WCW: Heart and Soul

joshspicer · May 4, 2020

Prediction Key:

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) - 3 because I'm a bold boi

What will be match of the night? - Punk vs. Unnatural

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? - Yang is a surefire ride. Unfortunately Kaz isn't even though he has major potential in-game.

Nobby_McDonald · May 4, 2020

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) 2

What will be match of the night? Punk v Unnatural

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? Yes

Bagins · May 4, 2020

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) 3

What will be match of the night? Punk vs The Unnatural

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? Nope

GingeyOne · May 5, 2020

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) 2

What will be match of the night? CM Punk vs. The Unnatural

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? Yes

SagaJoestar · May 5, 2020

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) 2

What will be match of the night? Punk/Unnatural

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? (Hopefully) Yes.

The Final Countdown · May 8, 2020

April 11th, 2004: Clash of the Champions

April 11th, 2004

From Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, Australia

Attendance: 51,167

Announce Team: "The Professor" Mike Tenay and Bret "The Hitman" Hart

Joining Tony Schiavone, Don Callis and Maria Kanellis on tonight’s panel are special guests King Corino and Brian Kendrick

On the Worldwide Live pre-show: Colt Cabana defeated Michael Modest, King Corino and Prince Devitt defeated The Mighty Don’t Kneel and The Shooting Stars defeated Aaron Stevens and Chris Hero.

http://i.imgur.com/u0cJ04Z.jpg

I incorporated the UWA Welterweight title when we bought Michinoku Pro solely to do this title unification match. The plan for the match was Knoble winning and unifying the titles, but New Japan made him an offer that I chose not to match, so obviously that plan changed. TAKA won this match that had really nice in-ring action but a lack of psychology, getting the clean pin with the Michinoku Driver in a hot opener. Afterwards he and manager Tammy Sytch held up both belts in celebration.

The panel discussed the TV title match, and Kendrick said he was going to be taking “his” title back very soon.

Veteran champion against a guy making his TV debut in a match that didn’t get any promotion? Sounds like a no-brainer, right? But Shinsuke Nakamura isn’t just any debuting talent. There’s a sense of destiny around him, as Mike and I made sure to promote on commentary. Hayabusa missed a Firebird Splash and then got trapped in a cross armbreaker that forced him to tap out.

Lance Storm wished CM Punk luck in his locker room and promised to watch his back in case Salvation tried anything. Then Lance got a call from an “old friend”, and reacted with surprise when said friend told him he was coming to WCW.

The match between AJ Styles and Enigma would be the finale of the UFS if Enigma won it for the Dead Jesters; if AJ won it would pull the Rated R Superstars even at 2-2-1, and there would be a tiebreaker elimination tag the next night on Nitro. The match itself was surprisingly lackluster despite some great individual performances; I’m honestly not sure what went wrong, beyond it being a little under fourteen minutes. Regardless, after great fast-paced action Bobby Roode interfered, throwing Styles into the ring steps while he was on the floor. Enigma happily took the gift, hit the Swanton and won the UFS for the Dead Jesters.

Matt Hardy came down to confront his brother about taking that tainted win, but Enigma walked off without even acknowledging him.

There was a lack of psychology between Matt and Mortis, but some excellent action and heat made up for it and made this the best thing on the show to this point. Mortis in particular was great here. The Enigma showed back up, attacking Matt while Father Isaac distracted the ref, and Mortis took advantage and finished him off. Isaac grabbed the microphone afterwards and told Matt that his brother was dead and gone and no pleading would bring him back, so it was in his best interests to forget about it and move on before he got hurt.

The Jung Dragons and Stacy Keibler popped up on Piper’s Pit to announce their future plans. They acknowledged all the interest in them from all over the world, but Yang’s message was simple. “You think we’re going to leve? OBJECTION! The Jung Dragons will remain in WCW until justice is served and we have claimed the World Tag Team Championship!” This was a great angle and the crowd reacted huge.

With it being a 2 out of 3 falls match, we gave Rey and Eddie plenty of time and let them do their thing. They did not disappoint, turning in a stellar match that would be difficult to top. Eddie deliberately lost the first fall by DQ after hitting Rey in the head with the very same chair that he’d used to turn on him last year (kayfabe, brother!), and immediately followed up with a frog splash to win the second fall. He controlled most of the third fall until Rey came back and hit the springboard rana to win the match.

Goldberg cut a promo from “his home”, where he said that he’d been barred from the building until future notice. “But that won’t stop me. Just like I destroyed the Destroyer on Monday, I’ll take Salvation out when they least expect it!”

I wasn’t sure until the day of the show which team would be winning the four way tag, but in the end it was the Calgary Bulldogs who got it when Harry pinned Tony Mamaluke of Made in Italy. This match was here as a bit of a wedge so it wouldn’t be three top matches all one after another, and I think it did its job. It was good, and maybe better than expected, but not great.

Becky Bayless interviewed Randy Savage, who revealed he was recruiting talent and figuring out who had the potential to make it to the top of WCW and who would benefit from his advice, dig it!

The panel discussed the US title match, and all agreed that Danielson was the underdog.

http://i.imgur.com/mitTbCm.jpg

This match would have been held back until Great American Bash in June, and even that wouldn’t have been the end of the program. Things obviously had to be pushed forward when WWE jumped in with their massive offer to RVD though, so we wrote Destroyer out and worked Bryan into this match. These two were excellent in a twenty-plus minute match that started off well and only got hotter. I sensed there was a lot of intrigue in this match among the internet fans who knew about the WWE overtures, and that speculation was only stoked when Bryan wrestled RVD to the mat and forced him to tap out to Cattle Mutilation! Bryan celebrated with the title afterwards while the rest of the Dangerous Alliance looked shocked at the result.

The panel discussed the Mayhem PPV next month, and Corino guaranteed he’d win the 30 man Mayhem match and then take the title at Great American Bash. They then moved on to tonight’s world title match, on which opinions were mixed.

http://i.imgur.com/haJKoFv.jpg

Between Rey/Eddie and the US title match, Punk and Unnatural had huge pressure to deliver here. They did not fail in the least, rising to the occasion and producing a thrilling, dramatic match that had fans at the edge of their seats and will surely be very high up in any match of the year ballot. The fans bought into the near falls towards the end, but groaned when The Enigma and Mortis came creeping in from either side while Isaac distracted the ref. But cavalry arrived: Goldberg popped out of the crowd and speared Enigma, while Lance Storm hit Mortis with a superkick that stopped him in his tracks.

That left it up to Punk and Unnatural, who battled for control on the top rope. Punk emerged with the Punk Plunge (a top rope Pedigree; try THAT, Hunter!) and three seconds later, we had a new world champion! Punk and Storm hugged, and the True Heroes posed with their gold as the show went off the air.

Show Summary:

Notes from this show:
-Daisuke Sekimoto brought in food for everybody before the show. Way to get in good with the guys and make a good first impression!

-Johnny Parisi kept the mood light with some jokes backstage.

-Hayabusa was furious about being forced to lose to an unknown like Nakamura.

-Dustin wasn’t happy about the clean and decisive loss to Punk either.

-Parisi’s gimmick is getting stale.

News Updates:

I was in the middle of reading in bed when my phone went off. I flipped it open and was immediately ‘greeted’ by a familiar voice.

“Bret, I hope you realize now what you got yourself into. We’re playing for keeps, pal.”

“Really, Vince? What was your first clue?” I asked as I heard the shower in my hotel room shut off.

“Ha ha. I bet you thought you pulled one over on me when you signed Jericho away, didn’t you? Well how does it feel now that I responded by signing away Rob Van Dam? Or wait, how do you guys say it, Rob-Van-Dam? Well, he’s a proud member of W-W-E now!”

“I’m sure he is,” I said. I doubted it was the pride as much as it was the huge salary Vince offered, but it was true that Rob was headed to WWE on a massive multiyear deal. My fear of that possibility spurred me to rework my plans, scrap his planned PPV match with The Destroyer and work Danielson into the spot instead. That was a story that was planned to play out throughout all of 2004, with the climactic match happening at Starrcade, but business required a major reworking of plans. Now Bryan is the new US champ and RVD is set to be the fourth highest paid guy in the entire business behind Austin, Rock and Goldberg. “Have you forgotten that Jericho isn’t the only ‘WWE Superstar’ coming over to WCW though?”

“Regal?” Vince grunted. “He’s a talented technician but let’s be honest; he’s not going to make a difference in business. I could have kept him if I wanted to, but I have better things to do with my money.” If he cared so little about Regal, that was fine with me. He’s a great technical wrestler and I think he’ll fit right in, and he didn’t even cost all that much.

“That obviously didn’t include keeping your women’s division together.” They hadn’t even attempted to negotiate with Trish Stratus, Lita or Jacqueline, which had made it rather simple for me to sign all three (Trish and Lita to one year deals, Jackie for 6 months.) Jeff Hardy hadn’t been too pleased when he heard his brother’s ex was coming in, but Matt surprisingly didn’t express any anger over the signing to me. Maybe he realized that she would be on Renaissance and they’d never have to be around each other.

“Like I said, I’m making smart investments,” Vince said. “Like acquiring more of your talent, for example.”

“I know who you’re talking about,” I said. WWE and New Japan had both reached out to CM Punk and Bryan Danielson. Inoki had pulled out of those talks quickly, and even though Vince remained in there, my very well-placed source indicated that all successive offers he’d made had not been enough to sway either of them. “It’s not going to happen.”

“Don’t be so sure about that,” Vince said, sounding smug now. “Though I’d never waste my time watching your product, my sources tell me you’ve put your two biggest titles on Mr. Punk and Mr. Danielson tonight, before you’ve gotten their names on the dotted line for extensions. That was a rookie move, Bret, and now you’re going to pay for it. I think you’ll find that the asking prices for those two young men are going to increase dramatically when they touch base with you tomorrow.”

I bit my lip, knowing that there was really nothing I could say in response to that. Putting the belts on Punk and Danielson while renegotiating had been a risk on my part. Though Punk’s win had come seemingly out of nowhere to most fans, it had actually been planned for some time. At one point it was slated to be Lance Storm getting the shock win here and the belt shifting to Punk a few months later, but Dustin’s momentum was so high after beating Austin and Goldberg in successive months that I felt it made more sense to give Punk the rub of beating him directly. I stuck with that plan despite the contractual situation, and Vince was now threatening to make me pay dearly for that.

As for Danielson, it was more a case of wanting to pay off his budding storyline with RVD and needing to do it in a hurry thanks to Van Dam’s situation. I did not anticipate Vince making a harder play on Bryan in response. He doesn’t exactly seem like a guy Vince would covet, but maybe he was now willing to shell out the cash just to swipe my newly crowned champion. I’d just have to wait and see what happened when I woke up tomorrow.

“You don’t scare me, Vince,” I said. “We have the momentum now, and you’re not going to be able to stop it.” I disconnected the call abruptly, but it wasn’t because I was worried about him getting the last word. There was simply a much more interesting sight standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She had a towel in her hair and another wrapped around her body. Everything was covered, but it wasn’t like I needed to rely on my imagination or anything.

“Did you know anything about that?” I asked. “Vince coming harder after Punk and Danielson?”

“How could I?” she asked. “You only just put the titles on them tonight, and I’ve been on vacation all week. But you shouldn’t be surprised. It was a risk on your part. I mean, you worked for him for, what, thirteen years?”

“Close to fourteen,” I mumbled.

“All the more reason you should have seen this coming,” she said. “My dad is ruthless, Bret, and he holds grudges. He’ll stop at nothing to try and put you out of business.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I know that.” I wondered how much more desperate he’d be to put me out of business if he knew Stephanie was standing in my hotel room wearing a towel.

Jeff Hardy and Tammy Sytch have begun dating. I’m sure Candido is furious at the broken engagement, but their relationship wasn’t very stable even when they worked in the same company. I’m not sure what he expected when he left her here and signed full-time with NOAH.

Elsewhere in the wrestling world:

-Taiyo Kea beat Shinya Hashimoto to win All Japan’s annual Triple Crown tournament.

-New Japan’s Honma won his recent MMA fight. That might impress Inoki and earn him a bigger push when he comes back.

-ROH head booker Ian Rotten booked himself to win the company’s world title from Jose Maximo on their All-Star Extravaganza show.

-Tommy Dreamer and his onetime valet/current girlfriend Beulah announced that they’re expecting a child.

Hall of Champions:

World Heavyweight Champion:
http://i.imgur.com/haJKoFv.jpg
CM Punk

Won: April 11th, 2004 from The Unnatural at Clash of the Champions in Melbourne, Australia

Previous Champions (since March 2001):
The Unnatural: June 15th, 2003-April 11th, 2004 (301 days)
Rey Mysterio Jr.: December 29th, 2002-June 15th, 2003 (168 days)
Booker T (#5): May 19th, 2002-December 29th, 2002 (224 days)
Rob Van Dam: December 30th, 2001-May 19th, 2002 (140 days)
Scott Steiner (#2): July 15th, 2001-December 30th, 2001 (168 days)
Booker T (#4): March 26th, 2001-July 15th, 2001 (111 days)

United States Heavyweight Champion:
http://i.imgur.com/mitTbCm.jpg
Bryan Danielson

Won: April 11th, 2004 from Rob Van Dam at Clash of the Champions in Melbourne, Australia

Previous Champions (since March 2001):
Rob Van Dam: September 21st, 2003-April 11th, 2004 (203 days)
AJ Styles: December 29th, 2002-September 21st, 2003 (266 days)
Shane Douglas (#2): April 1st, 2002-December 29th, 2002 (272 days)
Rey Misterio Jr (#2): October 14th, 2001-April 1st, 2002 (169 days)
Kanyon: August 5th, 2001-October 14th, 2001 (70 days)
Rey Misterio Jr: May 13th, 2001-August 5th, 2001 (85 days)
Booker T: March 18th, 2001-April 30th, 2001 (44 days)

Cruiserweight Champion:
http://i.imgur.com/u0cJ04Z.jpg
TAKA (#2)
http://i.imgur.com/ncMyE2p.jpg
Won: December 28th, 2003 from Chavo Guerrero Jr. at Starrcade: The 20th Anniversary in Greensboro, North Carolina

Previous Champions (since March 2001):
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (#3): October 19th, 2003-December 28th, 2003 (70 days)
Jamie Knoble: September 21st, 2003-October 19th, 2003 (28 days)
Bryan Danielson (#2): April 20th, 2003-September 21st, 2003 (154 days)
Christopher Daniels: September 22nd, 2002-April 20th, 2003 (210 days)
American Dragon: August 11th, 2002-September 22nd, 2002 (42 days)
AJ Styles: April 21st, 2002-August 11th, 2002 (112 days)
TAKA: December 30th, 2001-April 21st, 2002 (112 days)
Jushin Liger: August 5th, 2001-December 30th, 2001 (147 days)
Shane Helms: March 18th, 2001-August 5th, 2001 (140 days)

World Television Champion:

Shinsuke Nakamura

Won: April 11th, 2004 from Hayabusa at Clash of the Champions in Melbourne, Australia

Previous Champions (since July 2002):
Hayabusa: April 5th, 2004-April 11th,2004 (6 days)
Brian Kendrick: January 19th, 2004-April 5th, 2004 (77 days)
((Hardy reached the maximum fifteen title defenses, thus vacating the title on 1/19/04 and earning a World Heavyweight Championship match))
Matt Hardy: October 19th, 2003-January 19th, 2004 (92 days)
Bobby Roode: August 24th, 2003-October 19th, 2003 (56 days)
((O'Haire reached the maximum fifteen title defenses, thus vacating the title on 7/21/03 and earning a World Heavyweight Championship match))
Sean O'Haire: January 26th, 2003-July 21st, 2003 (176 days)
Fit Finlay (#2): July 29th, 2002-January 26th, 2003 (181 days)

World Tag Team Champions:
http://i.imgur.com/S0cu0uO.jpg
True Heroes (Lance Storm and CM Punk, #3 as a team)

Won: December 28th, 2003 from Mortis and The Destroyer at Starrcade: The 20th Anniversary in Greensboro, North Carolina

Previous Champions (since March 2001):
Salvation (Mortis, Alexander and The Destroyer): August 24th, 2003-December 28th, 2003 (126 days)
Christopher Daniels and Brian Adams (#3 for Adams): June 15th, 2003-August 24th, 2003 (70 days)
The Hardys (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy) (#2): December 29th, 2002-June 15th, 2003 (168 days)
True Heroes (Lance Storm and CM Punk) (#2): October 27th, 2002-December 29th, 2002 (63 days)
The Hardys (Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy): July 14th, 2002-October 27th, 2002 (105 days)
True Heroes (Lance Storm and CM Punk): December 30th, 2001-July 14th, 2002 (196 days)
The Natural Born Thrillers (Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire): January 14th, 2001-December 30th, 2001 (351 days)

ANNUAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:

Mayhem Battle Royal (held every May):

2003: Eddie Guerrero
2002: Diamond Dallas Page

Stu Hart Classic Tournament (held every November):

2003: Jeff Hardy
2002: Rey Mysterio Jr.
2001: Rob Van Dam

The Ultimate Fan Series

2004: The Dead Jesters, managed by Marshal Van Black (The Enigma (replacing Steve Austin), Eddie Guerrero, Akira Hokuto, Shane Douglas and Christopher Daniels)

2003: Satyr's Hopeful Few, managed by Satyr24 (Mortis, The Unnatural, Alexander, Christopher Daniels and Melissa Anderson)

2002: The Agents of Chaos, managed by Beejus Pilgrim (Scott Steiner, Rick Steiner, Mark Jindrak and Dustin Rhodes)

2001: The K-Nections, managed by Kevin Gaines (Booker T, Sting, AJ Styles and Alex Wright)

1989? Championship Pedigree, managed by Bernie Klein (Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase, Tito Santana, Robert Gibson and The Rougeau Brothers)

You can thank franticloser for Bret/Stephanie, and Dead_Jester for Hardy/Sytch.

Chris Jericho back in WCW with Bill Goldberg around?

...

Look, you know Bret's going to take an inordinate amount of pleasure in programming them together with Jericho going over, right?

That has to happen.

And to be honest... a Lionheart-for-Van-Dam swap isn't the worst thing in the world at this point.

Also, Kaz Hayashi going back to Japan would be good for him.

Heh, I REALLY can't afford to have Goldberg lose often. He's my counter to Rock in the national battle.

Jericho for RVD is a swap I'm pretty happy with, TBH. They're the same age, Jericho is a better overall worker and much better promo, and their star quality is identical. RVD's only real advantage is higher popularity, but hopefully I'll be able to make up that difference. RVD is also now making WAY more than Jericho will be too.

Hayashi leave? OBJECTION!

franticloser · May 8, 2020

Man way to pull the trigger on Punk, while I was thinking this would be a draw and you would save the change for Starrcade, this was a time I was glad be wrong! And I am so excited how you run with Stephanie and Bret. Also who self destructs harder, Jeff or Tammy? That is some toxic relationship reality tv stuff right there.

joshspicer · May 8, 2020

CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship -- Was I the only one that called it? That was my bold boi prediction and it paid off. EDIT: Twas not, but it was close.

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship -- Also another bold boi prediction that worked. I figure that RVD was losing even if he was staying, but I still thinking letting RVD go was a mistake, even if bringing Jericho in would offset it.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship -- I should've been a more bold boi and run the table but I figured that Nakamura was still too fresh. I get that it's NAKAMURA, but still. I figured Bret was more careful.

Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match -- This was a coin flip and it paid off so that's nice.

AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals -- Figured it'd be easier to give Enigma his first PPV win post-transformation AND make AJ look like a million bucks AND not have to worry about the tiebreaker tomorrow.

Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA -- You buffoon. You absolute moron. Jamie why would you do this to me?

Matt Hardy vs. Mortis -- Makes sense even if I figure Matt would get the win to offset Enigma winning.

Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy -- I figured Made in Italy being on the rise and getting more screentime would lead to them getting it, but this is totally nepotism. Bret you sneaky boy I see what you're doing here.

How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) - 3 because I'm a bold boi -- I was almost right. Right enough for me to be happy but not happy enough to get it.

What will be match of the night? - Punk vs. Unnatural -- Boom shaka.

Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? - Yang is a surefire ride. Unfortunately Kaz isn't even though he has major potential in-game. -- Boo shaka.

Good show overall. Vince seems confident despite all things pointing the direction that he shouldn't be, but that's just Vince being Vince.

Also, giving the titles to Bryan and Punk isn't THAT much of a gamble. Unless Vince opens the bank for two superstars who might be big in popularity but not big enough to match what he's paying RVD. Which I doubt Vince is wiling to do, even if it's AI Vince.

Okay who's bright idea was it to have Stephanie get into a relationship with Bret? Cause from a narrative standpoint it's pretty fricken dramatic and bonkers as hell, but also really REALLY out of character for both. Franticloser you absolute madwoman.

Hashasheen · May 8, 2020

Wait, is the Stephanie thing not a RNG from the game?

franticloser · May 9, 2020

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="joshspicer" data-cite="joshspicer" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>CM Punk vs. The Unnatural (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship -- Was I the only one that called it? That was my bold boi prediction and it paid off. EDIT: Twas not, but it was close. Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship -- Also another bold boi prediction that worked. I figure that RVD was losing even if he was staying, but I still thinking letting RVD go was a mistake, even if bringing Jericho in would offset it. Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship -- I should've been a more bold boi and run the table but I figured that Nakamura was still too fresh. I get that it's NAKAMURA, but still. I figured Bret was more careful. Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Eddie Guerrero in a Two out of Three Falls match -- This was a coin flip and it paid off so that's nice. AJ Styles vs. The Enigma in the UFS Finals -- Figured it'd be easier to give Enigma his first PPV win post-transformation AND make AJ look like a million bucks AND not have to worry about the tiebreaker tomorrow. Title Unification match: UWA Welterweight Champion Jamie Knoble vs. WCW Cruiserweight Champion TAKA -- You buffoon. You absolute moron. Jamie why would you do this to me? Matt Hardy vs. Mortis -- Makes sense even if I figure Matt would get the win to offset Enigma winning. Tag title #1 contender’s match: Steenerico vs. Volador and Aguila vs. Calgary Bulldogs vs. Made in Italy -- I figured Made in Italy being on the rise and getting more screentime would lead to them getting it, but this is totally nepotism. Bret you sneaky boy I see what you're doing here. How many championships will change hands? (the title unification match DOES count) - 3 because I'm a bold boi -- I was almost right. Right enough for me to be happy but not happy enough to get it. What will be match of the night? - Punk vs. Unnatural -- Boom shaka. Are the Jung Dragons going to stay in WCW? - Yang is a surefire ride. Unfortunately Kaz isn't even though he has major potential in-game. -- Boo shaka. Good show overall. Vince seems confident despite all things pointing the direction that he shouldn't be, but that's just Vince being Vince. Also, giving the titles to Bryan and Punk isn't THAT much of a gamble. Unless Vince opens the bank for two superstars who might be big in popularity but not big enough to match what he's paying RVD. Which I doubt Vince is wiling to do, even if it's AI Vince. Okay who's bright idea was it to have Stephanie get into a relationship with Bret? Cause from a narrative standpoint it's pretty fricken dramatic and bonkers as hell, but also really REALLY out of character for both. Franticloser you absolute madman.</div></blockquote> Ahem, that is mad woman thank you very much. And I wanted to go with what would be the most fun creatively and dramatically for TFC. My other idea was Bret stealing Kimberly from Punk which would have caused drama short term but less so long term like Stephanie. Also I could see Bret doing it. He was a womanizer, and how better to stick to Vince then to date his daughter, and use her for insider info. Maybe Bret isn't even into her, and is just using her and will leave her after she falls in love. Remember Stephanie is still in her early 20s at this point so naive and immature.

odan · May 9, 2020

Vince is gonna go mental over the Stephanie thing, unless he sent her to f with the competition? it wouldn't surprise me if he was willing to sacrifice his daughter for his own interests.

The Final Countdown · May 9, 2020

April 2004 Week 3

April 2004, Week 3

April 12th, 2004

Worldwide taping: Prince Deviit defeated Ernest Miller, Steenerico defeated Da Hit Squad, Cash defeated PJ Black and the Dangerous Alliance (Douglas & O’Haire) defeated The Mighty Don’t Kneel.

Attendance: 20,652

Show Notes:

-Petey Williams entertained the boys with some impressions.

-The UFS title shots are as follows: Eddie Guerrero for the World title, Enigma for the US title, Christopher Daniels for the TV title, Shane Douglas for the tag titles w/Sean O’Haire as his partner, and Akira Hokuto for the Women’s tag titles with a partner to be chosen by her later.

-Shane Helms is looking really stale.

“Paul London looks better every time he gets in the ring.” –CM Punk

April 17th, 2004

Show Notes:

-I guess there was a miscommunication last week; the debuting Madison Eagles was supposed to look good against Toshiyo Yamada but ultimately fall to defeat, but instead she actually won the match. We’ll just have to book around that.

Upcoming WCW PPV Event(s):

May 9th, 2004

The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash

Card subject to change. Please do not submit your predictions at this time.

News Updates:

I shook my head and sighed. For once it wasn’t contracts or bidding wars that were the source of my frustration, but maybe that would have been better.

Jeff Hardy testing positive for hard drugs was something I maybe should have seen coming, but the timing couldn’t have been worse. I could have fined him or suspended him or turned a blind eye, but I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the mirror if I did that. The guy needs help, plus he’s a big part of our company as we continue to do battle with Vince. He’s one of the most marketable stars we've got, and we need him around to draw eyeballs to our product for years to come. It was really a no brainer to send him to rehab so he can hopefully get clean and be a big part of WCW long term. He was pleased when I told him and promised to clean up his act and come back better than ever, and I could only hope it would turn out to be true.

Sending Jeff Hardy to rehab was the right decision for him and for WCW in the long term. But in the short term there was a pretty pressing problem for me to solve.

What in the hell was I going to do now that the guy who was supposed to win the 30 man Mayhem match and headline the Great American Bash was out of action?

Signing extensions this week were Toshiyo Yamada (1 year), Cash (9 months), Melissa Anderson (4 years), Nattie Neidhart (3 years) Colt Cabana (2 years) and developmental prospect Samoa Joe (3 years), who should be called up from developmental very soon. Cash was actually someone I was leaning towards not keeping around, but as we’re going to be losing more talent than I was expecting I decided to keep him after all.

We tested out AJ Styles and Shinsuke Nakamura as a tag team pairing on our house shows, but reports were negative.

Johnny the Bull is nearing a developmental call-up, though I’m not sure what we’ll do with him.

Elsewhere in the wrestling world:

WWE went to Seattle for Backlash. In addition to Triple H retaining the WWE title over Chuck Palumbo in a solid 87 rated semi main and Kane beating Booker T to keep the ECW title in a great 99 rated main event, the show also included a pair of title changes. Trish Stratus dropped the women’s title right back to Molly Holly (logical, since Molly just signed an extension and Trish is weeks from joining us), and Raven took the ECW TV title from Brock Lesnar. If they’re smart that will be so they can move Lesnar into the main events, because he is a potential superstar. The show got a 92 score overall.

Zero-One held their Formation of Attack big event, which included Tado Yasuda beating Shinya Hashimoto in an 80 rated main event and Katsuyori Shibata winning the NWA North American title from Yasushi Kanda. Match of the night honors went to the semi main event where Alex Wright beat Ken Shamrock (84), while the show itself got an 80 grade.

Tommy Dreamer signed an extension for WWE.

All Japan had a pair of title changes on their weekly TV show. Shigeo Okumura beat Tomohiro Ishii for the Junior Heavyweight title, and Omori and Mutoh dropped the Unified tag team titles to Taiyo Kea and Kensuke Sasaki.

Prediction Scores:

Asaemon: 8
Big Boss Man: 8

franticloser: 6
Happy0wns: 6
cmhunk: 6

Ian carlisle: 5
odan: 5
The Lariat: 5
joshspicer: 5
Bagins: 5
SagaJoestar: 5
Beejus: 5

Satyr24: 4
Dead Jester: 4
Kijar: 4
smw88: 4
ComicFighter: 4
JMike: 4
Nobby_McDonald: 4
GingeyOne: 4
Mike Haggar: 4

DGenerationMC: 3
DHK1989: 3
Danny H22: 3
crackerjack: 3

Standings in prediction contest after 2 shows:

Happy0wns: 13
SagaJoestar: 13

Ian carlisle: 12
Dead_Jester: 12

Satyr24: 11
JMike: 11
DHK1989: 11
Asaemon: 11
cmhunk: 11

franticloser: 10
odan: 10
GingeyOne: 10
DGenerationMC: 10
crackerjack: 10

Danny H22: 9

Kijar: 8
Beejus: 8
Big Boss Man: 8

rateddc: 7

The Lariat: 6

joshspicer: 5
Bagins: 5
Nobby_McDonald: 5

smw88: 4
ComicFighter: 4
Mike Haggar: 4

cbacon87: 1
Chaossy: 1
Wolfman84: 1
deanohbk: 1
sportsfanmas: 1
BHK6: 1
ElectricX: 1
WilburTrey: 1
Forrest01: 1

Thanks once again to DHK1989 for tallying the GDS portion of these predictions. (If anyone is curious why there are names on here that didn’t predict here, since my return I’ve been crossposting this on the BeTheBooker forums as well.)

Some people earned bonus points for correctly picking the Dead Jesters to win the UFS, or for picking Punk as the next world champion way back when Unnatural first won it.

Man way to pull the trigger on Punk, while I was thinking this would be a draw and you would save the change for Starrcade, this was a time I was glad be wrong! And I am so excited how you run with Stephanie and Bret. Also who self destructs harder, Jeff or Tammy? That is some toxic relationship reality tv stuff right there.

At one point I WAS going to save Punk's title win for Starrcade, but it would have looked very different. Lance would have pulled off the shock upset over Unnatural and lost the title two or three months later to a heel who would brutalize him so bad that he got injured and the Heroes were forced to vacate the tag titles. (I was leaning towards Sean O'Haire in this slot, but it wasn't for sure.) Punk would then chase the heel for vengeance and finally get it at Starrcade. Obviously I changed plans though.

It sure didn't take long for the self destruction, did it?

Bryan Danielson vs. Rob Van Dam (©) for the United States Championship -- Also another bold boi prediction that worked. I figure that RVD was losing even if he was staying, but I still thinking letting RVD go was a mistake, even if bringing Jericho in would offset it.

From a gameplay perspective it was definitely a mistake, but one thing I learned from my previous diary is that me boggarting all the stars makes the game world less interesting. I want WWE to remain strong, and talent jumping back and forth is half the fun of a wrestling war.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Hayabusa (©) for the World Television Championship -- I should've been a more bold boi and run the table but I figured that Nakamura was still too fresh. I get that it's NAKAMURA, but still. I figured Bret was more careful.

He's at the top of my hot prospect and NBT lists and has developed into a fantastic worker already, so my thinking here is that he's a guy that could logically receive a big push right out of the gate.

Also, giving the titles to Bryan and Punk isn't THAT much of a gamble. Unless Vince opens the bank for two superstars who might be big in popularity but not big enough to match what he's paying RVD. Which I doubt Vince is wiling to do, even if it's AI Vince.

Punk was already nipping at RVD's heels popularity-wise even before beating Unnatural, so Vince has indeed opened the bank for him. His WWE offer is actually far higher than the contract that RVD signed. They're offering a lot to Danielson too, far more than I expected for his level of popularity/star quality.

Vince is gonna go mental over the Stephanie thing, unless he sent her to f with the competition? it wouldn't surprise me if he was willing to sacrifice his daughter for his own interests.

I honestly have no clue where this story will go in the future. I guess we'll just kind of see what happens.

Ry da guy · May 9, 2020

Nice going, Jeff. Nice going.

JMike · May 9, 2020

Didn’t comment on the PPV but it’s super surreal that RVD, the guy who main evented the first starrcade, is gone. The Stephanie twist is crazy, too. I have a gut feeling who’s winning Mayhem, and it’s not an ex WWE guy.

I sure am curious which current WCW star Petey Williams was doing an impression of...

DGenerationMC · May 10, 2020

I sure am curious which current WCW star Petey Williams was doing an impression of...

If you throw Kurt Angle into the mix, the chances go drastically down?

joshspicer · May 11, 2020

Going to assume that with Jeff in rehab the Mayhem win is probably going to be a safe choice. Or at the very least someone who could use the quick rub and loss (because no way is Punk losing the belt THAT quickly).

The Final Countdown · May 12, 2020

April 2004 Week 4 and National Battle Report

April 2004, Week 4

April 19th, 2004

Worldwide taping: Great Sasuke defeated Antonio Banks, The American Outlaws defeated Vordell Walker and Human Tornado, and Konnan defeated Mike Maverick.

Attendance: 18,545

Show Notes:

-Kid Romeo organized a poker tournament before the show.

-Bryan Danielson was especially pleasant to be around during the show, both because he signed a fat new contract and because he was told we were bringing in his mentor Steven Regal.

-Chavo Guerrero Jr. was protected in the three way match, with Elix Skipper taking the fall.

-Some of the faces who came out to tell Corino not to get ahead of himself were Rey Mysterio Jr, Konnan, Lance Storm and the Shooting Stars, all of whom will be in the Mayhem match themselves.

-We tested out Bobby Roode and Paul Heyman on the pre-show, but they didn’t make for a good mix, so Bobby’s chances of joining the Dangerous Alliance are dashed.

-Samoa Joe debuted as the brute enforcer of the Dangerous Alliance in the main event, and the gimmick got a great initial response as he beat the hell out of RVD and dropped him with his Muscle Buster.

-Tammy Sytch could probably use a different twist to her character.

April 24th, 2004

Show Notes:

-Aja Kong hurt her bicep in the main event, but it won’t keep her out for any time. Devil Masami also had an off night.

“I like Allison Corino; I think she’ll only get better with time.” –Nattie Neidhart

Upcoming WCW PPV Event(s):

May 9th, 2004

The Destroyer vs. Bryan Danielson (©) for the United States Heavyweight Championship

Mortis vs. CM Punk (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship

The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash

Card subject to change. Please do not submit your predictions at this time.

News Updates:

“I’m thrilled to have you both staying around,” I said, looking at CM Punk and Bryan Danielson, who both wore matching grins. And why shouldn’t they? They’d just become very wealthy men.

Some people stay, some people go. That’s the nature of the wrestling business.

The biggest news was that despite Vince’s best efforts, both our World and US champions signed 5 year contract extensions. Obviously they both saw massive jumps in their salary compared to what they were making before, especially since multiple competitors including WWE were there to up the price. They’re now the second and third highest paid members of the roster, with Punk comfortably ahead of Bryan but still lagging a bit behind Goldberg, and Bryan in turn being a clear notch above Rey Mysterio Jr. But where some people are sticking around, there are others we’ll be saying goodbye to. Aside from the departures that took place this week, there’s also the former multi-time champion who will be finishing up at Mayhem to go work elsewhere. But all in all I can’t be unhappy with the way things have gone.

Scott Steiner, Mark Jindrak, Fit Finlay, Elix Skipper, Ernest Miller and Kid Romeo are all gone after I chose not to renew their contracts. Scott left because he was making demands that I had no interest in giving to a 40 year old in rehab, and the others had simply run their course in WCW in my opinion.

Jamie Knoble’s contract officially ran out, and he’ll report to New Japan. We own the copyright on the name Jamie Knoble, so apparently he’ll be wrestling under his real name, James Gibson.

Shannon Moore agreed to a one year extension. He was another that was down to the wire and very nearly wasn’t re-signed, but I decided to keep him around.

Tracy Brooks signed a one year extension to continue working as the color commentator alongside Joey Styles on Renaissance.

Bull Nakano (the CEO and head booker of 5SSW, our women’s developmental territory) is going on maternity leave.

Elsewhere in the wrestling world:

George the Animal Steele passed away at the age of 66. Shame; he was a nice guy.

NWA-TNA held their latest show, Lockdown. No world title match this month, as Marc Mero teamed with Nicho (the former Psychosis) to beat Matt Sydal and Eddie Colon in a 62 rated main event tag match which was the best of the night. The show got a 59 overall.

Tiger Chung Lee retired after a 35 year career, and also announced he’d be opening his own wrestling school.

National Battle Report: May 2004

USA

#1:

World Wrestling Entertainment

Top 5 Stars:

1) The Rock (100 points)
2) Hollywood Hogan (828)
3) Triple H (812)
4) The Undertaker (807
5) Big Show (741)

Total Points: 4,188

#2:

World Championship Wrestling

Top 5 Stars:

1) Bill Goldberg (980
2) The Enigma (859
3) CM Punk (83)
4) Mortis (756)
5) Rey Mysterio Jr. (735)

Total Points: 4,161

British Isles

#1:

World Wrestling Entertainment

Top 5 Stars:

1) The Rock (1000 points)
2) Hollywood Hogan (852)
3) The Undertaker (805)
4) Triple H (792)
5) Big Show (741)

Total Points: 4,190

#2:

World Championship Wrestling

Top 5 Stars:

1) Bill Goldberg (984)
2) The Enigma (861)
3) CM Punk (835)
4) Mortis (761)
5) Rob Van Dam (739)

Total Points: 4,180

Japan

#1:

World Wrestling Entertainment

Top 5 Stars:

1) The Rock (1000 points)
2) Triple H (836)
3) Hollywood Hogan (828)
4) The Undertaker (808)
5) Big Show (741)

Total Points: 4,213

#2:

World Championship Wrestling

Top 5 Stars:

1) Bill Goldberg (950)
2) CM Punk (870)
3) The Enigma (858)
4) Mortis (759)
5) Rey Mysterio Jr. (740)

Total Points: 4,177

Europe

#1:

World Wrestling Entertainment

Top 5 Stars:

1) The Rock (1000 points)
2) Hollywood Hogan (835)
3) Triple H (810)
4) The Undertaker (807)
4) Big Show (740)

Total Points: 4,192

#2:

World Championship Wrestling

Top 5 Stars:

1) Bill Goldberg (940)
2) The Enigma (861)
3) CM Punk (811)
4) Mortis (753)
5) Rey Mysterio Jr. (734)

Total Points: 4,099

DHK1989 · May 12, 2020

Calling it now. Danielson/Regal U.S. Title Match at the Great American Bash!

joshspicer · May 12, 2020

Shame to see Fit go. Dude is a good JTTS to have and an even better road agent when needed.

SkipMartin · May 13, 2020

Do you have big plans for Mortis outside of his upcoming title match? It seems he is one of your key players in the national battles. I've never seen anyone go all the way with Kanyon.

DHK1989 · May 14, 2020

One thing I've wondered for awhile is if you keep track of the TV ratings of both Nitro and Raw? Is it neck and neck, or is one dominating the other in terms of viewership?

The Final Countdown · May 15, 2020

May 2004 Week 1 May 2004, Week 1 <img alt="5syC0e6.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/5syC0e6.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> May 3rd, 2004 <img alt="urd8ZfM.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/urd8ZfM.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Show Notes: -Shane Helms showed off a new video game to some of his friends backstage. Something Fantasy XI? I don’t know. -A few of the names involved in the big ‘debate’ about the Mayhem match at the close of the show included Eddie Guerrero, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio Jr, King Corino, Shane Helms and the Jung Dragons. <img alt="JJBwRaP.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/JJBwRaP.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> May 8th, 2004 <img alt="2r4XN1O.png" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/2r4XN1O.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> Show Notes: -Caorl Midori was completely blown up by the end of a match that didn’t even hit seven and a half minutes. Upcoming WCW PPV Event(s): <img alt="i915ufn.jpg" data-src="https://i.imgur.com/i915ufn.jpg" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>May 9th, 2004 Official Prediction Lineup: Steenerico vs. Calgary Bulldogs Volador Jr. vs. TAKA (©) for the World Cruiserweight Championship Christopher Daniels vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (©) for the World Television Championship The Destroyer vs. Bryan Danielson (©) for the United States Heavyweight Championship Mortis vs. CM Punk (©) for the World Heavyweight Championship The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash: -Longest stay in match: -Most eliminations: -Runner up: -Winner: What will be match of the night? How many championships will change hands? General diary comments/questions/critiques: </div></blockquote> News Updates: <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>”See you later, dude. Thanks for the opportunity.” RVD stuck out his hand, and I shook it. “No problem. Thanks for the years of service, and good luck up there.” I had no hard feelings towards Rob Van Dam. He’d given us three years of solid work and was one of the guys who helped rebuild WCW. He won the world title in the main event of my first Starrcade and had remained a major part of the company all the way until his departure. We had to rework our plans for the rest of the year when he signed Vince’s lucrative offer, but I think we’ll be okay. Losing him hurts, but our roster is far stronger and deeper than it was in 2001. I also appreciated that he went out on his back. I knew he wasn’t happy about putting over Danielson that first time, but he didn’t complain about losing the rematch or about losing clean to Sean O’Haire on his final night. He did business the right way, and who knows, maybe he’ll be back in WCW again years down the line. Guys coming and going is par for the course, especially in a neck and neck competition like this. It sucks to lose him, but we’ve got Jericho debuting at Mayhem, plus Regal, Trish, the former Lita and Jacqueline all on the way. Things are looking bright for us. </div></blockquote> King Corino signed a 3 year contract extension. He got a nice little raise but there was no interest from WWE or anyone else, so he’s just barely into the top ten on our roster in terms of payroll. Brian Kendrick also signed for three more years. He’s a key young piece for us moving forward, and I’m happy to have him locked up. Sean O’Haire hasn’t been quite as diligent about getting his workouts in lately, and is starting to look a little flabbier as a result. Christopher Daniels has been hitting the weights harder and packing on some muscle. Akira Hokuto is taking her role as champion seriously. She’s been working hard in the gym and it shows; she’s looking more ripped than ever before. She’s in the best shape of her life and looks like a greater star. Down in developmental, Shelton Benjamin has been moving away from his pure technician approach and working a more standard wrestling style, with less amateur stuff. Elsewhere in the wrestling world: WWE has extended Vampiro. Charismatic guy, but a real head case. Masato Tanaka is joining NOAH on a per date deal. Funaki, recently fired by WWE, will be joining Zero One for their next tour. That’s in addition to his short-term deal with us that includes a spot in the 30 man Mayhem match. CMLL signed Octagon to an exclusive deal. That’s a big blow for AAA since he’s their reigning Campeon de Campeones, which is their top title. Wataru Inoue, who has been one of the top guys in Osaka Pro on a per date deal, is joining All Japan under an exclusive contract. <hr noshade size=3> Here’s the full list of participants in the Mayhem match: 1. Aguila 2. AJ Styles 3. Billy Kidman 4. Bobby Roode 5. Brian Kendrick 6. Cash 7. Chris Jericho 8. Colt Cabana 9. Eddie Guerrero 10. Funaki 11. Great Sasuke 12. Hayabusa 13. Johnny Parisi 14. Kaz Hayashi 15. King Corino 16. Konnan 17. Lance Storm 18. Matt Hardy 19. Magnum Tokyo 20. Paul London 21. Petey Williams 22. Prince Devitt 23. Rey Mysterio Jr. 24. Sean O’Haire 25. Shane Douglas 26. Shane Helms 27. Teddy Hart 28. The Unnatural 29. Tony Mamaluke 30. Yang <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="DHK1989" data-cite="DHK1989" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Calling it now. Danielson/Regal U.S. Title Match at the Great American Bash! <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /></div></blockquote> Well, Regal's contract HAS already started... <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="joshspicer" data-cite="joshspicer" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Shame to see Fit go. Dude is a good JTTS to have and an even better road agent when needed.</div></blockquote> Ironically he wouldn't make a great road agent in this save--his psychology isn't high enough. <img alt=":eek:" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/eek.png.0e09df00fa222c85760b9bc1700b5405.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" /> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="SkipMartin" data-cite="SkipMartin" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Do you have big plans for Mortis outside of his upcoming title match? It seems he is one of your key players in the national battles. I've never seen anyone go all the way with Kanyon.</div></blockquote> He's slid under the radar and become an important part of the company. Funny that Dustin is the member of the group I pushed hard, but Mortis is the one who became a big enough contributor to help in the national battles (thanks to his higher star quality.) His failed drug tests have held him back to a degree, but we'll see what happens with him. <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="DHK1989" data-cite="DHK1989" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43035" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>One thing I've wondered for awhile is if you keep track of the TV ratings of both Nitro and Raw? Is it neck and neck, or is one dominating the other in terms of viewership?</div></blockquote> No, I never have. The change in 2016 where it just lumps all the viewership from every network the show is on into one number made that pretty pointless IMO; too many variables. It wouldn't be a useful number right now even if separated, since I've moved Nitro onto NBC and Raw is still on Spike. I'd obviously slaughter them in that head to head comparison. ECW (the former Smackdown) would be a better comparison, since that's on ABC.

joshspicer · May 15, 2020

Steenerico vs. Calgary Bulldogs

The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash:

-Longest stay in match: AJ Styles

-Most eliminations: The Unnatural

-Runner up: The Unnatural

-Winner: AJ Styles

What will be match of the night?: CM Punk vs. Mortis

How many championships will change hands?: 0

Ian carlisle · May 15, 2020

Official Prediction Lineup:

Steenerico vs. Calgary Bulldogs

The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash:

-Longest stay in match: Lance Storm

-Most eliminations: Sean O'Haire

-Runner up: The Unnatural

-Winner: Chris Jericho

What will be match of the night?

Mortis v Punk

How many championships will change hands? 0

JMike · May 15, 2020

Steenerico vs. Calgary Bulldogs

The 30 Man Mayhem match, with the winner challenging for the World championship at the Great American Bash:

-Longest stay in match: AJ Styles

-Most eliminations: The Unnatural

-Runner up: Chris Jericho

-Winner: Lance Storm

What will be match of the night? Punk vs Mortis

How many championships will change hands? Zero

General diary comments/questions/critiques: Lots of Japanese talent here in WCW now. Sick

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