WCW 1997: Black & White

TheMikeKoplin · July 18, 2017

WCW World War 3

November Week 3 1997

Official Prediction Card

*Faces always listed first

Career vs. Career Dog Collar Match: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

No Disqualification Match for WCW United States Championship: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Curt Hennig ©

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. ©

WCW Television Championship: Disco Inferno © vs. Chris Jericho

For Mongo's Superbowl Ring:Steve “Mongo” McMichael vs. Goldberg

World War 3 60 Man Battle Royal --Winner Receives Future Match for World Heavyweight Championship

Notable Participants include:

-“Diamond” Dallas Page - Kevin Nash - Lex Luger - The Giant - Buff Bagwell - Scott Steiner - Raven - Scott Hall - Rick Steiner - Booker T - Scott Norton - Stevie Ray - Eddie Guerrero - Meng - Dean Malenko - Jim Duggan - The Barbarian - Steven Regal - Ray Traylor - Konnan - Alex Wright - Rick Martel - Ultimo Dragon & many more!

Plus, the contract signing that we’ve all waited for: Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting for Starrcade 1997. But will Sting sign the contract? Yes

Bonus Point: Will there be any debuts on the show? If so, who? Lance Storm

Bonus Point: What match will be the last one on the show? Piper vs Savage

Bonus Point: Will there be any face/heel turns on the show? If so, who? No

Bonus Point: What will be the Backstage Rating starting the AM phase the day after this event? With Piper likely being gone, I will say that it will be 73%

Warhawk8492 · July 18, 2017

Career vs. Career Dog Collar Match: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

No Disqualification Match for WCW United States Championship: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Curt Hennig ©

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. ©

WCW Television Championship: Disco Inferno © vs. Chris Jericho

For Mongo's Superbowl Ring:Steve “Mongo” McMichael vs. Goldberg

World War 3 60 Man Battle Royal --Winner Receives Future Match for World Heavyweight Championship

Notable Participants include:

-“Diamond” Dallas Page - Kevin Nash - Lex Luger - The Giant - Buff Bagwell - Scott Steiner - Raven - Scott Hall - Rick Steiner - Booker T - Scott Norton - Stevie Ray - Eddie Guerrero - Meng - Dean Malenko - Jim Duggan - The Barbarian - Steven Regal - Ray Traylor - Konnan - Alex Wright - Rick Martel - Ultimo Dragon & many more!

Plus, the contract signing that we’ve all waited for: Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting for Starrcade 1997. But will Sting sign the contract? Yes of coarse

Bonus Point: Will there be any debuts on the show? If so, who? Yes, I am going to go out on a limb and say RVD

Bonus Point: What match will be the last one on the show? Piper Vs Savage

Bonus Point: Will there be any face/heel turns on the show? If so, who? Nope

Bonus Point: What will be the Backstage Rating starting the AM phase the day after this event? 72 due to Piper leaving

July 19, 2017

WCW World War 3

November Week 3 1997

Official Prediction Card

*Faces always listed first

Career vs. Career Dog Collar Match: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

No Disqualification Match for WCW United States Championship: “Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Curt Hennig ©

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. ©

WCW Television Championship: Disco Inferno © vs. Chris Jericho

For Mongo's Superbowl Ring:Steve “Mongo” McMichael vs. Goldberg

World War 3 60 Man Battle Royal --Winner Receives Future Match for World Heavyweight Championship

Notable Participants include:

-“Diamond” Dallas Page - Kevin Nash - Lex Luger - The Giant - Buff Bagwell - Scott Steiner - Raven - Scott Hall - Rick Steiner - Booker T - Scott Norton - Stevie Ray - Eddie Guerrero - Meng - Dean Malenko - Jim Duggan - The Barbarian - Steven Regal - Ray Traylor - Konnan - Alex Wright - Rick Martel - Ultimo Dragon & many more!

Plus, the contract signing that we’ve all waited for: Hollywood Hogan vs. Sting for Starrcade 1997. But will Sting sign the contract? Yes

Bonus Point: Will there be any debuts on the show? If so, who? RVD

Bonus Point: What match will be the last one on the show? 60 Man Battle Royal

Bonus Point: Will there be any face/heel turns on the show? If so, who?

Bonus Point: What will be the Backstage Rating starting the AM phase the day after this event? 73%

Beejus · July 20, 2017

Randy Savage - People tend to have problems holding onto Roddy in Montreal games.

Curt Hennig - The nWo keep the title here, but Flair's vengeance will come at Starrcade.

Rey Mysterio Jr

Disco Inferno - Will we see our Ayatollah of Rock 'n Rolla get the same gradual heel turn as he did in real life?

No Contest between Mongo and Goldberg - If memory serves, this is what WCW did at the real WW3 '98. It led to their brawl at Starrcade, which was actually not bad if memory serves.

Kevin Nash - Hall isn't quite as reliable as Kev is at this point, so Nash takes WW3 unlike Hall doing so at the real show.

Yes

Bonus 1: Yes, Rick Rude

Bonus 2: Piper vs. Savage

Bonus 3: Yes, Chavo Jr will heel out to join with Uncle Eddy for sure

Bonus 4: 65%

Crossface · August 5, 2017

General Update

So just a quick, general update. I have not abandoned this diary...although I did come close. Firstly, life has been a busier than usual as it's wont to do. Secondly, and the bigger issue, World War 3 for some reason has been giving me fits to write. I actually had the show booked and outlined for about 3 weeks now, but writing it up formally has been a bear. I'm not sure if it's writer's block or what, but it's been a fight to keep my interest. I haven't even wanted to open the save and look at or book the next Nitro.

That said, I pumped out a good chunk of the show in the last 2 days or so and that's got me feeling pretty good about this again. Hopefully I'll get this posted soon and I can get back into my regular rhythm on the boards again--both reading and commenting on some of the other great diaries out there as well as posting my own shows.

I still feel bad about shutting down Jet Planes & Long Limousines the way I did and it's been hard to get the mojo I had with that project going with this one. That said, I am determined to at least see through Starrcade as the whole point of this was to book the show that I wanted to see in 1997 as opposed to the plate of hot garbage that we were fed in real life. Hopefully by the time I hit that point, I will have found a good pattern and inspiration will propel me forward from there.

Thanks to everyone who predicted and commented earlier and sorry about the delay.

Crossface · August 8, 2017

<div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/Xb9puWt.jpg</div> WCW World War 3 1997 Date: Sunday Week 3 November 1997 Announcers: Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan Venue: Richmond Stadium (VA) Attendance: 30,000 <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Show Open</div> A video package highlighting tonight’s Savage/Piper matchup, the World War 3 battleroyal, and the Sting/Hogan contract signing aired followed by a traditional WCW pyrotechnical display. A few shots of the 3 ring setup and the sold out crowd waving signs ended on tonight’s announcers, Tony Schiavone, Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and “The Professor” Mike Tenay who greeted fans at home and hyped the event as potentially the biggest night in the history of the sport. Grade: (B+)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/gCg3P1B.jpg WCW Television Championship http://i.imgur.com/wsA6lI8.jpg vs. http://i.imgur.com/3TydNNq.jpg “Lionheart” Chris Jericho vs. Disco Inferno ©</div> Very quickly, the event moved to in-ring action as Disco Inferno was set to defend his title against Chris Jericho. While not a lot of heat here as the bout was a late addition to the card and the two don’t have any story in place, they did manage to have an exciting little matchup, displaying their quickness and athleticism (especially Jericho who shone in the bout). The two set the stage early that action would not be confined to single a ring, and the performers had fun bouncing through each of the three setups. As the match progressed, Disco began showing irritation as the tide was moved steadily into Jericho’s favor. WCW’s resident “Boogie Man” made an uncharacteristic desperate move and intentionally pulled referee Charles Robinson into Jericho’s missile dropkick leading to a disqualification just short of 9 minutes. Tenay and Schiavone decried the move, but “The Brain” saluted Disco’s willingness to do what it takes to secure his title another day. Winner: Chris Jericho via DQ. Grade: ©</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">For Steve McMichael’s Superbowl Ring http://i.imgur.com/fXqsJz1.jpg vs. http://i.imgur.com/ge79E67.jpg Steve “Mongo” McMichael vs. Goldberg</div> Next up, was a battle of the former NFL players. As a quick recap of this totally forgettable storyline, Debra McMichael hired Goldberg to take out her ex-husband and secure his prized Superbowl ring (which Goldberg successfully did at Halloween Havoc). Truthfully, the fans weren’t really all that into this and the wrestling was pretty poor. While the rookie Goldberg was clearly a star in the making, Mongo was probably just not be cut out for this business. Debra’s presence on the outside wasn’t the heat magnet that was intended either. After a painful 7 minutes of awkward action, the finish came when Debra’s interference cost McMichael’s attention and the former Bear great was on the wrong end of a Spear and Jackhammer. Winner: Goldberg Grade: © <div style="text-align:center;"> Post Match</div> Following the bout, Debra began laughing at the downed McMichael, waving the ring in his face. Until she clumsily dropped the ring which landed at the feet of Goldberg. Debra flashed a winning smile at the imposing man as she sweetly asked for the ring back. Goldberg picked it up and glared down at the Debra. Debra squirmed not knowing what to make of the inscrutable rookie. Meanwhile, Mongo slowly rose to his knees and Debra began to squeal, signaling for Goldberg to attack Mongo further. Goldberg turned to McMichael, and helped him to his feet and handed him back his ring before stalking off, his own man and leaving Debra behind, furious. Grade: (C+)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">Drinking Buddies http://i.imgur.com/Wx2DDXV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/jPy6dRK.jpg</div> Next, the announcers tossed it backstage to “Mean” Gene who was standing by with “The Nature Boy” ahead of his big United States title grudge match with Curt Hennig. Flair popped the house with a mention of the Richmond Coliseum being in the heart of “Flair country.” He said that for over a decade Ric Flair has been a symbol of excellence in Richmond, VA and tonight Curt Hennig was going to war with a legend! He told Hennig he was going to kick his ass all over the arena. He closed by saying that Hennig may be nWo for life, but life was just about over because tonight he had to walk that aisle and face The Man! Wooo! Grade: ©</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/2PljZJJ.jpg Cruiserweight Championship http://i.imgur.com/XT8G6bX.jpg vs. http://i.imgur.com/xU8iYI5.jpg Chavo Guerrero Jr. vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. ©</div> Chavo Guerrero was looking at another chance to take the Cruiserweight Championship from Rey Mysterio after his Uncle Eddie’s interference cost him the bout on Nitro a few weeks ago. The two had a stunning performance that viewers had come to expect from the exciting cruiserweights: full of high-flying and technical high spots that once again wormed through each of the 3 rings. Rey was particularly effective at using the unique 3 ring setup to create some unorthodox, impressive offense. Halfway through the bout, with Chavo firmly in the driver’s seat having locked Mysterio in a Gory Special in the ring closest to the entrance ramp... <div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/ODQW2aV.jpg</div> ...Eddie made an appearance ringside once again. Chavo, showing his youth and inexperience, let go of the champ to tell his uncle to head to the back. Eddie raised his arms up, signaling he had no intention of getting involved. Meanwhile, Mysterio recovered and once again engaged the youngest member of the Guerrero dynasty. After quick exchange between the two lucha stars, Mysterio downed Chavo with a bulldog and proceeded to hit the apron, signaling for a hurricanrana. As Chavo climbed to his feet and referee Randy Anderson checked in on him, Eddie made his move, grabbing the top rope causing Mysterio to lose his balance and fall! Chavo turned around to see the downed champion. Quickly Chavo capitalized by dropping Mysterio with his patented brainbuster and, to the shock of the crowd, pinned Mysterio for the Cruiserweight championship. Winner and New Champion: Chavo Guerrero Jr. Grade: (C+) <div style="text-align:center;">Post Match</div> Randy Anderson raised Chavo’s hand as he handed him the belt! Chavo looked stunned and Eddie quickly slid into the ring embracing his nephew as Mysterio sold the devastating maneuver on the mat. The announce team wondered if Chavo was even aware of Eddie’s involvement in the outcome of this match. Grade: (C+)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">No Disqualification Match http://i.imgur.com/6aRpYSb.jpg WCW United States Championship http://i.imgur.com/jPy6dRK.jpg vs. http://i.imgur.com/9cWJcCD.jpg “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs. Curt Hennig ©</div> The big grudge match stemming from the destruction of the Horsemen two months ago was up next as Flair looked to get his hands on Curt Hennig once again. Flair made his traditional entrance first, followed by US champ, Curt Hennig. Flair was quick to greet his former friend and ally in the aisle and took it to Hennig with a series of fists and chops before the bell even had a chance to ring. Referee Charles Robinson had the bell rang on the go and quickly followed the two, as there was not much for him to do in a No DQ environment other than count pinfalls and check for submissions. For the better part of 10 minutes, it was all offense for Flair who seemed much more interested in punishing Hennig than winning the title. Flair continued to pummel Hennig (who did a great job selling Flair’s offense), tossing Hennig into guardrails, choking him with production cables, and a seemingly never ending series of chops (that brought out resounding “wooooos!” from the fans each time). Hennig begged off and tried to make his escape back to the 3 rings in the center of the arena as Flair stalked behind. Hennig rolled into the first ring and tried to compose himself as Flair stopped for a steel chair before coming in after him. Hennig crawled through the first ring into the second as he realized what Flair had intended. Flair continued giving chase and soon the pair was in the third ring, furthest from the entrance ramp. With nowhere left to turn, Hennig came to his hands and knees and shook his head back and forth dramatically asking Flair for mercy. Flair held the chair high over his head as the crowd buzzed. Just as Flair was ready to smash Hennig, referee Charles Robinson snatched the chair away from the irate Flair who wheeled on the blond referee. The momentary distraction was enough for Hennig to low blow “the dirtiest player in the game” shifting the momentum to Hennig. Now it was Hennig’s turn to dish out offense as he stomped Flair down before delivering his signature running somersault neckbreaker. Following that, Hennig took the turnbuckle pad off, exposing the steel underneath. Methodically, Hennig catapulted the prone Flair into the exposed, unforgiving steel! Flair had been busted open and his signature platinum hair was soon matted with blood! Flair wouldn’t give into Hennig however as he kicked out Hennig’s pin attempt! Hennig, clearly looking to end this, dragged Flair to the middle of the ring and hooked the leg for the Hennig-Plex, but Flair struggled and wormed his way out. The two exchanged a vicious series of backhand chops that seemed only to fire Flair up for further! Flair raked Hennig’s eyes before sending him into the exposed turnbuckle! Hennig wobbled around the ring and fell to the mat. Flair grabbed the leg and signaled Figure-4 time and the crowd erupted! Flair had Hennig trapped in the middle of the ring and Hennig was violently shaking his head, the pain too much! Suddenly things took an unexpected turn when… <div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/MwCSTFw.jpg</div> ...Rick Rude came off the top rope with knee across Flair’s chest breaking the hold! Rude shoved referee Charles Robinson to the mat and proceeded to drop Flair with 3 consecutive Rude Awakenings! The crowd was in a frenzy as Schiavone couldn’t believe that Rick Rude was in WCW! Heenan corrected Schiavone, pointing out that Rude wasn’t in WCW, he was in the nWo! The 2 on 1 attack of Rude and Hennig was too much for “the Nature Boy” and shortly thereafter, Hennig put Flair out with a Hennig-plex for the win. Winner: Curt Hennig Grade: (B) <div style="text-align:center;">Post Match</div> Following the bout, the ring began to fill with garbage as Hennig and Rude taunted the crowd, mocking the defeated Flair. Rude dropped Flair with one more Rude Awakening before the duo headed to the back, drowned out in a chorus of boos. Grade: (B-)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="<a href="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-XXaXXeK9fM" rel="external nofollow">https://www.youtube.com/embed/-XXaXXeK9fM"</a> frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> As Ric Flair is helped out of the ring and to the back, the broadcast is thrown to a commercial hyping the new WCW vs. NWO World Tour Video Game.</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">The Contract Signing http://i.imgur.com/VNm3lMQ.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/vfz1OHi.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TsaweUV.jpg</div> As the commercial ended, the signature sound of Voodoo Child (remixed with some classic nWo quotes "The Biggest Icon in Wrestling...") erupted through the Richmond Stadium and the World Heavyweight Champion “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan and WCW CEO Eric Bischoff began to make their way to the ring signaling that it was time for the contract signing. Hogan was all bravado once again, strumming the title like a guitar as Bischoff jokingly bowed before the champ, declaring he’s not worthy. Once in the ring, Hogan did an over the top victory lap around the ring holding the title overhead as Bischoff applauded, smiling and JJ Dillon, clipboard pressed against his chest, looked on from the corner frowning. JJ attempted to cut the histrionics short and begin the proceedings but Hogan and Bischoff quickly laughed the WCW commissioner off confidently saying that no way would Sting agree to face “Hollywood” Hogan in a match at Starrcade, saying that he'd been ducking Hogan for a year and only sneaking out when he had a baseball bat! Hogan was so quick to prove his point that he hurriedly signed the contract as Bischoff pointed out that there was no Sting anywhere to be found… ...That’s when the lights went off in the arena. It felt like an eternity before they came back on and when they did…. <div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/xD4Asxs.jpg</div> ...He was face to face with Hogan. Hogan quickly shook his head back and forth in fear as Sting stared him down. Suddenly, Sting dropped to his knees and began groveling at Hogan’s feet. Hogan and Bischoff began howling in laughter as JJ Dillon expressed his dismay at “Sting’s” arrival. Grade: (A) As Hogan and Bischoff laughed at “Sting’s” cowardice in ring one (closest to the entrance), they failed to notice... <div style="text-align:center;">http://i.imgur.com/9et1Pq1.jpg</div> ... the the real Sting was making his way through the crowd and had now entered ring. Sting stood behind “Sting” for a few moments before grabbing him! That caught Hogan and Bischoff by total surprise. Sting tossed his impostor over the top top into the center ring unceremoniously before unloading with a wild series of punches, kicks and chops on both Bischoff and Hogan. Bischoff was quickly leveled and rolled out of the ring and Sting proceeded to unleash on Hogan! He sent the champ into the corner and quickly followed him in with a big time Stinger Splash! Tony Schiavone was losing his mind as Sting sent Hogan into the opposing corner and once again crushed the champ with a second Stinger Splash! The Richmond faithful were on their feet as Sting wrenched Hogan back by what was left of his hair and delivered a Scorpion Deathdrop! Hogan crashed to the canvas and rolled to the floor! Sting stalked JJ Dillon in the corner and eyed the former Horsemen manager for a moment. Schiavone wondered aloud if he’d sign the contract as WCW franchise player ripped the clipboard away from Dillon. He took a long moment and looked around into the stands. The fans were deafening in their support, urging Sting to put his name on the dotted line. Sting signed his name and shoved the clipboard back into Dillon’s chest before exiting the ring and heading to the back. Starrcade 1997 would officially feature Sting challenging “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan for the WCW World Championship in the main event. Can you believe it?! Grade: (A*)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div><div style="text-align:center;">World War 3: 60 Man, 3 Ring Battle Royal for right to challenge for WCW World Heavyweight Championship</div> The action of the big 60 man battle royal was difficult to cover for cameramen and the announce team alike. So much action was taking place simultaneously that it was difficult to focus attention in any one place for too long. <div style="text-align:center;">Ring One Bobby Eaton, Carl Ouellet, Chris Jericho, Dave Taylor, Diamond Dallas Page, Eddie Guerrero, Hammer, Ice Train, John Nord, Kidman, Konnan, Raven, Riggs, Saturn, Sick Boy, Chris Adams, Lex Luger, Mortis, Psychosis, Stevie Ray</div> The main story of the ring closest to the aisleway (ring one), was that of Raven and his Flock. Raven had his grungy gang doing much of his bidding with their biggest coup being perhaps Diamond Dallas Page who was overwhelmed by the sheer numbers. Elsewhere, Lex Luger was in peak form, breathing hard and loud as he tossed out a fair amount of lower competition. Chris Jericho was another bright spot here as he was attempting to orchestrate his own Cinderella underdog story. <div style="text-align:center;">Ring Two Alex Wright, Brad Armstrong, Buff Bagwell, Dean Malenko, Ernest Miller, Hugh Morrus, Jim Duggan, Kevin Nash, Lenny Lane, Meng, Mike Enos, Prince Iaukea, Ray Traylor, Ricky Morton, Robert Gibson, Scott Hall, Steve McMichael, Tim Horner, Wrath, Yoshihiro Tajiri, </div> Ring two was all about the dominance of the nWo. Despite some valiant attempts by guys like Ray Traylor, Steve McMichael, and The Rock n’ Roll Express, Nash, Hall, Bagwell worked really well together, watching each other’s backs and forcing out opposing wrestlers. <div style="text-align:center;">Ring Three Barry Darsow, Booker T, Disco Inferno, Doug Furnas, Glacier, Jacques Rougeau, Juventud Guerrera, La Parka, Lanny Poffo, Norman Smiley, Phil La Fon, Rick Steiner, Scott Steiner, Scott Norton, Steven Regal, The Barbarian, The Giant, Ultimo Dragon, Wayne Bloom, Rick Martel</div> The ring furthest from the entrance, ring three, was all about The Giant, who was mean, nasty and dominant. Despite some interesting challenges to his dominance by The Barbarian and Scott Norton, The Giant was on another level and easily eliminated more men than anyone else in the competition. Another interesting development from ring three was Scott Steiner's (unintentional?) elimination of his brother Rick. As Rick was fighting off the combined forces of Steven Regal and Jacques Rougeau, Scott sneaked in and dumped all three men, much to Rick chagrin. <div style="text-align:center;">Final Ten http://i.imgur.com/9C0dfhWs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/QTcxzhKs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/dhPxGlPs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/MToiHczs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/05ZjwSms.jpg <a href="http://imgur.com/wsA6lI8" rel="external nofollow">http://i.imgur.com/wsA6lI8s.jpg</a>http://i.imgur.com/dN8AVUUs.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/zmQDuTws.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/hytt7Oks.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/pCBUbvIs.jpg</div> The final ten men consisted of The Giant, Scott Hall, Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Raven, Chris Jericho, Jim Duggan, Buff Bagwell, Meng, and Scott Steiner. With so few left standing, wrestlers started moving more freely between the three rings and pairing off into odd combinations. Quickly Chris Jericho’s underdog story came to an abrupt end when Scott Hall sent the youngster packing over the top before tangling up with Jim Duggan and eventually putting “Hacksaw” over and out. Elsewhere, Scott Steiner and Meng were focused on one another, trading heavy shots. As their attention was turned, Kevin Nash maneuvered in to dump them both. The Giant sent Raven over the top as Luger tossed Bagwell. As the bout approached the 20 minute mark, we were left with the final four: Luger and The Giant standing tall in ring one and The Outsiders in ring two. The four men locked eyes and talked strategy like a tag match for a few moments as the crowd began to buzz in anticipation. The Outsiders made the first move, retreating back to ring three as Luger and Giant gave chase. Unfortunately, the WCW stars walked right into the nWo trap however as Hall and Nash immediately attacked Luger and Giant as they climbed through the ropes. The Outsiders were able to muscle Luger out, but the Giant was too much. The angry 7 footer had been eyeing Hall and Nash for weeks and looked to take it to them. After batting Nash away with a massive headbutt, The Giant went to work on Hall sending him out with an athletic boot to the face! That left the 2 biggest men in WCW: The Giant and Kevin Nash. The Giant continued to press an advantage over Nash, lighting up his chest with massive shots (allowing Heenan to compare the big man’s hands to frying pans). The Giant seemed to have victory readily in hand, but was too preoccupied with having his way with his rival. He grabbed Nash by a handful of hair and brought him to the center of the ring, pulled down the strap on his singlet and signaled for a Chokeslam! The arena went crazy as he lifted “Big Sexy” into the air… ...and did not see Scott Hall roll back into the ring with a cattle prod that he had retrieved from under the ring! Hall shocked the Giant from behind who dropped Nash to the mat as he withered in pain! Nash quickly recovered as Hall kept the prod pressed to the sides of the Giant, shocking him unmercifully. Together, the two Outsiders rolled the WCW’s biggest athlete out of the ring and Kevin Nash was announced the victor of the World War 3. Winner: Kevin Nash Grade: (B)</div></blockquote> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>As Nash and Hall posed in the ring and the announce team spent a moment decrying the villainous nWo before tossing the broadcast to a special video package highlighting the recent bad blood between “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Macho Man” Randy Savage and how they have agreed to put their respective careers on the line in a Dog Collar match. Grade: (B+) <div style="text-align:center;">Career vs. Career Dog Collar Match http://i.imgur.com/OgSs1Oa.jpg vs. http://i.imgur.com/Grc2OEb.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/tAJEOWKs.jpg “Rowdy” Roddy Piper vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Elizabeth</div> After Piper and Savage both made their way to rings and Michael Buffer’s introductions gave a big bout feel to the matchup, the two men exchanged some jaw-jacking before referee Nick Patrick oversaw both men getting equipped with the heavy leather, studded dog collars linked up with a heavy, ten foot chain. Heenan wondered aloud which one of these two men were crazier and both Tenay and Schiavone found it impossible to tell. All three announcers were in agreement that both men were loose cannons and would desperately fight for their hall of fame caliber careers. With that, the bell rang and reminiscent of the classic Piper/Valentine match 14 years prior, Piper and Savage began with a show of strength, each trying to move their neck to pull the other. The two shrugged their bodies back and forth for several moments, with neither getting a clear advantage. From there, they both cautiously began wrapping the chain around, slowing pulling one another closer inch by inch as the crowd eagerly buzzed in anticipation of the violence that was surely to come. Savage broke first, swinging slack from the chain wildly as Piper ducked. Piper exploded with a furious volley of fists as Savage was off balance. Quickly, the two were in corner with Piper jabbing away. Piper continued to hammer away, mounting the turnbuckle as Savage tried to cover up. As Piper stood over the Macho Man, he looked into the crowd, a wildness in his eyes, as he coiled the chain around his fist and began to pound away! Piper followed up the vicious shots by biting Savage’s forehead and Elizabeth looked on in horror! When the rowdy one finally let Savage out of the corner, blood began trickling down Savage's face and Piper looked like a rabid dog foaming at the mouth. As Savage climbed to his feet, Piper came again, chain in hand. This time Savage had the wherewithal to see him coming and stopped Piper in his tracks with a boot to the midsection. Savage began unloading with series of his own jabs before using the chain to snapmare Piper the mat. With Piper down, Savage put his foot across Piper’s chest and yanked the chain, wrenching Piper’s neck. Next, he mounted Piper and with the chain in hand, pounded on Piper busting him open! Now it was Savage’s turn to bite Piper’s head as the ringside camera picked up Piper’s screams. Savage went for the first pinfall of the match here, only good for a 2 count. Savage barked his disapproval at Nick Patrick before he continued working over "Scotland’s" (read: Canada) greatest son. Savage continued on Piper for the next portion of the bout. He dragged Piper through all three rings, taking turns wrapping the chain around different combinations of the ring ropes, ring posts and turnbuckles. At one point, both men had made it the floor ringside. After Savage knocked Piper into the guardrail, he slid into the ring under the bottom turnbuckle and out the other side. With the chain hooked the through the post, Savage pulled intending for the Hot Rod to collide into the unforgiving steel. Piper got his foot on the post in time just in time however and it was Savage who got pulled into the post! It was the opening Piper needed as he fired up for a comeback, the Richmond crowd in his pocket. Piper led the match here, choking and whipping Savage as they brawled around the ringside area. Eventually the two made it back into the first ring and Piper clotheslined Savage across the throat for a 2 count. Both men were showing fatigue now as we were well past the fifteen minutes in this brutally violent bout. Both were glossy in sweat and had blood running down their faces and matting their hair. Savage swung wildly at Piper with the chain, but Hot Rod ducked and locked in the Sleeper! Savage pawed at the air wildly as the announce team wondered if this would be the end of Randy Savage’s career! Savage, ever present of the situation, swung the chain over his head whipping Piper across the back to break the hold! Savage followed it up with a scoop slam. With Piper down, Savage backed in to the corner and hoisted himself to the top rope, balancing delicately with the weight of the chain. The arms went into the air as the Macho Madness descended onto Piper with the patented elbow drop! Was this Roddy Piper’s career? Nick Patrick counted 1, 2...and Piper kicked out! Schiavone proclaimed that he’d never seen anything like it! Savage’s eyes lit up, irate. Savage pulled Piper back onto his feet and Piper swung wildly, half-dazed on his feet. Savage ducked Piper’s desperate attempts before delivering a few of his own and ultimately planting Piper with a second scoop slam. This time when Savage went to the top, he wrapped the chain around his elbow and once again dove onto the prone form of Piper. That was enough to do it. That was enough to pin Piper and end a legendary career. Winner: Randy Savage Grade: (B+) <div style="text-align:center;">Post Match</div> The nWo theme began playing throughout Richmond Stadium, but Randy Savage did not look like a winner. Bloody and beaten, the bout had taken him to the limit as both he and Piper lay in a crumpled heap on the mat. Shortly, nWo members Konnan, Vincent, and Scott Norton dragged Savage out of the ring and hauled him to the back as a worried Elizabeth followed. Piper lay in the ring, selling the bout. After the nWo cleared the arena, and the music ended, the announce team had stopped talking and Piper slowly came to his feet. Richmond Stadium slowly began to fill with applause and realization that this was the end of a legendary career. Piper stood, clutching his ribs, blood running down his head soaking in the fans appreciation. He gingerly stepped out of the ring and limped toward the back. Chants of “thank you Roddy!” began to swell throughout the building. As he reached the curtain, Piper turned around once last time. There were tears now. The camera just caught him saying softly “thank you” in return as he waved to the crowd one last time and headed through the curtain. Grade: (B-)</div></blockquote> <div style="text-align:center;">Show Grade: (B+) (Popularity up in 36 Regions) Buy Rate: .96</div> <blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>OOC: Just wanted to write a quick note and simply express how great it is to get this show posted. While the show itself may not be anything remarkable, for some unknown reason it felt like a Herculean feat to write. For the better part of the last three weeks I was on the ropes with this diary and getting this up felt like I really got a monkey off my back. Hopefully you all enjoyed reading it and the effort was worth it. Getting to the finish line has def. given me more motivation to carry on with this, so expect more soon. I'll update tomorrow with the winners of the prediction game and send out some PM's with some prizes. Big thanks to everyone who has taken the time to read, comment, etc.</div></blockquote>

to4sty · August 8, 2017

Glad to see you finally got the monkey of your back and got the show posted....some shows for whatever reason are just a chore to write, I've had it myself.....and more power to you for even attempting the cluster that is is the World War 3 battle royal. I can honestly say in any WCW game I've played I've never attempted one, I usually replace the whole concept with a Royal Rumble type match.....usually with a title match at Starrcade at stake for the winner....because damn, that three ring circus is hard to watch lol.

For what it's worth I enjoyed the show and it's good to have you back

Beejus · August 8, 2017

World War 3 can be a pain to write, I know your pain there as I did two of them in my previous diary. But you pulled it together well, the short descriptions for the first stages of the match do well to show that there's really no way to pay much attention to a bunch of guys just punching and kicking at one another.

Pretty excited seeing this back at it, can't wait to see where you go with a full month and a half build up to Starrcade!

The Final Countdown · August 8, 2017

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="43926" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>OOC: Just wanted to write a quick note and simply express how great it is to get this show posted. While the show itself may not be anything remarkable, for some unknown reason it felt like a Herculean feat to write. For the better part of the last three weeks I was on the ropes with this diary and getting this up felt like I really got a monkey off my back.</div></blockquote> We've all been there, trust me. The Piper/Savage match was awesome, by the way.

RingRider · August 8, 2017

I was so happy that this came back...until I realized that I somehow missed predicting on World War 3!

Oh well...great show all around. You made that clustermuck of a match easily digestible, so good work there. Also, agree with TFC on the Piper/Savage match. I enjoyed the Hennig/Flair bout too! That said the highlight for me was the WCW/nWo World Tour commercial. I damn near wore my controller out playing that game on N64! Awesome nostalgia!

Getting pumped and primed for Starrcade!

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