Justin Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Why isn't somebody doing Japan in this shared diary universe? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 Why isn't somebody doing Japan in this shared diary universe? TFC is "technically" breaking into Japan with the Wrestling Spotlight. If TFC ever does a brand split I would be the first kid in line to buy WWF's Main Event vs. Spotlight for the Sega Genesis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 29, 2016 Share Posted February 29, 2016 October 30th, 1989 October's title changes from around the wrestling world: NWA World Middleweight: Fuerza Guerrera defeated Kung Fu at CMLL Leyenda de Plata 1989, Rating: 82 NWA World Television: Jushin Liger defeated Arn Anderson at NWA Power Hour, Rating: 74 CWA/AWA International Heavyweight: Jerry Lawler defeated Tarzan Goto for the vacant title at CWA Goin' Crazy, Rating: 71 WCWA World Six-Man Tag Team: Wahoo McDaniel, Spike Huber & Killer Tim Brooks defeated Kevin Von Erich, David Sheldon & Robert Fuller for the vacant title at Cotton Bowl Extravaganza 1989,Rating: 70 NWA World Tag Team: Larry Zbyszko & Rick Rude defeated Totally Fantastic (Lex Luger & Terry Taylor) at Friday Night Showdown, Rating: 68 NWA Southeastern US Junior Heavyweight: Tracy Smothers defeated Brad Rheingans at CCW Another Attempt, Rating: 60 NWA World Cruiserweight: Hector Guerrero defeated Eddie Guerrero at NWA Clash of the Champions II, Rating: 58 British Welterweight: Marty Jones defeated Bobby Barnes at ITV World of Sport, Rating: 57 CWA/AWA International Tag Team: Jeff Jarrett & Frankie Lancaster defeated Don Bass & Chic Donovan at CWA Goin' Crazy, Rating: 47 <hr noshade size=3> PUTTING THE “NATIONAL” BACK IN THE NWA Prior to this past week's NWA television tapings, we officially returned Jim Crockett Promotions to “National” status after several months. The company had briefly achieved that ranking; but after we re-calibrated our systems they fell back down. After several months of first class matches and shows – we can now confirm that the NWA's flagship promotion more than fulfills our criteria for a National promotion. ALL JAPAN TENSION? There is apparent frustration in the office of Harley Race with the NWA's Japanese promotion All Japan Pro Wrestling. Whilst the relationship between the two companies continues to be good; Race is said to be more than annoyed with AJPW's recent tour events. On the October 21st Hard Times tour show – AJPW put on a time limit draw between Ricky Steamboat and Ric Flair. Race was said to be very frustrated that his Japanese colleagues had stolen his big main event (including the finish) just a week before the Clash of the Champions pay-per-view. To add insult to injury, Giant Baba – who had previously confirmed that he would make the trip along with Toshiaki Kawada for the Clash of the Champions event – canceled at the last minute in order to compete in an undercard bout of their own October Giant Series event. STARRCADE UNIFICATION DETAILS The video package announcing the location of this year's Starrcade pay-per-view also confirmed the format for the huge NWA / AWA unification matches. Four men will enter in two title matches – before the winners wrestled to unify the two titles. This means that whoever leaves as the Unified World Heavyweight Champion will have to wrestle twice in two monumental matches. Internally, Harley Race is expecting great things from the event – but is feeling the pressure of having to match last year's event, which was the critically acclaimed swansong for booker Ole Anderson. BAD FOOT FOR BRAD JAMES Brad James has been taken off of television in recent weeks after suffering after damaging his foot during a house show event. James is expected to be back to full health by the next television taping, but Race has been known to be extra cautious even when wrestlers can work through their injuries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 November 11th, 1989 JCP IN MEXICO Great news for our fans in Mexico, as the National Wrestling Alliance's premier promotion - Jim Crockett Promotions - will be airing its pay-per-views live south of the border. From Thanksgiving Thunder on November 25th - Mexican fans will be able to watch all NWA pay-per-views live. JCP officials are currently working on getting their major television broadcasts - Power Hour and Friday Night Showdown - to be shown in the country, but nothing is expected until the new year. RELATIONS SOUR As reported in recent weeks, relationships between JCP and All-Japan Pro Wrestling have taken a turn for the worse. Official word has been received that the working agreement between the two companies has been ended. However, AJPW remain within the National Wrestling Alliance as the group requires a unanimous vote to rescind their membership. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 16, 2016 Author Share Posted March 16, 2016 November 12th, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg A MILLION DOLLAR EXTENSION (OH, AND CACTUS TOO) Upon entering the WWF nearly three years ago, Ted DiBiase was a midcard act and was paid as such. We all know that his Million Dollar Man character caught fire and led him to become the top heel in the business, if not the MVP of the entire WWF. And yet, despite his vital role in the company (and the wealthy character he plays) he has still been getting compensated under the terms of his original deal. Ironically, the Million Dollar Man was being grossly underpaid. This is no longer the case thanks to the new 2-year contract extension he's signed with the company. While he isn't making quite as much money as Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper, we understand that his new deal makes him the third highest-paid performer in the company, well above the big raises doled out to Owen Hart and Mr. Perfect in recent months. With the run he's been on, it's hard to argue that he doesn't deserve it. Cactus Jack signed a two year extension of his own recently (albeit for about a fifth of what DiBiase is now getting paid.) While the 24-year old's entertainment skills haven't shown as much improvement as WWF officials were hoping they would with the Jake Roberts pairing, he is an excellent brawler and a quality midcarder if nothing else. THE VON ERICH DYNASTY As we've seen, Kerry Von Erich has followed his older brother Kevin in jumping ship from JCP to the WWF. While JCP did make a token effort to re-sign Kerry, the Von Erichs haven't seemed like a priority for Crockett for many months, so it doesn't seem as if they fought very hard to try and keep him around. We're told that signing Mike Von Erich was never a consideration for the WWF; it was Kerry or nothing, and they got their man. Both the Von Erichs and the Legion of Doom coming in at the same time would seem to crowd the tag team division a bit, but it sounds as if the WWF wants to present both teams as big deals. They also see Kerry as a potential singles star in the future, but the focus for the foreseeable future will be on building he and Kevin as a duo. INTERNATIONAL FLAVOR You can expect to see some more international talent make their way to the WWF imminently. In fact, one is expected to debut on the next set of TV: a luchador named Jorge Rivera, who works under a mask and has previously wrestled under the names Porsche and El Seminarista. He will keep the mask in the WWF, but one source tells us he'll be going under the name 'Boomerang.' He's expected to be little more than enhancement talent, brought in because scouts have raved about him having an uncommonly keen sense of how to structure a match given he's only a 2-year pro, and that's a valuable skill that he can hopefully pass on to other workers. He's only 25 years old, so perhaps he can impress officials enough to earn himself a larger role down the road. The newly-christened Boomerang is hardly the only foreigner on the WWF's radar, however. We've heard that they've recently reached out to several luchadors, veterans and youngsters alike. The veterans seem to be penciled in for roles similar to Boomerang's, but one target in particular would seem to have the potential to be a draw if given the chance. The Federation is also said to be evaluating prospective signings from Japan, though they aren't believed to be in serious negotiations with anyone at present. Pickings are more slim there thanks to NJPW and AJPW having most of their notable talent locked down on written contracts, but they are keeping their eyes and ears open. With the success of first Matsumoto, and more recently Bull Nakano and Masami Yoshida, it would make sense for the WWF to look towards the Japanese women's scene for more fresh blood. And with AJPW and their women's division being the only dedicated home for Japanese women to ply their trade these days, there is plenty of available talent to choose from. VANISHING VETROVA Valentina Vetrova, women's wrestler/Alexei Bakarov's valet, has departed the company after her contract expired. The WWF had no complaints about her work, but simply felt that her pairing with Bakarov had run its course and she had too little momentum to be of significant value as a wrestler. She is a passable in-ring talent and not a bad talker either, so a return is possible in the future if a role opens up for her. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mootinie Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 "VANISHING VETROVA" Just as The Americans returns on FX, this is surely not a coincidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecoolestjedi12 Posted April 2, 2016 Share Posted April 2, 2016 Is Baba trying to leave the alliance? Or is this a secret plan from him? I wonder why he would do something like stealing a dream match and then cancelling a apperance.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 December 1st, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg MEXICAN IMPORTS The WWF is in the midst of quite an influx of talent from Mexico. Both Mil Mascaras and Chavo Guerrero have already made their debuts. The two veterans were apparently brought in primarily to impart their experience to the younger generation of WWF stars, but another new signing from Mexico is perceived as a potential future star. El Hijo del Santo, son of the icon Santo, has signed a contract with the WWF and already reported to developmental territory USPW (though it's doubtful he'll be down there very long.) Scouts are very high on El Hijo del Santo and believe he could be a big star that appeals to the Latino demographic. POTENTIAL STAR? In addition to his touring schedule with the WWF, "Gentleman" Chris Adams has also been training aspiring wrestlers on the side down in Texas where he resides. There is apparently one particularly promising prospect that Adams sees as something special. His name is Steve Williams, an athletic Texan who played college football at the University of North Texas. Though he has not even had his in-ring debut yet, Adams has already been urging the WWF to sign him lest he get snatched up by a competitor like JCP or WCW. WWF talent scouts paid a visit to a recent training session to see the young trainee for themselves, and were suitably impressed. In fact, we've been told that they immediately recommended him to upper management as the top name to be considered for a contract, ahead of free agents with years if not decades of experience. Despite his complete lack of experience, it sounds like the WWF is seriously considering signing this rookie to make sure he doesn't slip through their fingers. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/AJPW.jpg BABA OUSTED All Japan Pro Wrestling has announced that Giant Baba has been removed from power as head booker. That would be noteworthy enough considering he founded the company back in 1972, but the story becomes even more dramatic when you consider that his wife Motoko is the actual owner of the company and the one who made the call to replace him. It's unclear whether this was her idea, something suggested to her by someone else, or perhaps even a decision put into motion by Baba himself. Some suggest that the move may have been made to protect All Japan's position as a member of the National Wrestling Alliance, because it's well known that Baba got under the skin of the higher-ups in the Alliance by giving away the Ricky Steamboat/Ric Flair match mere days before they headlined the Clash of the Champions PPV, and also by Baba himself pulling out of his scheduled match at the Clash at the last minute. Whatever the case, All Japan is on the lookout for a new booker. LIONESS IN LOVE Baba may be out of power, but in a more positive note, love is in the air in AJPW! Akira Taue and Lioness Asuka recently made their relationship official and informed the office that they are dating. Congrats to the new couple. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/FMW.jpg NEW COMPANY OPENS Have you heard of Shoichi Arai? No? Don't feel bad; he's never done anything of note in the wrestling business. That hasn't stopped the 23-year old from opening his very own Japanese wrestling promotion, called Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling (or FMW.) The new promotion has yet to run any tours or hire any talent, but their initial press release suggests that the company is going to emphasize a brutal, no holds barred style of violent wrestling. November's big shows: WWF: Survivor Series (Ted DiBiase over Mr. Perfect to retain the WWF title), Overall Rating: 97 JCP: Thanksgiving Thunder (Ric Flair over Larry Zbyszko to retain the AWA World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 91 NJPW: Super Grade Tag League (Antonio Inoki and Riki Choshu over Kengo Kimura and Tatsumi Fujinami to win the Super Grade Tag League tournament), Overall Rating: 88 AJPW: Key to Champion (Jumbo Tsuruta over Takashi Ishikawa to retain the Triple Crown title), Overall Rating: 80 CMLL: Mal Habito (Rayo de Jalisco Sr. and El Satanico over Lizmark and Fuerza Guerrera), Overall Rating: 73 SWC: Bravado (Viet Cong Express #1 and Bruce Hart over Makhan Singh and Hashif Kahn), Overall Rating: 70 UWA: Perdido En Espacio (Sangre Chicana, Mando Guerrero and Perro Aguyao over Javier Llanes, Brazo de Plata and Ultraman), Overall Rating: 69 WWAMex: Way of the Warrior 3 (Dr. Wagner Jr. over Super Astro to retain the Campeon de Universal title), Overall Rating: 68 ASWUK: Uprising (Tony St. Clair over Tiger Dalibar Singh to retain the ASW British Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 66 UWF: Big Battle (Tully Blanchard and Angel of Death over Brad Rheingans and Greg Gagne), Overall Rating: 65 JPUK: Straight to Hell (The Real Main Event over Ray Steele and Giant Haystacks), Overall Rating: 64 CWAEur: WrestleNation (Klaus Wallas over Steve Wright to retain the Triple Crown title), Overall Rating: 63 CWA: Living In Sin (Dutch Mantell over Stevie Ray), Overall Rating: 57 WCW: Ravenous (Super Ninja over Junkyard Dog to retain the WCW World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 56 USWA: 100,000 Years (Mike Von Erich over Al Perez to retain the USWA Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 56 GLOW: Back By Demand (Americana over Mika the Headhunter to retain the GLOW Crown title), Overall Rating: 56 CSW: Time to Kill (Bulldog Bob Brown over Bill Dundee to win the NWA Central States Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 56 PNW: Drop The Bomb (Mike Shaw and The Warlord over Jerry Blackwell and Earthquake Ferris), Overall Rating: 54 CCW: Immortality (Hercules Ayala and Jimmy Del Ray over Tom Zenk and Fabulous Lance), Overall Rating: 53 ASW: Stay Hungry (Master Sgt. Tomko and Jonathan Sayers over Dino Bravo and Akam Singh), Overall Rating: 51 USPW: Get In The Ring (Ron Garvin over Danny Davis to retain the USPW World title), Overall Rating: 50 WWA: Final Crisis (Jerry Blackwell over Big John Studd to retain the WWA World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 50 WCWA: Thanksgiving Star Wars (Spike Huber and Wahoo McDaniel over Killer Tim Brooks and David Sheldon), Overall Rating: 49 WWC: Ground Zero III (Black Gordman over Marty Jannetty to retain the WWC Universal Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 47 Monthly Spotlight: World Championship Wrestling (WCW) http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WCW.jpg Corporate View: Promotion Founded in: December 1988 Current Owner: Ted Turner Head Booker: Sandy Barr Size Designation: Cult Promotion Rank: 3rd out of 14 in USA, 5th out 25 of worldwide Financial Status: 2nd richest company in the world TV Coverage: WCW Nitro on TNT (Tuesday, early evening) PPV Coverage: Cablevision Company Relationships: Hostility with the World Wrestling Federation Company Highs: Best match of 1989 and since the creation of our ratings system in March 1987: Wendell Cooley over Paul Orndorff at Spring Stampede in April (65) Best event of 1989 and since the creation of our ratings system in March 1987: Night of Mayhem in May (62) Highest attendance, 1989: Night of Mayhem in May from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia (11,376) Highest attendance, all-time (March '87 onwards): BattleBowl in December 1988 from The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia (14,099) Top PPV Buy Rate, 1989 and all-time: World War 3 in September (0.14) Top 5 Stars: Paul Orndorff, Buzz Sawyer, Eric Embry, Junkyard Dog and Manny Fernandez Current Champions: World Heavyweight: Super Ninja (defeated Junkyard Dog to become the first champion at Rock This Country in January 1989) North American Heavyweight: Brian Adias (defeated Charlie Cook to become the first champion at Rock This Country in January 1989) World Tag Team: Team Bandit (Kareem Muhammad and Eric Embry) (defeated Jim Lancaster and George Wells to become the first champions at BattleBowl in December 1988) Current Storylines: Paul Orndorff vs. Manny Fernandez Super Ninja vs. Wendell Cooley Buddy Landel vs. Junkyard Dog One Man Gang vs. Sweet Brown Sugar A little over a year ago, media mogul Ted Turner decided that simply airing wrestling programming on his TBS Superstation wasn't enough for him. He put his money behind the launch of his very own wrestling promotion, World Championship Wrestling, with the stated goal of becoming #1 in the world. Unfortunately for both Turner and head booker Sandy Barr, between the global juggernaut WWF and the continued growth of JCP (who continue to air their Friday Night Showdown program on Turner's TBS despite the launch of WCW), there wasn't much in the way of big name wrestlers available to sign. They did the best they could at building a roster under the circumstances, signing recognizable names like "Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff, Junkyard Dog and One Man Gang. It was a far cry from the depth of talent and star power to be found on the rosters of WWF and JCP though. The issue has been compounded by a puzzling failure to prominently feature Orndorff, far and away their biggest star, in main event programs. Indeed, the only time Orndorff has ever competed in a PPV main event for WCW was as part of a 30-man battle royal at World War 3 (a battle royal which he failed to win, incidentally.) The company has instead been built around Super Ninja, aka Rip Oliver, the only man to hold WCW's world title to this point. He has naturally been a fixture in nearly all of WCW's PPV main events as the champion. Considering the main event has almost never been the best match on a WCW PPV according to our grading system, and has been outscored by over ten points several times, this strange choice by Sandy Barr has undeniably held WCW back throughout its first year of existence. It's not all doom and gloom for WCW, though. There was some speculation about why WCW wasn't immediately given a slot on one of Ted Turner's networks, with some analysts believing that other executives within Turner had convinced Ted not to do so until WCW had proven itself to be a stable company. Whatever the circumstances, WCW debuted its new Nitro program on TNT in September. They chose to put it on in a Tuesday early evening time slot, which seems like another odd choice considering that's the same night WWF airs its flagship Main Event program. Still, Nitro presents a tremendous opportunity for WCW to build both its performers and the brand itself with a weekly stage. That opportunity has largely gone to waste over the first few months that the show has been on the air, as the company has put on fairly mediocre shows that haven't been bad enough to cause WCW to lose any ground with the fans, but haven't been good enough to create any buzz or draw in new fans either. That's pretty much the story of WCW's first year in a nutshell too: they've continued to retain the same level of fan interest they had upon debut, with no marked changes positively or negatively anywhere in the US (the one exception being in the South East region, Turner's backyard, where the company has actually lost what we estimate to be 5 percentage points of popularity on our scale.) Ted Turner's dream of building a new wrestling powerhouse hasn't made much headway over its first year, but with Ted's considerable financial muscle behind it, the company should have a lot more time to try and find a foothold in the industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 When does Chavo Jr. debut? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted April 16, 2016 Author Share Posted April 16, 2016 When does Chavo Jr. debut? He entered the game world in May, but no one has signed him. His only matches thus far have been on Mexican Independent shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted April 16, 2016 Share Posted April 16, 2016 He entered the game world in May, but no one has signed him. His only matches thus far have been on Mexican Independent shows. None of you have shown any interest in him thus far? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Chavo sounds like a good move for Anderz to hire because he has Hector and Eddie he might as well muddy up that saga with Chavo thrown into the mix....why not throw Chavo Sr in as well and make it a Jerry Springer quality family feud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Chavo sounds like a good move for Anderz to hire because he has Hector and Eddie he might as well muddy up that saga with Chavo thrown into the mix....why not throw Chavo Sr in as well and make it a Jerry Springer quality family feud. Chavo Sr. is property of TFC for the moment, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted April 17, 2016 Share Posted April 17, 2016 Chavo Sr. is property of TFC for the moment, though. I forgot about that....both Harley Race and James Hill can benefit from Chavito it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted April 18, 2016 Share Posted April 18, 2016 November's title changes from around the wrestling world: Super Grade Tag League: Antonio Inoki & Riki Choshu defeated Kengo Kimura & Toshiaki Fujinami at Super Grade Tag League 1989, Rating: 88 WWF World Television: Bobby Eaton defeated Alexei Bakarov at WWF The Main Event, Rating: 76 NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight: Dennis Condrey defeated Big John Studd for the vacant title at CCW Immortality 1989, Rating: 59 NWA Central States Heavyweight: Bulldog Bob Brown defeated Bill Dundee for the vacant title at CSW Time to Kill, Rating: 58 Stampede International Tag Team: Karachi Vice (Gama & Akam Singh) defeated Ben Bassarab & Terry Sawyer for the vacant titles at SWC Bravado, Rating: 57 WCWA Texas Heavyweight: Greg Wojokowski defeated Chris Youngblood for the vacant title at Thanksgiving Star Wars, Rating: 56 NWA Central States Tag Team: The Warlord & Jesse Barr defeated D.J. Peterson & Jerry Oates at CSW Time to Kill, Rating: 50 UWA Canadian Junior Heavyweight: Rick Davis defeated Terry Swayer at ASW Stay Hungry, Rating: 47 AWA Southern Tag Team: Pitch Black (Soul Train Jones & Jimmy Valiant) defeated Allen West & Frankie Lancaster at CWA Living in Sin, Rating: 46 USPW World: Steve Regal defeated Ron Garvin at USPW Action!, Rating: 46 WWA World Tag Team: Revenge Warriors (Wahoo McDaniel & Mike Graham) defeated Rocky King & Bob Holly at Bruiser Bedlam, Rating: 44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted July 2, 2016 Author Share Posted July 2, 2016 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">1989 YEAR-END AWARDS</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Wrestler of the Year:</strong> Ted DiBiase (WWF) <em>(x2)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/MDM3.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> New year, same story: Ted DiBiase is really freaking good. He was a talented wrestler before ever arriving in the WWF of course, but his introduction to the Fed as the "Million Dollar Man" has been a flawless marriage of performer and character. He has without question been the best all-around wrestler in the business for the last two and a half years, and as a result he has won his second consecutive wrestler of the year award.</p><p> </p><p> DiBiase's jaw-droppingly good 1988 campaign looked impossible to top, and while it's arguable whether or not he actually managed it this year, he came extremely close at the very least. The face turn of former associate Undertaker led to a long feud and two fantastic PPV matches. They stole the show with the best match at WrestleMania V, then topped themselves with the first-ever casket match at SummerSlam, which was DiBiase's "only" 100-rated match of the year (he had two such matches in '88, if you're keeping score.) He also had five matches that fell just short of perfection with a 99 score based on our system: aside from the aforementioned WrestleMania match with Undertaker, there was the red-hot match with Roddy Piper at WrestleFest, the marathon technical masterpiece with Mr. Perfect at Survivor Series, and the resumption of his rivalry with Hulk Hogan on the very last TV show of the year for the WWF. Of course, the most memorable part of DiBiase's year was the storyline that saw him connive his way to a second reign as WWF Champion when he captured the title from Bret Hart in September.</p><p> </p><p> Given the ending of the match with Hogan, it's hard to predict how 1990 will go for DiBiase. One thing that seems almost certain is that he will be in the running for this award for the third straight year.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Company of the Year:</strong> World Wrestling Federation (WWF) <em>(x5)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original</span></p><p> </p><p> "The worldwide leader in sports entertainment" still sits atop the wrestling landscape. They knew they could not afford to rest on their laurels with the NWA flagship Jim Crockett Promotions continuing to grow, and it showed with how frequently they delivered on the biggest shows. Of the 13 PPV events they ran this year (with King of the Ring split into two shows held on back-to-back nights), only the Royal Rumble fell below a 90 overall grade, and even then they managed a still-good 86. Even more impressively, WrestleMania V received a perfect 100 score, the first time we'd ever given that score to any event in any promotion--and then they repeated the feat five months later at SummerSlam. JCP continues to build their brand and WCW hopes to use Ted Turner's cash to carve out a bigger piece of the pie for themselves, but the WWF shows no signs of decline. The titan only seems to be growing stronger, which is a frightening thought for the competition. </p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Tag Team of the Year:</strong> Marvelous Madness (Rick Martel and Randy Savage) (WWF)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Martel2.jpg</span><span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Savage3.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> What do you get when you pair up two world-class wrestlers who also happen to have great chemistry as tag team partners? In the case of Marvelous Madness, we got a team whose run was as entertaining as it was unfortunately brief. Savage and Martel were pretty much on fire from the beginning of the year until SummerSlam, putting on tremendous matches (including a 100-rated match against the Rock 'n Roll Express, and on free TV no less!) and getting loads of screen time. They were arguably the hottest act in the entire business, but the beginning of the end came when Savage failed yet another steroid test just before King of the Ring, causing what was believed to be his planned tournament victory to go to Owen Hart instead. Even though he would subsequently go on to main event SummerSlam, the team disappeared from the main event scene almost immediately thereafter. The de-pushing of Savage was on, and Martel got dragged down by association. A dissension angle led to an official split of the team at the end of the year. It's most unfortunate, and one has to wonder what might have been were it not for Savage's issues holding him back once again.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Match of the Year:</strong> Tully Blanchard over Ricky Steamboat at Starrcade in December (JCP)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i304/Anderz_Baz/JCP/Tully%20Blanchard%2089_zps5mrgc9ww.jpg</span><span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/vs.jpg~original</span><span>http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i304/Anderz_Baz/JCP/Ricky%20Steamboat%203_zpsfy99nx8r.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> Last year's Starrcade was a legitimate contender for show of the year, and they had a new and extremely potent weapon in their arsenal this year to give the show a boost: the return of Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat won this award last year for his match against Ted DiBiase at WWF's Rampage show, and he pulled off similar magic this year with Tully Blanchard. Head booker Harley Race was no doubt pleased to see this outcome in the first of three matches throughout the night to unify the NWA and AWA World titles. Unfortunately the climactic match between NWA champion Blanchard and AWA champion Arn Anderson couldn't compare to the two matches that preceded it, otherwise Starrcade may very well have been the best show of the year anywhere in the world. Still, it was a great show and fitting way to close out the decade, and this match was the biggest of several reasons why.</p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Show of the Year:</strong> SummerSlam (WWF)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Summerslam.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> Two years ago, the inaugural SummerSlam won show of the year, easily overshadowing WrestleMania III (which was a massive financial success with over 90 thousand fans in attendance, but was a bit of a letdown critically thanks to a poor main event.) WrestleMania IV succeeded where the previous year's event had failed, and when WrestleMania V received our first ever 100 score, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the WWF's premiere event would take the award for the second straight year. But then SummerSlam happened. It also got a 100 rating, and we've given it the narrow edge as show of the year. What puts it ahead of WMV? For starters, though The Undertaker and Ted DiBiase put on MOTN on both shows, their SummerSlam match was the better of the two. There's also the fact that Bret Hart's main event title defense against Randy Savage was superior to his victory over Jake Roberts to win the title (99 vs. 96, respectively.) Truthfully, either show could have received this award with no room for dissent, but we think SummerSlam was just the tiniest bit better. </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Young Wrestler of the Year (under 24 years old):</strong> Owen Hart (WWF)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/OwenHart.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> In 1989, Owen Hart went from being "Bret Hart's little brother" to a bonafide WWF superstar in his own right. Owen had already shown that he was capable of putting on great matches with the right opponent, but he took his career to another level when he beat Randy Savage in an instant classic in the finals of the King of the Ring tournament. Whether or not his big win came as a result of Savage's failed drug test, it was still a career-making moment for the youngest Hart. Owen looks poised to one day follow in his brother's footsteps as WWF World Champion--and if the reactions he gets from most crowds are anything to go by, that day may come sooner rather than later.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Veteran Wrestler of the Year (over 42 years old):</strong> Antonio Inoki (NJPW) <em>(x3)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/AntonioInoki.jpg~original</span></p><p> </p><p> Inoki may be 46 years old, but he has shown absolutely no signs of slowing down. The NJPW founder and owner's decision to turn booking duties over to Kunimatsu Matsunaga was seen by some as a sign that his time in the business, was winding down, but he proved that false by taking this award for the third year in a row. The highlight of his year was winning the prestigious Super Grade Tag League with partner Riki Choshu for the second straight year, and included in that tournament was a classic victory over Kuniaki Kobayashi and Nobuhiko Takada, which at 98 is the highest rating we've given to any Inoki match since our grading system was introduced in '87. </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Female Wrestler of the Year:</strong> Lioness Asuka (AJPW)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/LionessAsuka.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> The women's wrestling scene in Japan is a far cry from what it used to be, but the women's division in AJPW provides at least some sort of platform for the top joshi workers. One of the best among them is Lioness Asuka, who had several high quality matches throughout the year. Chief among them was a win over Chigusa Nagayo during the Tough Love tour in March, which we gave an 88 score. It may be a long ways off from the matches these two and others were putting on during the glory days of All Japan Women as a distinct promotion, but it's still the highest quality female wrestling anywhere in the world. </p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Most Improved Company of the Year:</strong> Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW)</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/GLOW.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> GLOW is undeniably campy, but David McLane and his outrageous troupe of female wrestling caricatures have defied the expectations of pretty much everyone by sticking around for as long as they have. They never venture out of California, but they've become something of an institution in the Golden State, where they regularly draw upwards of 2000 fans to their shows. A local deal to show highlights from their live events helps get the word out, and with no real competition around to swipe their stars aside from the rare poaching by the WWF, they have a perfect setup to continue running business as usual for the foreseeable future.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Independent Wrestler of the Year:</strong> Akira Hokuto</p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/AkiraHokuto.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> Promising 22-year old Akira Hokuto is not one of the women that was brought in from the remains of AJW and JWP to join the women's division of All Japan, and thus she has been plying her trade on smaller independent shows in Japan. She's put on some pretty entertaining matches on these smaller shows, working with fellow freelancers like Mimi Hagiwara, Crane Yu and Mayumi Ozaki. Her work there has led to her being one of the women signed up by soon-to-debut company FMW, which is set to include a women's division as part of its shows.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Manager of the Year:</strong> Miss Elizabeth (WWF) <em>(x3)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Liz2.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Announcer of the Year:</strong> Boyd Pierce <em>(JCP)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i304/Anderz_Baz/JCP/BoydPierce_zps1053571f.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Color Commentator of the Year:</strong> Jim Cornette (WWF) <em>(x2)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/Cornette2.jpg</span></p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong>Referee of the Year:</strong> Tommy Young (JCP) <em>(x2)</em></p><p> </p><p> <span>http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/TommyYoung.jpg~original</span></p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p></p><p></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> As you can see, I got bored writing these up and didn't write anything up for the last few. They're the more minor awards anyway. <img alt=":o" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/redface.png.900245280682ef18c5d82399a93c5827.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 The anti-Savage reports are kinda unsettling, but it's alright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Final Countdown" data-cite="The Final Countdown" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> As you can see, I got bored writing these up and didn't write anything up for the last few. They're the more minor awards anyway. <img alt=":o" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/redface.png.900245280682ef18c5d82399a93c5827.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> Any award that is given to Jim Cornette is a big deal!!!</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted July 3, 2016 Author Share Posted July 3, 2016 <p></p><div style="text-align:center;"><p><strong><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="text-decoration:underline;">THE 1989 POWER 100 RANKINGS:</span></span></strong></p></div><p></p><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Ted DiBiase<br /></li><li>Ricky Steamboat<br /></li><li>Bret Hart<br /></li><li>Randy Savage<br /></li><li>Hulk Hogan<br /></li><li>Riki Choshu<br /></li><li>Ric Flair<br /></li><li>Stan Hansen<br /></li><li>Roddy Piper<br /></li><li>Tully Blanchard<br /></li><li>Jake Roberts<br /></li><li>Genichiro Tenryu<br /></li><li>Mr. Perfect<br /></li><li>Jumbo Tsuruta<br /></li><li>Rick Martel<br /></li><li>Tatsumi Fujinami<br /></li><li>Akira Maeda<br /></li><li>Owen Hart<br /></li><li>Animal<br /></li><li>Hawk<br /></li><li>The Undertaker<br /></li><li>Nobuhiko Takada<br /></li><li>Toshiaki Kawada<br /></li><li>Arn Anderson<br /></li><li>Vader<br /></li><li>Mitsuharu Misawa<br /></li><li>Shawn Michaels<br /></li><li>Ricky Morton<br /></li><li>Sting<br /></li><li>Masanobu Fuchi<br /></li><li>Tito Santana<br /></li><li>Keiji Mutoh<br /></li><li>Robert Gibson<br /></li><li>James Ware<br /></li><li>Antonio Inoki<br /></li><li>Rick Rude<br /></li><li>Dusty Rhodes<br /></li><li>Kuniaki Kobayashi<br /></li><li>Greg Valentine<br /></li><li>Jim Neidhart<br /></li><li>Larry Zbyszko<br /></li><li>Mr. Pogo<br /></li><li>Barry Windham<br /></li><li>British Bulldog<br /></li><li>Bruiser Brody<br /></li><li>Kensuke Sasaki<br /></li><li>Hercules<br /></li><li>Sgt. Slaughter<br /></li><li>Terry Gordy<br /></li><li>Masa Saito<br /></li><li>Cactus Jack<br /></li><li>Brutus Beefcake<br /></li><li>Lioness Asuka<br /></li><li>Jimmy Flush<br /></li><li>Villano III<br /></li><li>Dick Murdoch<br /></li><li>Honky Tonk Man<br /></li><li>Chigusa Nagayo<br /></li><li>Michael Pulitzer<br /></li><li>Bobby Eaton<br /></li><li>Jim Duggan<br /></li><li>Dynamite Kid<br /></li><li>Blue Panther<br /></li><li>Scott Steiner<br /></li><li>Razor Ramon<br /></li><li>Hirmochi Fuyuki<br /></li><li>Bad News Allen<br /></li><li>Shinichi Nakano<br /></li><li>Don Muraco<br /></li><li>Jackie Sato<br /></li><li>Kengo Kimura<br /></li><li>Steve Williams<br /></li><li>Bob Orton Jr.<br /></li><li>Negro Casas<br /></li><li>Giant Baba<br /></li><li>Shunji Takano<br /></li><li>Chris Benoit<br /></li><li>Seiji Sakaguchi<br /></li><li>Ax<br /></li><li>Hiro Saito<br /></li><li>Andre The Giant<br /></li><li>Junji Hirata<br /></li><li>Yukari Omori<br /></li><li>Masahiro Chono<br /></li><li>Brian Pillman<br /></li><li>Smash<br /></li><li>Hiroshi Wajima<br /></li><li>Nancy Kumi<br /></li><li>Mighty Inoue<br /></li><li>Shiro Koshinaka<br /></li><li>Fuerza Guerrera<br /></li><li>Rick Steiner<br /></li><li>Terry Taylor<br /></li><li>Mando Guerrero<br /></li><li>Perro Aguayo<br /></li><li>Takashi Iizuka<br /></li><li>Lex Luger<br /></li><li>Sangre Chicana<br /></li><li>Yoshiaki Fujiwara<br /></li><li>Solar<br /></li></ol><p></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> <hr noshade size=3></p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Smasher1311" data-cite="Smasher1311" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>The anti-Savage reports are kinda unsettling, but it's alright.</div></blockquote><p> Why would that be unsettling? It's not really any secret that he screwed himself over repeatedly in this universe, is it?</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smartman Posted July 3, 2016 Share Posted July 3, 2016 Sniff...seeing RnR Express, Tito, and James "Koko" Ware in the top 34 warms my heart. Still trying to figure out how Eaton is all the way at 60 though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="The Final Countdown" data-cite="The Final Countdown" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><p> Why would that be unsettling? It's not really any secret that he screwed himself over repeatedly in this universe, is it?</p></div></blockquote><p> </p><p> The guy marks out for Savage....he could probably murder a small child and Smash would still ask why doesn't he have the strap....just think of him as a Donald Trump enthusiast....<img alt=";)" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/wink.png.686f06e511ee1fbf6bdc7d82f6831e53.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guyver3 Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 To be fair with savage it also has to do with how TFC has treated him with all of the incidents. I've always personally had good results by actually going easier on him. Given his popularity and skills I'd give him a slap on the wrist or fatherly approach and get responses that lowered his steroid use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted July 4, 2016 Author Share Posted July 4, 2016 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="guyver3" data-cite="guyver3" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>To be fair with savage it also has to do with how TFC has treated him with all of the incidents. I've always personally had good results by actually going easier on him. Given his popularity and skills I'd give him a slap on the wrist or fatherly approach and get responses that lowered his steroid use.</div></blockquote><p> That's what I did to start with. It didn't work.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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