BlueStar Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Well, if WCW could get someone like Lawler, that could turn things around. But now we got 2 (proper) national companies, there's no need to have attention for WCW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CPBHBK Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Flair and Ole aren't leaving the NWA for Turner's poxy project. Watts is a little busy with the UWF right now. Bischoff is busy announcing in the USPW. I don't think he's on a developmental deal though so he's probably the most viable of these options. Either way; I think it makes sense for Barr to at least have a chance to succeed. I agree Barr should definitely stay as booker and you can just raise his booking skill. Hopefully he books WCW at least pretty good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 7, 2015 Author Share Posted February 7, 2015 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Timber" data-cite="Timber" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I have to admit, that's a pretty good card top to bottom. Tough i wonder how even Andre got an 83 rating out of Iron Mike Sharpe(my fav jobber just behind Barry Horowitz) Not to mention the Brody vs Backlund match, just a completely different set of styles there. Wonder if the two ever met for a macth.</div></blockquote><p> One thing that helps is that Iron Mike has noticeably more popularity in Japan than in the US, which is why I use him on almost all of those Japan shows I run. Since I have no TV or PPV coverage in Japan, Sharpe's pop there (in the 40's I think) is actually higher than some guys who are on a completely different level from him otherwise (Undertaker, for example.)</p><p> </p><p> No idea if Brody and Backlund ever wrestled, as I didn't see either one of them during their primes.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="Anderz" data-cite="Anderz" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Flair and Ole aren't leaving the NWA for Turner's poxy project.<p> </p><p> Watts is a little busy with the UWF right now.</p><p> </p><p> Bischoff is busy announcing in the USPW. I don't think he's on a developmental deal though so he's probably the most viable of these options.</p><p> </p><p> Either way; I think it makes sense for Barr to at least have a chance to succeed.</p></div></blockquote><p> Yeah! If Flair ever leaves the NWA it'll be to come job to a real superstar like Hulk Hogan! <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> Bischoff is indeed not under a dev deal. He is both the announcer and booker of USPW. Honestly, if I ever get tired of booking the WWF but the game is still going strong, dropping James Hill and rejoining as Bischoff to book WCW could be an interesting twist...</p><p> </p><p> I think we'll leave Sandy Barr in place for now and see how he does. I'm not sure how we would handpick a replacement for him anyway, other than temporarily joining the game as whoever we wanted to fill the spot, stepping in as booker and then promptly leaving the game.</p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="BlueStar" data-cite="BlueStar" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Well, if WCW could get someone like Lawler, that could turn things around. But now we got 2 (proper) national companies, there's no need to have attention for WCW.</div></blockquote><p> Lawler would be a great addition for WCW, especially as he's someone neither Anderz or I can sign as long as he's still booking for CWA. Come on, Sandy Barr, drop one of your no name hacks and replace him with The King! <img alt=":cool:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/cool.png.f00d2562b2c1d873a09323753efdb041.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></p><p> </p><p> </p><blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="CPBHBK" data-cite="CPBHBK" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="38826" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>I agree Barr should definitely stay as booker and you can just raise his booking skill. Hopefully he books WCW at least pretty good.</div></blockquote><p> That's precisely what we've done: Sandy Barr's booking skill has been raised from a 50 to a 71. We'll see if it helps any when he books the inaugural SuperBrawl at the end of the month.</p> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 9, 2015 Share Posted February 9, 2015 February 13th, 1989 READY TO FEEL THE POWER? After recently being recognised as a National company, Jim Crockett Promotions seem to be in a celebratory mood. It was announced earlier this week that the NWA will be getting a second television show to further bolster their Friday night package. Early reports suggested initial negotiations between JCP and current broadcaster TBS fell through after parent company Time Warner decided against a second show due to a conflict of interest. This conflict was clearly the new Ted Turner owned World Championship Wrestling – what this means for the future of Friday Night Showdown is not year clear; but the contract runs for roughly another year. This didn't stop JCP however, as they quickly negotiated a deal with upstart network Bravo! - who boast equally good coverage in both the USA and Canada. Despite that coverage in the USA being slightly less favourable than TBS offer it is clear that the NWA is happy to have a back-up plan in place should Ted Turner pull the plug on Friday Night Showdown. Therefore, starting on March 10th we will have both Friday Night Showdown and the new show NWA Power Hour back-to-back – all you have to do is remember to change the channel half way through the evening. We haven't had any confirmation from the NWA what the format of the show will be – but rumours suggest it will be treated as an equal to their current offering and will allow the company to give a more consistent platform for it's current storylines. ON THE OUTS It wasn't all good news inside the NWA this week as two men left the locker room. Former NWA World Heavyweight Champion – Tommy Rich saw his tenure with Jim Crockett Promotions come to an end. Rich was reportedly at the end of his deal, with Harley Race simply let the contract run out as Rich did not feature in his plans. The other man to leave also seemingly didn't feature in Race's plans as his deal was cut much shorter than the original duration. Cocoa Samoa was let go after an ill-fated babyface turn was aborted and Samoa was left on the losing end against many future stars in the company. The news reportedly upset Jimmy Snuka, a long time friend of Cocoa, but his protests clearly had no impact. CRUISERWEIGHT EXPANSION With the NWA soon to be expanded to 150 minutes of television each week in March, it is reported that Harley Race has been sending scouts out to view talent for the NWA's fledgling Cruiserweight division. Current Champion, Jushin Liger, is currently king of a very small hill and Race is reportedly looking to bolster the lighter ranks and give the division more exposure over the coming weeks. We are currently unsure who is being looked at but sources suggest that the scouting is not limited to the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smwilliams Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 In 20 years, it'll be JCP at 8 p.m. followed by Real Housewives of Orange County at 10 p.m. The demographics are totally similar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 In 20 years, it'll be JCP at 8 p.m. followed by Real Housewives of Orange County at 10 p.m. The demographics are totally similar! Sounds like a crossover episode waiting to happen! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 In 20 years, it'll be JCP at 8 p.m. followed by Real Housewives of Orange County at 10 p.m. The demographics are totally similar! Ha ha ha! I spit my pepsi all over the monitor when I read that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 10, 2015 Author Share Posted February 10, 2015 February 15th, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original -There were apparently several last minute changes made to Road to Wrestlemania the day of the show. From what we understand, Sting was initially supposed to beat Bruiser Brody by DQ when Andre the Giant interfered, but it was ultimately decided that having Andre's interference lead to Sting's first loss would make it a bigger deal. Brian Pillman walking out with the Intercontinental title was an audible, as the original plan called for Pillman to win by count out but Perfect to retain the title. The original plan also called for Shawn Michaels to go over Ricky Steamboat in the semi main event for a big rub, but it was felt that Michaels needed to lose in order to properly advance the friction story they're telling with Shawn and Marvelous Madness. -Hercules and Mr. Perfect were both less than happy about taking the loss at the PPV, and asked that they be protected in the booking. -Officials are very pleased with how the brief program between Jake Roberts and Owen Hart played out. It was intended to set the table for Jake's match with Bret at WrestleMania, but it did a lot to increase the credibility of Owen as well. Even though he lost the match, there is a feeling internally that this storyline has boosted Owen's perception amongst the fans to the point that he's right on the cusp of being a true main event talent. -Conversely, some feel that the loss to Bruiser Brody hurt Sting. Aside from it being the end of his unbeaten streak, there's also the New York element to consider. The fans in the Tristate area are more familiar with Sting due to his time down in USPW, and they treated him as a true star in this match, a much bigger star than Brody even. Those fans didn't seem to buy into Brody's victory, and there is concern that it may seep over to the fans who watched the match on PPV and hurt Sting's overall growth. -Andre the Giant's heel turn went over very well. There wasn't much concern over that, as Andre has obviously proven his ability to play a heel in the past and his massive size gives him a very menacing look. His pairing with Bruiser Brody also went very well, as officials felt that their mutual intimidating presence made them a great duo. -Manager/color commentator Jim Cornette and Paul Roma of the Young Stallions have both signed contract extensions. Cornette was removed from the A announce team as of The Main Event, but will continue to work on Wrestling Challenge at least until the March restructuring that will come with the return of the Superstars program. <hr noshade size=3> With the NWA soon to be expanded to 150 minutes of television each week in March, it is reported that Harley Race has been sending scouts out to view talent for the NWA's fledgling Cruiserweight division. Current Champion, Jushin Liger, is currently king of a very small hill and Race is reportedly looking to bolster the lighter ranks and give the division more exposure over the coming weeks. We are currently unsure who is being looked at but sources suggest that the scouting is not limited to the USA. That sounds promising. There are definitely some great juniors out there that I personally would love to book, but I just don't have a place for them in the WWF. Hopefully you can bring in some good talent to give that division a boost. In 20 years, it'll be JCP at 8 p.m. followed by Real Housewives of Orange County at 10 p.m. The demographics are totally similar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 10, 2015 Share Posted February 10, 2015 That sounds promising. There are definitely some great juniors out there that I personally would love to book, but I just don't have a place for them in the WWF. Hopefully you can bring in some good talent to give that division a boost. with the extra TV time coming with the Power Hour I'll also be able to use some of the Cruiserweight talent I've got on the roster already. I feel like I've neglected Liger for the last 3 months. I've sent out contracts to 4 guys who I think will help and once March rolls around I'm going to start putting more focus on this division. I definitely feel that with a bit of a spotlight some of the guys can become the backbone of my roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted February 11, 2015 Share Posted February 11, 2015 -Manager/color commentator Jim Cornette and Paul Roma of the Young Stallions have both signed contract extensions. Cornette was removed from the A announce team as of The Main Event, but will continue to work on Wrestling Challenge at least until the March restructuring that will come with the return of the Superstars program. Ah man Cornette just earned that slot too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 19, 2015 Author Share Posted February 19, 2015 February 23rd, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original -A couple of the WWF's highly thought of young wrestlers failed random drug tests at The Main Event, according to our sources. Steven Regal of The Blue Bloods tested positive for hard drugs, and as this was his third documented offense he was hit with a one month suspension. This puts his chances of getting on WrestleMania in serious jeopardy unless they throw him into something with minimal build. Regal is said to have taken his punishment to heart and vowed to get clean. -The bigger drug-related story was Sting, who was busted as a steroid user. Some would argue that he was doing so to try help his chances of becoming a headline player, but the WWF has sensed the way the public is leaning with regards to steroids and has made it very clear to the boys that they need to get clean. Sting was not suspended or fined, which isn't terribly surprising since this is his first negative issue of any kind as far as we're aware. Our reliable inside source told us that James Hill appealed to Sting, saying that he had everything it takes to be a main event talent and the only thing that could hold him back would be issues like this. Sting responded very positively to the encouragement, and apparently later on told some of the boys that he felt a new sense of loyalty towards the booker. -Bruiser Brody and Iron Mike Sharpe both extended their deals (though Sharpe remains under a PPA agreement.) There had been a good deal of speculation that the independent and often difficult to handle Brody would either leave or sign a very short extension to take him through WrestleMania, but both sides apparently decided that it would be mutually beneficial to work together for a bit longer now that Brody has turned heel. -On the flip side, there were quite a few departures this week (though none had exactly featured heavily in WWF programming.) Kamala, Jim Powers, Dino Bravo, Steve Lombardi and Danny Davis will all be looking for work. -Head booker James Hill has expressed a renewed commitment to the women's division, and is apparently going to try and book at least one women's match per week on their television programming, as well as their monthly PPV events. There is expected to be a women's title match at WrestleMania, which would be the third consecutive PPV with a female bout on the main card. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/NJPW.jpg~original -Bad News Allen suffered damage to his spine during a recent main event tag match and will be out of action for close to two months. <hr noshade size=3> with the extra TV time coming with the Power Hour I'll also be able to use some of the Cruiserweight talent I've got on the roster already. I feel like I've neglected Liger for the last 3 months. I've sent out contracts to 4 guys who I think will help and once March rolls around I'm going to start putting more focus on this division. I definitely feel that with a bit of a spotlight some of the guys can become the backbone of my roster. Having seen some of the incoming talent in question, I'm sure it'll be a boost. I feel a similar sense of neglect towards my women's division, which (as I indicated in this news post) is something I'm going to try and work on. Ah man Cornette just earned that slot too. I'm not a big fan of 3-man announce teams. I prefer to have one slot open for guest commentators and such, so it was never going to be a permanent arrangement. Originally I put Cornette in that slot because I was considering transitioning Jesse into a different role and wanted to build up Corny's experience with Gorilla, but I've decided that Gorilla and Jesse's experience and chemistry makes them too strong a team to split up. I'm still debating what to do with Corny going forward, but hopefully I can find something more substantial than doing color on B shows. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K-Nection Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I'm not a big fan of 3-man announce teams. I prefer to have one slot open for guest commentators and such, so it was never going to be a permanent arrangement. Originally I put Cornette in that slot because I was considering transitioning Jesse into a different role and wanted to build up Corny's experience with Gorilla, but I've decided that Gorilla and Jesse's experience and chemistry makes them too strong a team to split up. I'm still debating what to do with Corny going forward, but hopefully I can find something more substantial than doing color on B shows. Maybe a second A show could benefit you guys! You could run that show in the countries that you are not already broadcasting to. It will give the fans in those countries something to call their own. I know you are currently trying to chip away at Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Maybe a second A show could benefit you guys! You could run that show in the countries that you are not already broadcasting to. It will give the fans in those countries something to call their own. I know you are currently trying to chip away at Japan. I'm not really interested in running two A shows until and unless I do a brand split, but you bring up an interesting idea about doing one and running it in Japan (the only region of the world where I don't have TV coverage at the very least.) That might be a good short term solution when the next round of TV negotiations come up and Wrestling Challenge is gone, because my current strategy of one non-PPV event in Japan per month doesn't seem to be working very well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 March 1st, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WCW.jpg~original WCW held their third PPV event, Superbrawl, in Tucson, Arizona. While lackluster, it was at least a modest improvement over their first two events. Here's a complete breakdown of the show: (Pre-Show) Bill Anderson over Joey Rossi (38) Gary Young over Buck Zomhofe (31) (Main Show) Rick Link over Barry Orton (31) Ken Timbs and Porkchop Cash over David Sammartino and Diamond (39) Charlie Cook over Chicky Starr (26) Backstage segment featuring Steve Stack, George Steele and Skandor Akbar (57) David Schultz over Jim Lancaster (38) Backstage segment featuring Curtis Iaukea and Buzz Sawyer (48) Fulton and Bobo Brazil Jr. over Kiwi Sheepherders (40) Backstage segment featuring Paul Orndorff and Super Ninja (61) Pez Whatley and Wendell Cooley wrestled to a no contest (34) Team Bandit over Jones and Mark Youngblood to retain the World Tag Team titles (40) Brian Adias over George Wells to retain the North American Heavyweight title (38) Buddy Landel over Manny Fernandez (54) Super Ninja over Scott Casey to retain the World Heavyweight title (60) Overall: 57 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/CMLL.jpg~original Lizmark suffered severe damage to the ligaments in his ankle and is expected to be about of action for roughly half a year. February's big shows from outside the NWA: WWF: Road to Wrestlemania (Jake Roberts over Owen Hart to retain the WWF World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 96 UWA: Amor Resistente (Perro, Chicano and Villano I over Texano, Navarro and Feliciano), Overall Rating: 75 SWC: Resolution (Makhan Singh and Hashif Khan over Viet Cong Express #1 and Bruce Hart), Overall Rating: 73 NJPW: Best of the Super Juniors (Shiro Koshinaka over Takashi Iizuka to win the NJPW Super Junior Cup tournament), Overall Rating: 70 JPUK: Pay The Piper (Haystacks, Tiger Dalibar Singh and Jones over Singh, Finlay and Barnes), Overall Rating: 62 USPW: 100,000 Years (Al Perez over The Barbarian to win the World title), Overall Rating: 58 WCW: SuperBrawl (Super Ninja over Scott Casey to retain the WCW World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 57 WWA: Hangman Jury II (Al Perez over Chris Adams to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 57 WWC: Super Fightage 2 (Black Gordman over Invader #1 to retain the Universal Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 56 WWA Mexico: Evil That Men Do (Super Astro won the Campeon de Universal title from Enrique Veras), Overall Rating: 56 GLOW: Rock This Country III (The California Dolls over Mountain Fiji and Palestina), Overall Rating: 56 WCWA: February Fights (Mike Von Erich over Vladimir Petrov to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 52 ASW: Face Off (Billy Two Eagles over Master Sgt. Tomko to retain the Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 51 W*ING: Flames Clean Souls (Hirokazu Hata over Masakatsu Funkai to retain the Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 50 February's title changes from outside the NWA: WWF: Brian Pillman won the Intercontinental title from Mr. Perfect at Road to Wrestlemania WWF: Alexei Bakarov won the World Television title from Sting at The Main Event NJPW: Shiro Koshinaka won the Super Junior Cup tournament against Takashi Iizuka at Best of the Super Juniors UWA: Sangre Chicana won the World Lightweight title from El Hijo del Santo at Todas las Estrellas JPUK: Ray Steele won the British Heavyweight title from Drew McDonald at Pay The Piper USPW: Al Perez won the World title from The Barbarian at 100,000 Years USPW: Great Kokina and Danny Davis won the vacant National Tag Team title against Barr and Battle Kat at American Wrestling WCWA: Mike Rapada won the Television title from Maxx Justice at February Fights WWA: Chris Adams and Golden Lion won the World Tag Team titles from Team Brilliance at Bruiser Bedlam WWA Mexico: Super Astro won the Campeon de Universal title from Enrique Veras at Evil That Men Do WWA Mexico: Universo 2000 won the Lightweight title from Super Kendo at Evil That Men Do W*ING: Akira Katayama won the vacant New Generations title from Poison Sawada at Flames Clean Souls W*ING: El Samurai and Ricky Fuji won the vacant World Tag Team title from Team Slaughter at Flames Clean Souls Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnowYourEnemy Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 WCW held their third PPV event, Superbrawl, in Tucson, Arizona. While lackluster, it was at least a modest improvement over their first two events. While booking has hurt WCW, a bigger problem long-term may be the product redundancy. Odds are, WCW has a very similar product to Crockett Promotions, as the real-life NWA was bought out by Turner to become WCW. Turner could be going after the same workers as Crockett, and this could (theoretically) limit his options. A way to "fix" this may be to move Lucha Libre to either Medium or Heavy. There is a large supply of good Mexican workers that can be found, and the majority of them are not loyal to a promotion, not on guaranteed deals, and active in the States (at least, in the '91 Mod). I'd consider raising a second definition (traditional, cult or daredevil)* of WCW's product and/or lower a non-friendly lucha definition (mainstream)* to both differentiate the product and increase overness for Lucha workers to complete the "fix", if you choose to go this route. *Using Hyde Hill's Product vs. Wrestler Type Test As A Guide Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 AROUND THE ALLIANCE February 1989 Title Changes Sgt. Slaughter defeated Don Muraco in a Falls Count Anywhere match for the NWA United States Heavyweight title NWA New York Knockout – Grade: 76 Al Perez defeated Tommy Rich for the AWA Southern Heavyweight title CWA Ground Zero – Grade: 71 Tim Horner defeated Tom Zenk for the NWA Central States Television title CSW Masters Of War – Grade: 55 Jeff Jarrett defeated Don Bass for the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight title CWA Ground Zero – Grade: 52 Leroy Brown and Greg Wojokowski defeated Steve Simpson and Art Crews for the UWF Universal Tag Team titles Power Pro Wrestling – Grade: 52 Big Events NWA New York Knockout Main Event: Tully Blanchard defeated Dusty Rhodes to retain the NWA World Heavyweight title [81] Grade: 80 CMLL Resplandor De La Gloria 1989 Main Event: Kung Fu defeated Americo Rocca to retain the NWA World Middleweight title [76] Grade: 74 ASWUK Disposable Heroes Main Event: Tony St. Clair defeated Kendo Nagasaki to retain the ASW British Heavyweight title [73] Grade: 68 CSW Masters Of War Main Event: Kevin Von Erich defeated Bulldog Bob Brown to retain the NWA Central States Heavyweight title [74] Grade: 66 UWF Fated Encounter Main Event: Chavo Guerrero defeated Brad Rheingans to retain the UWF Universal Heavyweight title [76] Grade: 65 CCW Bad Obsession 2 Main Event: Kevin Von Erich defeated Billy Jack Haynes to retain the NWA Southeast Continental Heavyweight title [73] Grade: 62 CWA Ground Zero Main Event: Al Perez defeated Tommy Rich for the AWA Southern Heavyweight title [71] Grade: 61 PNW Refuse To Lose 2 Main Event: Chris Adams and Ricky Santana defeated Earthquake Ferris and Steve Doll [62] Grade: 56 For more information about the NWA's flagship promotion; follow JCP: The Race To The Top here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 March 11th, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/NJPW.jpg~original New Japan is about to go through a major shakeup at the top of the card. Tatsumi "The Dragon" Fujinami has been cast in an upcoming big budget Japanese film (appropriately titled "Dragon's Breath"), and will be taking time away from NJPW for the duration of shooting. Fujinami was crowned the first IWGP Heavyweight Champion back in March of '87, and was still the champion as of the time he took his sabbatical to film the movie. One has to question why New Japan had Fujinami retain against Riki Choshu just days before his departure, as now they will have to vacate their top championship. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original -The WWF ran another live event in Japan on March 6th. We hear that this will be the last show the Federation runs in Japan for the foreseeable future, as they feel the shows are not worth the effort and scheduling conflicts. Considering they have TV coverage virtually everywhere else in the world, gaining a foothold in Japan may not be necessary for the WWF to become a truly global operation. Here are the results from the show: Bob Backlund over Masahiro Chono (78) Itsuki Yamazaki and Velvet McIntyre over Cutie Suzuki and Candi Devine (52) Marvelous Madness video (74) British Bulldog over Iron Mike Sharpe (64) Bruiser Brody over Haku (77) Owen Hart over Hashimoto (61) Hulk Hogan video (95) The Rock 'n Roll Express over The Dream Team (71) Andre the Giant over Ricky Steamboat (85) Overall: 82 -The WWF may be ceasing operations in Japan, but that didn't stop them from signing a pair of top Japanese female wrestlers. Devil Masami, widely regarded as one of the elite workers in the business regardless of gender, and young monster heel Bull Nakano have both signed with the WWF. This is another step in the promotion's efforts to revamp their women's division, but Nakano and Masami won't be making an impact right away. As neither woman has worked a match since the All Japan Women's promotion folded back at the end of 1987, they have both been sent to the WWF's developmental territory USPW in order to work off their ring rust before they debut with the WWF itself. -As WrestleMania V looms ever closer, the WWF has agreed to an extension with Closed Circuit Mexico to continue airing their big events for another year. According to our sources, the WWF was able to negotiate better financial terms in comparison to their initial deal with the provider, thanks largely to the exposure they've gotten in the country between their PPV shows and Canal airing The Main Event every week. <hr noshade size=3> While booking has hurt WCW, a bigger problem long-term may be the product redundancy. Odds are, WCW has a very similar product to Crockett Promotions, as the real-life NWA was bought out by Turner to become WCW. Turner could be going after the same workers as Crockett, and this could (theoretically) limit his options. A way to "fix" this may be to move Lucha Libre to either Medium or Heavy. There is a large supply of good Mexican workers that can be found, and the majority of them are not loyal to a promotion, not on guaranteed deals, and active in the States (at least, in the '91 Mod). I'd consider raising a second definition (traditional, cult or daredevil)* of WCW's product and/or lower a non-friendly lucha definition (mainstream)* to both differentiate the product and increase overness for Lucha workers to complete the "fix", if you choose to go this route. *Using Hyde Hill's Product vs. Wrestler Type Test As A Guide Interesting idea. But would a change in definition lead to a radical overhaul as they hire guys that fit their new product better, or would the AI continue to use their existing roster? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnowYourEnemy Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 March 11th, 1989 Interesting idea. But would a change in definition lead to a radical overhaul as they hire guys that fit their new product better, or would the AI continue to use their existing roster? My best guess is that it would take at least a few months. A lot is dependent on the availability of talent -- my assumptions are from the default '91 data, so you want to adjust the product to the best available workers and who can work in the States. I don't actually know how quickly you'd see a change. Turner's owner settings in Rising Storms (1991) (Roster = Very Large, Finance = Flashy, Roster Turnover = High and Patience = Low) are extremely conducive to the idea of "an overhaul" (of the four attributes dealing with employees, only Roster Size isn't maxed out). This is relative to other owners within the game (and this is '91 data). I'd think a close look at the first few months of Turner's operations regarding transactions should give a general indication of what to expect. In my plays of WWF, I haven't seen Ted Turner make very many roster changes... which may not be a good sign. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timber Posted February 25, 2015 Share Posted February 25, 2015 I have to give WWF a lot of credit for those cards are great. Bob Backlund over Masahiro Chono (78) This looks like it'd be a great match, wish i could have seen it. Itsuki Yamazaki and Velvet McIntyre over Cutie Suzuki and Candi Devine (52) I've seen Cutie wrestle in old vids, this would be much better than a Diva's match. Marvelous Madness video (74) Ohhh Yeaaaaahh! British Bulldog over Iron Mike Sharpe (64) I'm still so surprised that Mike is over in Japan. Bruiser Brody over Haku (77) Not that interested in this seems like an odd set up, unless it's a hardcore match. Owen Hart over Hashimoto (61) I'd watch any Owen Hart match. No idea who Hashimoto is but it'd be good. Hulk Hogan video (95) Hogan so over rated. The Rock 'n Roll Express over The Dream Team (71) R n R, my fav old school jobber team. Andre the Giant over Ricky Steamboat (85) I'd pay hard cash to have seen this. Overall: 82 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 NWA SAN JUAN SLAM Special Report Jim Crockett Promotions held a special one-off live event at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum in San Juan, Puerto Rico in front of a sold-out 10,000 fans in attendance on Saturday night March 11th. The show was headlined by a great contest for the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship in which Sgt. Slaughter only retained his title over Dusty Rhodes because he intentionally got himself counted out. In a match that was perhaps the match of the night, Ric Flair defeated one-half of the NWA World Tag Team Champions – Terry Gordy. This wasn't Gordy's only appearance of the night as his interference cost partners Hayes and Page in a non-title tag team match against Kendall Windham and Dustin Rhodes. The Four Horsemen were in action, as Arn and Tully defeated long term rivals Totally Fantastc in a tag team match – whilst Barry Windham overcame nineteen other men to win a battle royal. In six-man tag team action – Guerrero, Muraco and Bigelow defeated the AWA Champion Honky Tonk Man and his partners The Enemy. And in the opening contest, we saw the debuting masked Cruiserweight – Wild Pegasus – who comes with a strong reputation from his time in Japan. Results in full: Wild Pegasus defeated Sean Royal in 5:09 (D)Kendall Windham & Dustin Rhodes defeated The Fabulous Freebirds (Michael Hayes & Diamond Dallas Page) via disqualification after interference from Terry Gordy in 8:44 (C-)Barry Windham won a 20-man battle royal in 15:43 (B-)Hector Guerrero, Don Muraco & Bam Bam Bigelow defeated Honky Tonk Man & The Enemy in 9:37 ©Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard cut a promo on Ric Flair and Dusty Rhodes (B)The Four Horsemen (Tully Blanchard & Arn Anderson) defeated Totally Fantastic (Lex Luger & Terry Taylor) in 16:47 (C+)Ric Flair cut a promo on Tully Blanchard (B+)Ric Flair defeated Terry Gordy in 16:01 (B+)Dusty Rhodes cut a promo on Tully Blanchard (B-)Dusty Rhodes defeated Sgt. Slaughter via count out in 23:44; Sgt. Slaughter retained the NWA United States Heavyweight title (B+) Overall Show Grade: B+ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anderz Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 March 29th, 1989 NWA BACKSTAGE NOTES At a recent television taping, it has been reported that British wrestler Chris Adams got into hot water for antagonising veteran Don Muraco. The Hawaiian reported kept his cool; which is more than can said for Harley Race – who slapped Adams with a fine and warned that he was on thin ice. Reports suggest that if the Crockett Cup wasn't just around the corner that Adams may have face harsher punishment. CROCKETT CUP RUMOURS Speaking of the Crockett Cup, the two night event is scheduled for the end of this month, and rumours are already running rampant as to which teams will be drafted in for the event. There are several reports doing the rounds that a big team from All Japan Pro Wrestling will be drafted in but NWA officials are staying tight lipped at the moment as to who they might be. We believe that former two-time winners, The Road Warriors, are not being considered as many feel that Hawk and Animal would expect to win the tournament – and as part-timers that wouldn't fit in with current storylines. SHAKE-UP There have been rumblings backstage that Harley Race is planning a shake-up of sorts after the Crockett Cup – with many teams believing that this their final opportunity to show what they can do and impress Race. There are also reports that at least two teams will be splitting up after the tournament as the tag team division faces a refresh. Rumours also suggest that this shake-up will not be limited to the tag team ranks as Race is reportedly looking to bring in some fresh singles talent as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 22, 2015 Author Share Posted March 22, 2015 March 30th, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original RUDE TERMINATED! The biggest news out of the WWF three days ahead of WrestleMania V is the shocking and sudden departure of "Ravishing" Rick Rude. You may remember our report in early February about Rude failing a steroid test and essentially ignoring the harsh reprimand he received. His disregard for any potential repercussions was made crystal clear when he tested positive for steroids yet again on the go-home show for WrestleMania. Our sources indicate that Rude has failed as many as five steroid tests in his time in the WWF. They have tried every possible approach to get him to clean up his act, including a suspension in January of '88 that forced them to strip Rude of the TV title, but clearly he was not getting the message. So, despite Rude being slated for a huge match with Roddy Piper at WrestleMania that the company started building towards all the way back at August's SummerSlam, management finally threw in the towel and terminated Rude's contract. Rude could be heard shouting at head booker James Hill when he was told about his release, but later on he calmed down and told Hill that this was the wake-up call he needed to save his career. There had been tension between the two men for quite some time, but we're told they actually shook hands and reached a mutual understanding of sorts, burying the hatchet as it were. Hill apparently told Rude that if he proved his words to be true by staying clean, they could potentially do business again in the future. As for WrestleMania, the removal of Rude vs. Piper will obviously necessitate some changes. As of press time the plan seems to be to stick with the ten remaining matches they've previously announced rather than adding an 11th to fill the void left behind. Piper will still be on the show, but in a non-wrestling role, possibly on a Piper's Pit. HENNIG UNHAPPY Rude may be okay with what happened, but one man who is still up in arms about his release is his close friend Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig. Hennig has had a strained relationship with Hill to begin with, and is said to be quite furious now. The company has remained high on Hennig in spite of any backstage issues, so it seems likely they'll try to find some means of appeasing him. WWF GOES GLOBAL In any other news cycle this would have been our top headline, but the situation with Rude was more pressing. Regardless, on the heels of what we consider to be not only the best episode of television the WWF has ever produced, but one of the best shows they've put on period, we've officially bumped the Federation up from International to Global status. This is the highest designation possible, and the WWF is obviously the first promotion in wrestling history to ever rise so high. The situation with Rude aside, the WWF is truly riding a tremendous wave of momentum into the biggest night of their year, WrestleMania. Vince McMahon's vision to take his father's regional Northeastern wrestling outfit and transform it into a global empire might have seemed delusional to some once upon a time, but it seems he knew what he was doing all along. A RIFT IN THE HART FAMILY? This is an interesting one. Bret Hart and his brother-in-law, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, seem to no longer be on speaking terms these days. Many people in the WWF have noticed that Owen Hart alternately travels and rooms with both of them, but Bret and Davey Boy are rarely ever spotted together, and any time circumstances force them together they say very little to each other. General consensus seems to be that they haven't shown any active dislike towards one another, but the close friendship they shared back in the days of the Foundation and the Bulldogs is nowhere to be seen. Could Bret's main event push have strained their relationship, or is this simply a family issue? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smartman Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Kudos on hitting global TFC! At least Hill can use that to stave off depression caused by the locker room starting to come apart. Sucks when a long-term plan blows up like that, but at least that's a WrestleMania tradition you've got going for you. Maybe Piper goes off to Hollywood again now (kayfabe-wise) until someone starts talking smack about him again to set up Summerslam? No pressure on the other 10 matches. The WWF fanbase only expects 3 A* matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Final Countdown Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 April 3rd, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WWF88.jpg~original BEHIND THE SCENES OF WRESTLEMANIA V WrestleMania V was an undeniable success. Many in the company were surprised to see the odds-on pick for match of the night, Bret Hart against Jake Roberts, wind up being only the third best match of the night, but that just goes to show the extremely high quality of the two matches that immediately preceded it. The Undertaker and Ted DiBiase both received high praise during the post-show party for their amazing performance. On the strength of a tremendous final four matches, this was the first show we have ever given a perfect 100 rating. If anything else winds up taking home show of the year awards, we'll be shocked. Jake Roberts was disappointed at having his title run come to an end, but we're told he cheered up considerably when James Hill publicly thanked him for a tremendous run during the post-show party. The company is pleased with what Roberts accomplished as champion, but there is said to be tremendous optimism about Bret Hart being 'the guy.' Andre the Giant was furious about putting Sting over in their tag match, and rumor has it that James Hill had to threaten him with a breach of contract lawsuit if he didn't go through with it. Bruiser Brody wasn't exactly thrilled with the decision either, but when he learned it was Andre who would take the fall he didn't object. The original plan was for Vader to defeat Hulk Hogan, but Hogan apparently outright refused to do the honors. Hill made a number of attempts to talk Hogan around in terms of structuring the match to protect his character as much as possible, but Hulk would not budge. Hill finally gave up and agreed to let Hogan win the match, but only if Vader lost via intentional DQ and demolished him after the match. Matsumoto wasn't happy about losing to Alundra Blayze, but went along with it when Hill assured her that there would be plenty of chances for her to get in offense and look like a major threat. http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WCW.jpg~original ANOTHER SUBPAR PPV Does no one at WCW own a calendar? There's no other logical explanation as to why they'd run a PPV heads-up against WrestleMania V. Here's a spoiler: Paul Orndorff still hasn't wrestled a match for Turner's outfit. (Pre-Show) Bill Anderson over Buck Zumhofe (38) (Pre-Show) Barry Horowitz over Big Red (44) Don Diamond over The Snowman (29) Charlie Chook over Bryan St. John (38) George Wells over Ken Timbs (42) Skit involving Buzz Sawyer, Super Ninja and George Steele (51) Team Bandit over Youthful Aggression to retain the World Tag Team titles (49) Skit involving Paul Orndorff and Curtis Iaukea (70) Ed Wiskowski over Joey Rossi (44) Confrontation involving Junkyard Dog, Scott Irwin and Bill Irwin (50) Tom Prichard over David Sammartino (47) Buddy Landel over Tom Jones (43) Brian Adias over Scott Casey to retain the North American Heavyweight title (47) Sweet Brown Sugar and Manny Fernandez over The Long Riders (62) Super Ninja over Wendell Cooley to retain the World Heavyweight title (64) Overall Grade: 62 March's big shows from outside the NWA: WWF: WrestleMania V (Bret Hart over Jake Roberts to win the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 100 NJPW: Master The Way (Inoki and Saito over Takada and Hansen), Overall Rating: 84 UWA: Sitio Derecho Solamente (Perro Aguayo over El Hijo del Santo to retain the Light Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 74 WWAMex: Mexico Escuela Del Dolor (Rey Misterio over Villano IV to retain the Welterweight title), Overall Rating: 68 WCW: Night of Mayhem (Super Ninja over Wendell Cooley to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 62 JPUK: Joint Initiative 3 (McDonald, Cooper and Cullen over Tiger Dalibar Singh, Collins and Terry Rudge), Overall Rating: 61 USPW: Broken Resolutions (Al Perez over Shane Douglas to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 59 WWA: Guilty Pleasure (Al Perez over Wahoo McDaniel to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 58 SWC: Road To Revolution (Keith Hart over Makhan Singh to retain the North American Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 58 GLOW: Rock This Country III (The California Dolls over Mountain Fiji and Palestina), Overall Rating: 56 WWC: Standing Room Only (Black Gordman over Dutch Mantell to retain the Universal Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 52 ASW: Center Stage (Billy Two Eagles over Jonathan Sayers to retain the Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 50 WCWA: World Class Wars (Mike Von Erich over Robert Fuller to retain the World Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 48 W*ING: Smash Battle Plan (Hirokazu Hata over Yoji Anjo to retain the Heavyweight title), Overall Rating: 42 March's title changes from outside the NWA: WWF: Bret Hart won the World Heavyweight title from Jake Roberts at WrestleMania V WWF: Mr. Perfect won the Intercontinental title from Brian Pillman at WrestleMania V WWF: The Rock 'n Roll Express won the World Tag Team titles from The Steiner Brothers at WrestleMania V NJPW: Seiji Sakaguchi won the vacant IWGP Heavyweight title against Steve Williams at Master The Way WCWA: Cousin Junior won the Brass Knuckles title from Killer Tim Brooks at World Class Wars WWC: Johnny Gunn and El Bronco won the vacant World Tag Team titles against Lane and Estrada at Superestrellas de la Lucha Libre ASW: Terry Sawyer won the Canadian Junior Heavyweight title from Terry S.R. at Center Stage Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnowYourEnemy Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 April 3rd, 1989 http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss322/FCDiary/TFCTGA/WCW.jpg~original ANOTHER SUBPAR PPV Does no one at WCW own a calendar? There's no other logical explanation as to why they'd run a PPV heads-up against WrestleMania V. Here's a spoiler: Paul Orndorff still hasn't wrestled a match for Turner's outfit. (Pre-Show) Bill Anderson over Buck Zumhofe (38) (Pre-Show) Barry Horowitz over Big Red (44) Don Diamond over The Snowman (29) Charlie Chook over Bryan St. John (38) George Wells over Ken Timbs (42) Skit involving Buzz Sawyer, Super Ninja and George Steele (51) Team Bandit over Youthful Aggression to retain the World Tag Team titles (49) Skit involving Paul Orndorff and Curtis Iaukea (70) Ed Wiskowski over Joey Rossi (44) Confrontation involving Junkyard Dog, Scott Irwin and Bill Irwin (50) Tom Prichard over David Sammartino (47) Buddy Landel over Tom Jones (43) Brian Adias over Scott Casey to retain the North American Heavyweight title (47) Sweet Brown Sugar and Manny Fernandez over The Long Riders (62) Super Ninja over Wendell Cooley to retain the World Heavyweight title (64) Overall Grade: 62 Does the booking still look as bad as it was? Yes, with the two most over guys (JYD and Orndorff ) not even wrestling. Despite that, there seems to be a "build" and the shows have improved (49-57-62) with each outing. Is there a possibility Orndorff is either a) on time decline b) lost "relevance?" (happens with age) or c) working through some sort of injury? I know RL-Orndorff had some sort of atrophy with his arm late in his career, but in-game we shouldn't have reached that point yet. Whoever Super Ninja is, he's pulling good grades given his competition. Does WCW have PPV and/or TV yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.