a decade, and he’d never seen him do anything like that. He didn’t know what to think, but he was going to wait to speak to the man himself before he passed judgment on his actions. Randy was good here, and Gene was even better. They both added a lot of gravitas to this storyline.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: A) </strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Sting vs. Ric Flair:</strong> </p><p> You can pretty much assume that any match between Sting and Flair will be an instant classic, and this one was no exception. The two old foes know each other like the back of their hand, and it showed. It isn’t even really about chemistry; it’s just about two great, or at least very good, workers who have wrestled each other so often that they’ve worked out all the best ways to emphasize each others’ strengths. They had their usual tremendous match, with the energetic Sting constantly trying to overcome the savvy Flair’s wrestling skill and tricks of the trade. One thing that did stand out was Sting seemingly upping his technical wrestling performance.</p><p> </p><p> After a seesaw match, Flair dodged a Stinger Splash and took control. As he seemed to be closing in on the victory, Brian Pillman turned up in the aisle. Flair took his eyes off the ball for just a moment, and that was all the opening Sting needed to mount a comeback and pin Ric with a Flying Crossbody at 14:22.</p><p> <strong>(Grade: A) </strong></p><p> </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Show Overall: B+</strong></p><p><strong> TNT Rating: 7.03</strong></p><p> </p><p> <strong>Raw Overall: B</strong></p><p><strong> Raw USA Rating: 5.76</strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/WCW95/SN.jpg~original</span></p><p> <strong>Saturday, Week 4, October 1995</strong></p><p><strong> From the Joplin Memorial Hall in Joplin, Missouri</strong></p><p><strong> Attendance: 2,000 (sell-out!)</strong></p><p><strong> Announce Team: Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay</strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38016" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> Ultimo Dragon defeated Rip Rogers at 04:57. <strong>(D)</strong></p><p> </p><p> Mean Gene interviewed Harlem Heat, who promised to give the Steiners a Harlem style beating at World War 3. <strong>(C+)</strong></p><p> </p><p> The Steiner Brothers defeated The State Patrol at 05:45. <strong>©</strong></p><p> </p><p> In an interview with Gene, Ken Shamrock said he had been fighting all his life, and any time Scott Norton wanted to test him he was more than willing to let him. <strong>©</strong></p><p> </p><p> Disco Inferno defeated Chris Kanyon at 04:43. <strong>(D)</strong></p><p> </p><p> Jeff Jarrett cut a promo saying that he would not only become the United States Champion at World War 3, he would also win the 60-man battle royal and earn a main event spot at Starrcade. <strong>(B+)</strong></p><p> </p><p> Meng defeated Joey Maggs at 04:09. <strong>(D+)</strong></p><p> </p><p> Larry Zbyszko revealed that he would have new Cruiserweight Champion Eddie Guerrero as his guest on his Larryland segment this Monday on Nitro. <strong>©</strong></p><p> </p><p> Alex Wright defeated Bunkhouse Buck (w/Col. Parker) at 05:53. <strong>(D+)</strong></p><p> </p><p> Mike and Tony discussed the controversy surrounding Hulk Hogan and speculated about whether or not we would see him or hear from him this Monday. <strong>(B-)</strong></p><p> </p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Show Overall: C</strong></p></div><p></p>