The Monday Night Wars- What Could Have Been

infinitehallway · April 27, 2019

END OF NOVEMBER, 1997- From the Wrestling Observer Newsletter

In the last 24 hours the world of professional wrestling has had two seismic shocks, and it is not hyperbole to say that the face of the industry has changed dramatically, forever. The first was happened at Survivor Series, the WWF's marquee fall PPV, where Bret Hart, WWF Champion, was legitimately double crossed by WWF owner Vince McMahon in what is already being called the Montreal Screwjob. McMahon called for the bell while Shawn Michaels, who is well known to have legitimate heat with Hart, held "the Hitman" in his own signature hold, the Sharpshooter.

Hart had already signed with WCW, and McMahon apparently feared there would be a repeat of Madusa/Alundra Blaze's famous "Trashcan moment", despite Hart's repeated assurances it would not happen. McMahon apparently made the decision himself, and it is unknown how many other people were aware of the plan going in. What we DO know is that several wrestlers were irate with the whole scenario, and McMahon will have a lot of explaining to do to his roster.

The other monumental story is that Ted Turner has sold the controlling interest of World Championship Wrestling to an unnamed sports and entertainment consortium. Exact terms of the sale are unknown, but it appears that the new owners have deep pockets, as there are already reports of upgrades being made to WCW equipment, as well as paperwork being filed for trademarks related to a "developmental territory". The deal also included the timeslots on TBS and TNT for WCW Saturday Night and WCW Monday Nitro, respectively, which will continue on as before, despite no longer being owned by the network.

Eric Bischoff has been retained, but no longer has full control over wrestling operations. It is unclear who, exactly, is in charge of creative, but there are rumors swirling that several members of WCW's "Old Guard" have been told their jobs are safe, but "focus will be changing", presumably to a younger, more athletic style.

We will have much more on both of these massive stories as they develop.

So, this is my attempt at doing a Post-Montreal mod diary. I'll be playing as both Vince and the WWF, who I will try to keep on their real life trend of the attitude era, and as WCW, which I will do my best to save by taking it the more athletic/innovative direction I feel would have worked for it. I've never done something like this, so any tips, tricks, feedback or suggestions are most welcome.

infinitehallway · April 27, 2019

Wrestling Observer Update:

With the rumors still flying hot and heavy we have a little more information on WCW's new regime as well as the WWF's response to it. While we still haven't had official confirmation of who is actually in charge at WCW, we have confirmed that they have begun to assign trainers to their new development territory which will run shows in the South East region and is named, creatively enough, South Eastern Championship Wrestling. Brad Armstrong, Rick Martell, Kevin Sullivan, and Lanny Poffo are among the veterans sent down as trainers, with Evan Karagias, Price Iukea, Lenny, and Lodi among the first workers sent down for "seasoning". WCW also released several wrestlers, stating they were not in future plans. Hugh Morris, Icetrain, Van Hammer, Brian Adams, Scotty Riggs, and Jackie Moore were all given releases, with more rumored to be on the way as new talent is brought in.

The WWF has responded to this by formalizing their relationship with Danny Davis' Ohio Valley Wrestling, which will now act as their own development territory. This had been an unofficial arrangement already, but is now signed in to a contract. No word on who is being moved down there, but several former Funkin' Dojo tryout attendees have been offered contracts.

We have also heard Michael "PS" Hayes has been offered a non-wrestling role by both WCW and the WWF. No word on who he will sign with at this time.

Both companies are also looking to sign talent to fill out their rosters and development territories. This could lead to a "talent arms race", with one source stating that the WWF is looking to get out in front by making an offer to one of Mexico's biggest stars, Vampiro. Vampiro makes good money in Mexico, where he is a top guy, so it remains to be seen if he will make the jump across to the US.

More soon.

EBEZA · April 29, 2019

Count me in! Curious to see what you do with both companies!

infinitehallway · April 30, 2019

WCW NITRO RECAP FOR DECEMBER 1997, WEEK ONE

Welcome to Online Wrestling Galaxy, your one stop shop for all your professional wrestling review, recap, and gossip needs! I am InfiniteHallway, and THIS IS NITRO.

The Show opened with the usual video and pyro, followed by a Hollywood Hogan promo. No mention of new owners, no "new beginnings", just business as usual. Hogan takes a potshot at the WWF over the Montreal Affair, which starts a "BRET! BRET! BRET" chant from the Columbia, Missouri crowd. He hypes his match with Sting and says that the NWO will continue to rule the wrestling world in 1998. RATING: 100

Opening match is Ultimo Dragon vs Juventud Guerrera. Match starts with Ultimo trying to ground Juvi but quickly kicks in to overdrive with a tope con giro by Juvi, and doesn't let up from there. Dragon brings the martial arts, but Juvi is too fast, and ends up winning the relatively quick match with the Juvi Driver followed by his 450. RATING: 69. Nice.

After a commercial break we get a pre-taped segment featuring Raven in what looks like a basement or some abandoned warehouse. Nothing much to this, no real storyline advanced, but a cool little presentation. Raven's got the gift of gab, for sure. RATING: 83

Next up we have Goldberg vs Perry Saturn in exactly the sort of match you'd expect. Saturn bumped like a pinball for Goldberg and ended up eating a spear and jackhammer in short order. RATING: 55. The Streak lives on.

We then go backstage to Roddy Piper, who rants and raves about the NWO. This was every Piper promo from the last year. RATING: 87

Back from break we see Eric Bischoff's office, where Liz is giving him a shoulder massage. Bischoff has "big plans" for Starrcade.

Up next we have Chris Jericho vs Eddie Guererro. Great match. Eddie is really blossoming in to a top-class heel. Jericho continues to play the spunky babyface, but teased getting frustrated and heelish a few times, even shouting "what more do you want!?" at the crowd. This was a mat-based match with a good dose of flying, very technical, and was given the time to build properly. Eddie took the win clean after a brainbuster led to the Frog Splash. RATING: 78

Back from break we see Konnan approach Rey Mysterio Jr. in the back. Rey thinks he's there to fight, but Konnan talks about their friendship, their history, and his role in bringing Rey to WCW in the first place. He then offers Rey an NWO shirt, telling him he needs to "get with the winning side". Rey starts to refuse but Konnan stops him, telling him "just think about it", before walking off. RATING: 58

Lex Luger is out for a promo at the top of the ramp, and gets about a minute in before Scott Norton and Buff Bagwell jump him. They do a fairly standard beat-down and mocking, advancing the Lex vs Buff issue. This was fine. RATING: 74

Next we had a four way tag match for the WCW Tag Team Championships! It was The Steiner Brothers © defending against Harlem Heat, The Public Enemy, and The Faces of Fear. This match really showed the shallowness of the WCW tag division, as the Steiners and Harlem heat were miles ahead of TPE and Faces of Fear. Match was kept pretty simple, the main story being the teasing of dissention between Rick and Scott, who still manage to get the win after their Doomsday Bulldog on Rocco Rock. RATING: 63

Back from break and DDP is out for a promo. He runs down the "NWO Scum" and says 1998 will be "The Year of the Diamond Cutter". Macho Man Randy Savage runs out and clocks him from behind with a chair and they brawl all around the arena. Crowd was HOT for this. RATING: 93

MAIN EVENT: The Outsiders vs The Horsemen (Flair/Benoit)

So this match was massively disappointing. Flair and Benoit have ZERO chemistry together. If they could have less than zero, they'd have that. The work itself was fine, but it felt like two separate matches, one when Benoit was in, and one when Flair was in. Outsiders get the win after Hall clocks Flair with a chair and Nash jack-knifes Benoit in the ring for the three count. Such a shame, as the crowd was geeked for this. RATING: 74

Show ends as it began with Hogan in the ring, saying there's nobody who can stop the NWO, not in WCW, not anywhere. He rambles for a few and then the lights go out. When they come back on STING is in the ring, staring him down. Hogan nearly craps himself. Sting doesn't attack, just points the baseball bat at him. Hogan begs off. Lights go back out, and when they come back on Sting is gone. Hogan looks around, terrified, and we go off air. RATING: 100

OVERALL RATING: 83. Solid if unspectacular show. Continued to build to Starrcade with no real surprises. For all the hype about a "New regime" taking over this seemed to be a pretty typical WCW show.

Stay tuned for our WWF RAW recap!

EBEZA · May 1, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="infinitehallway" data-cite="infinitehallway" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46598" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>For all the hype about a "New regime" taking over this seemed to be a pretty typical WCW show.</div></blockquote> Can't believe you didn't get everyone in the ring and vacate all the titles! <img alt=":p" data-src="//content.invisioncic.com/g322608/emoticons/tongue.png.ceb643b2956793497cef30b0e944be28.png" src="<___base_url___>/applications/core/interface/js/spacer.png" />

infinitehallway · May 1, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="EBEZA" data-cite="EBEZA" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46598" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Can't believe you didn't get everyone in the ring and vacate all the titles! <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> The nice thing about this timeline is that the Russo/Bischoff regime will NEVER HAPPEN. Or... will it?

infinitehallway · May 3, 2019

WWF RAW recap for JANUARY WEEK ONE 1997

We are back with the WWF MONDAY NIGHT RAW recap!

The show opens with the typical pyro and video before the announcers run down what's already being called "The Montreal Screwjob", promising we'd hear from both Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels tonight. And the Heart Break Kid wastes no time in fulfilling his side of that arrangement, as he comes out and cuts a promo. He claims he had no idea what was going to happen, and calls out McMahon to explain himself. McMahon doesn't come out. Michaels says he is the champion and the best wrestler on the planet, but he is no one's fall guy, and does nobody's dirty work but his own.He also says that if Steve Austin wan'ts some, he isn't hard to find. He makes it clear he's not beholden to Vince, and storms out to a chorus of boos. RATING: 87

First match is a four way dance featuring Augilla, TAKA, Brian Christopher, and Scott Taylor. This was a mess, and is obviously a sad attempt to steal some thunder from the cruiserweight division, and is failing miserably. Taka wins after the Michinoku driver. RATING: 48

After a break Marc Mero is out for a promo, but the fans only want Sable. She obliges. Nothing much is said here, but the crowd sure liked Sable. RATING: 63

Up next is a match between Farrooq and Vader. Hard hitting match as you'd expect, and quite decent. Not a surprise considering their history, which of course goes unmentioned because it didn't happen in the WWF. Farrooq gets the win after an assist from D'Lo Brown. RATING: 73

In the back we see The Rock who "congratulates" Farrooq then spends a few minutes talking about how great he is. The kid's got tremendous mic skills, and the crowd loved it. RATING: 92

We then get sent back to the backstage area where the New Age Outlaws are attacking the Legion of Doom! They brawl a little and the Outlaws get the upper hand with some stiff chairshots. The Outlaws end up leaving the LOD laying. RATING: 71

Next we get The World's Most Dangerous Man Ken Shamrock taking on Triple H in a very good little contest. Very evenly matched showdown, with some decent work by both parties. Chyna seemed to be off her game, screwing up a couple of spots. She and HHH don't seem to have much chemistry. Finish came after Chyna (eventually) distracted the ref, allowing HHH to hit a low blow followed by the Pedigree for the three count. RATING: 74

In the back Vince McMahon tells a camera crew to "Get the hell out of here!" He apparently isn't quite ready to talk yet. Rating: 88

Sunny is next out in her typical skimpy attire, hawking the brand new "Ladies of the WWF 1998 Calendar". Yes. That's a real thing. Between Sable earlier and this, it appears the WWF is steering towards a little more T&A action.

Next up we get a filler match as the Headbangers beat the Godwins. Nothing much to report here, though it does appear the Headbangers have started to develop a real solid tag chemistry. RATING: 58

Stone Cold Steve Austin is the next out, and the place comes unglued. He runs down Shawn Michaels, calling him a fraud and phony, which brings HBK back out. They go back and forth on the mic for a little, trading insults. HBK takes a lot of umbridge with Austin's assertion that HBK is Vince's "hand picked champion". Michaels demands Vince come out, and threatens to go to the back and drag him out if he won't. Vince finally comes out, but only to the ramp, and tells his side of the story. He didn't trust Bret to do what's best for business, and even says that "Bret screwed Bret", which gets a huge chorus of boos. Vince says he doesn't owe anyone any other explanation and storms to the back. Austin doesn't like the answer, and tells Michaels "we aren't done" before heading to the back himself. Very good segment. RATING: 98

MAIN EVENT: The Undertaker vs The Rock

This match proved one thing, the Rock isn't quite all the way "there" yet. He was overshadowed by Taker, and didn't totally hold up his end of the bargain. They were going for a big brawl, but it just didn't come of. It wasn't a disaster, mainly because of the hot finish, pun intended, as Kane came out and attacked Undertaker after a ref bump, allowing a practically destroyed Rock to get the pin. Finish kept Taker looking strong, despite the loss. RATING: 76

After Rock exits the ring Kane goes back for more, laying Taker out with a tombstone, before his pyro hits and we end the show. RATING: 95

OVERALL: 83

Stay tuned for post-Monday news updates on signings, reactions, and more!

MitchT94 · May 3, 2019

WWF RAW recap for JANUARY WEEK ONE 1997

We are back with the WWF MONDAY NIGHT RAW recap!

The show opens with the typical pyro and video before the announcers run down what's already being called "The Montreal Screwjob", promising we'd hear from both Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels tonight. And the Heart Break Kid wastes no time in fulfilling his side of that arrangement, as he comes out and cuts a promo. He claims he had no idea what was going to happen, and calls out McMahon to explain himself. McMahon doesn't come out. Michaels says he is the champion and the best wrestler on the planet, but he is no one's fall guy, and does nobody's dirty work but his own.He also says that if Steve Austin wan'ts some, he isn't hard to find. He makes it clear he's not beholden to Vince, and storms out to a chorus of boos. RATING: 87

First match is a four way dance featuring Augilla, TAKA, Brian Christopher, and Scott Taylor. This was a mess, and is obviously a sad attempt to steal some thunder from the cruiserweight division, and is failing miserably. Taka wins after the Michinoku driver. RATING: 48

After a break Marc Mero is out for a promo, but the fans only want Sable. She obliges. Nothing much is said here, but the crowd sure liked Sable. RATING: 63

Up next is a match between Farrooq and Vader. Hard hitting match as you'd expect, and quite decent. Not a surprise considering their history, which of course goes unmentioned because it didn't happen in the WWF. Farrooq gets the win after an assist from D'Lo Brown. RATING: 73

In the back we see The Rock who "congratulates" Farrooq then spends a few minutes talking about how great he is. The kid's got tremendous mic skills, and the crowd loved it. RATING: 92

We then get sent back to the backstage area where the New Age Outlaws are attacking the Legion of Doom! They brawl a little and the Outlaws get the upper hand with some stiff chairshots. The Outlaws end up leaving the LOD laying. RATING: 71

Next we get The World's Most Dangerous Man Ken Shamrock taking on Triple H in a very good little contest. Very evenly matched showdown, with some decent work by both parties. Chyna seemed to be off her game, screwing up a couple of spots. She and HHH don't seem to have much chemistry. Finish came after Chyna (eventually) distracted the ref, allowing HHH to hit a low blow followed by the Pedigree for the three count. RATING: 74

In the back Vince McMahon tells a camera crew to "Get the hell out of here!" He apparently isn't quite ready to talk yet. Rating: 88

Sunny is next out in her typical skimpy attire, hawking the brand new "Ladies of the WWF 1998 Calendar". Yes. That's a real thing. Between Sable earlier and this, it appears the WWF is steering towards a little more T&A action.

Next up we get a filler match as the Headbangers beat the Godwins. Nothing much to report here, though it does appear the Headbangers have started to develop a real solid tag chemistry. RATING: 58

Stone Cold Steve Austin is the next out, and the place comes unglued. He runs down Shawn Michaels, calling him a fraud and phony, which brings HBK back out. They go back and forth on the mic for a little, trading insults. HBK takes a lot of umbridge with Austin's assertion that HBK is Vince's "hand picked champion". Michaels demands Vince come out, and threatens to go to the back and drag him out if he won't. Vince finally comes out, but only to the ramp, and tells his side of the story. He didn't trust Bret to do what's best for business, and even says that "Bret screwed Bret", which gets a huge chorus of boos. Vince says he doesn't owe anyone any other explanation and storms to the back. Austin doesn't like the answer, and tells Michaels "we aren't done" before heading to the back himself. Very good segment. RATING: 98

MAIN EVENT: The Undertaker vs The Rock

This match proved one thing, the Rock isn't quite all the way "there" yet. He was overshadowed by Taker, and didn't totally hold up his end of the bargain. They were going for a big brawl, but it just didn't come of. It wasn't a disaster, mainly because of the hot finish, pun intended, as Kane came out and attacked Undertaker after a ref bump, allowing a practically destroyed Rock to get the pin. Finish kept Taker looking strong, despite the loss. RATING: 76

After Rock exits the ring Kane goes back for more, laying Taker out with a tombstone, before his pyro hits and we end the show. RATING: 95

OVERALL: 83

Stay tuned for post-Monday news updates on signings, reactions, and more!

Really enjoying how this is starting to pan out. Keep it up.

infinitehallway · May 3, 2019

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter Midweek Update- December- Week One- 1997

After a paradigm changing weekend in the wrestling world, Monday night's editions of both WCW Nitro and WWF Raw were both as close to business as usual as you could possibly get under the circumstances. Both shows were solid but unspectacular, and neither featured any earth-shattering incidents.

RAW opened with a recap of the Montreal incident, setting the tone for how the Federation is going to approach this potential landmine. They're steering full in to it, which has understandably upset many both within and outside of the industry. Perhaps the most interesting by-product of this is that Vince McMahon has now been "outed" as the real-life head of the WWF, and appears to be embracing that fully as an on-screen character.

Shawn Michaels, who claimed in his promo this week to have had no prior knowledge of the screwjob, is widely believed to be in on it. This is, of course, impossible to know for sure, but his reputation within the business has been said to have taken a hit. Coming off this incident he seems to be remaining a heel, claiming that he refuses to play by McMahon's rules, even if he is the "hand picked" WWF champion.

Stone Cold Steve Austin, widely believed to be on his way to mega-stardom, is expected to be Michaels' WrestleMania opponent this year. The other main option, as far as top-tier babyface, The Undertaker, is currently wrapped up in a feud with Kane, which is expected to continue on for quite a while.

A couple of previously reported tidbits to elaborate on: Vince McMahon was talked in to formalizing the relationship with OVW, making it an official development territory. He was initially against the idea, but a combination of Bruce Prichard and Jim Cornette talked him in to it, seeing it as imperative to get as much quality talent signed as possible, with so many whispers about an impending WCW signing spree.

The WWF extended offers to several talent who had previously worked as enhancement workers or attended their "Funkin' Dojo" camps, and have already finalized several deals. Matt and Jeff Hardy, young high fliers from North Carolina, Matt Bloom, a bulky bruiser, and Chris Parks, a relative unknown who was highly touted by Cornette were the first deals to be signed and all will be heading to OVW within the week.

The WWF also made one other signing, this one with much more of a global impact. As the Observer first reported, Canadian-born lucha libre mega-star Vampiro (Ian Richard Hodgkinson) has signed an exclusive deal with the WWF. No word on his creative plans at this time.

Vince McMahon was apparently very underwhelmed by the Jr. Heavyweight match on Raw, and plans for the division have been put on hold.

On the WCW side of things we have gotten a little more information on the new ownership group. Infinite Hallway Entertainment is a group of investors headed by Kristopher Jackson, a maven in the world of technology and banking. Also involved are actor Adam Sandler, who is rumored to possibly be the "public face" of the new ownership, should the need for them to feature on TV arise, as well as musician Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

Jackson, 31, is apparently a life-long wrestling fan and will be taking the "McMahon role", overseeing all business and creative decisions. Word has it several veteran wrestlers and agents have been told they will be used as "advisers", including Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Bobby Eaton, and Ted Dibiase. Eric Bischoff will also be retained in an on-air role in addition to acting as an adviser. It will not be a true "booking committee", rather more of a "writers room" according to one source. Rhodes, Eaton, and Bischoff booked this week's Nitro on the directive of "keep things running til Starrcade". Plans are for the major storylines to blow off at their annual year-end event, as usual, and changes to the product and direction to begin after that.

WCW's talent search has begun as well, with contracts offered to several workers. Without the luxury of a pre-established pipeline like the WWE has, WCW has gone the route of using workers endorsed or trained by current WCW talent. Several trainees of Ultimo Dragon have been contacted, as well as several more luchadores through Konnan's Mexico connections. Only one has signed as of press time, that being luchador Abismo Negro, highly touted high flier previously working with AAA.

WCW will also continue to work with New Japan Pro Wrestling, with Jushin Thunder Lyger and the Great Muta both rumored to be on their way back state-side.

In news from other corners of the wrestling world, one source has told me that ECW owner Paul Heyman is "massively worried" that the impeding "talent arms race" could have dire consequences for his company, and is scrambling to tie down his stars to written deals.

More to follow on all these stories and more.

infinitehallway · May 3, 2019

Really enjoying how this is starting to pan out. Keep it up.

Thank you!

infinitehallway · May 5, 2019

WRESTLING OBSERVER NEWSLETTER UPDATE- THE ARMS RACE BEGINS

As we reported earlier this week the "talent arms race" between the WWF and WCW has begun in earnest. The WWF may have struck first with their signings of the Hardy Brothers and Vampiro, but WCW has answered in dramatic fashion.

The biggest signings are undoubtedly the Dudley Boys. Bubba Ray and D-Von have been stalwarts of ECW's tag division and are expected to make an immediate impact on the main roster. ECW owner Paul Heyman is said to be furious at this deal, as he was under the impression he had them locked down to an exclusive contract.

WCW has also answered the WWF's signing of Vamprio, a bone fide mega-star in Mexico, by signing the legendary El Hijo Del Santo, son of Mexico's most famous luchadore and super-star in his own right. It remains to be seen how the transition to the American style, as he is in his mid-thirties and is as established stylistically as one can be. He is not cut from the same cloth as a Rey Mysterio Jr or Juventud Guerrera, so he may not fit the US fans expectations for a luchadore.

Young Canadian Adam Copeland, who worked the indies as Sexton Hardcastle, turned down a developmental deal from the WWF to sign one with WCW. He had attended several camps and was widely expected to join his friend and occasional tag partner Jay Reso (Christian Cage) in signing with OVW, but it is rumored that Bret Hart personally reached out and convinced him to join WCW instead. Jerry Jarrett also turned down a WWF offer to join WCW as a road agent.

The full list of WCW Signings (* indicates a signing expected to head to the developmental system initially) :

Charly Manson

Phantasma

Adam Copeland*

Beulah McGillicutty

Blitzkrieg

Bob Armstrong (Expected to train and produce for SECW)

Charlie and Russ Haas*

Chris Harris*

Christopher Daniels

CIMA*

Dragon Kid*

Jamie Noble*

Jerry Jarrett (Road Agent)

Johnny Rodz (road agent)

Jushin Lyger

Magnum TOKYO*

Olympico*

Perro Aguyo Jr *

Shane Helms*

Volador Jr*

Mike Awesome, who wrestles in FMW as Gladiator, was close to signing with WCW, but his contract offer was pulled after a pre-signing drugs test came back positive for hard drugs as well as painkillers. WCW's improved drug policy has been one of the many talking points since the new owners took over, and this was the first big test for it. More on the drug policy in our next update, as well as the WWF's response to it.

Speaking of the WWF's responses, they did not stop with Vampiro. Vince McMahon's company landed several more developmental prospects as well as a couple of main-roster ready talents.

Michael Hayes chose the WWF over WCW, both of which offered him backstage roles. Early reports indicate he will be working as a road agent, though an on-screen role, possibly as a commentator, has not been ruled out. Stan Lane will also be joining in a road agent role.

Full WWF Signings (* indicates singing for developmental)

Andrew Martin*

Christian Cage (Jay Reso)*

Dawn Marie*

Doug Basham*

Ekmo*

Hotstuff Hernandez*

Jackie Moore

Jason Jett (EZ Money)*

James Storm*

Joe Legend*

Kimo*

Nick Dinsmore*

Nora Greenwald*

Rob Conway*

Rhino*

Sean Morley*

Tom "Zuma" Howard*

Dutch Mantell and Dr. Tom Prichard have signed on as trainers for OVW as well, leaving the WWF and WCW in fairly even positions after this first round of signings. Both have signed a few main-card ready talents, and inked several up and coming prospects to deals. Both developmental deals are expected to work a weekly touring schedule, playing small shows within their regions.

We will be back tomorrow with some news and notes, including fallout from WCW's new drug test policy, and results from a meeting the new ownership group held with the talent.

OOC: So, Edge and Christian break up!? What!? Well, basically what I did was make identical offers to anyone I thought both companies would want and let the fates decide, then figure out an in-universe reason for it. In the future this may not be the case, as it may make sense that one company would want the talent more than the other, and make a better offer, but for this first round of signings I thought this was the only "fair" way to do it.

infinitehallway · May 6, 2019

Wrestling Observer Update

With so many signings happening this week the news and notes had to be pushed to later in the week.

The biggest news is that WCW's "new and improved" drug testing policy has claimed its first causalities. Both members of The Public Enemy tested positive for soft drugs and were fined, which neither was happy about, as under the old policy it would have been a slap on the wrist, at worst. The bigger news was that US Champion Curt Henning has been sent to rehab after testing positive for hard drugs after this weeks WCW Saturday Night tapings (results to follow on our sister site). Henning was vocal about his displeasure with the decision, claiming that new management was just looking to make an example out of him. Representatives from management met with him in an attempt to calm him down, stating that if they were looking to make a statement, he'd be fired, but instead they were paying for him to go to rehab. Henning eventually accepted the decision, but remained very unhappy. Rick Rude, Henning's best friend, also voiced displeasure.

This has created an added complication due to Henning being the current US Champion. The belt is expected to be vacated on this week's Nitro, with a tournament to crown a new champ set up, likely to culminate at Starrcade. Current frontrunners to get the strap appear to be Raven, Goldberg, Chris Benoit, Booker T, or Rey Mysterio Jr, who management appears to be quite high on.

On the back of the drug tests Rocco Rock was apparently in a foul mood, as he took a swing at Lex Luger for being a jerk backstage. Most of the boys thought Luger was in the wrong and sided with Rock, and Luger was issued a warning and told that the new management wanted the stop the crazy backstage antics, and further incidents would not be tolerated.

At a house show the next night Larry Zybisko was overheard burying The Public Enemy, and Johnny Grunge took great offense, so now he and Larry Z have are at each other's throats. Word from sources indicate TPE may be on VERY thin ice going in to 1998.

Over on the WWF side of the war the biggest notes are the two major absences from this past week's RAW telecast, Mick Foley and Owen Hart. Both stayed home from the show due to Vince McMahon's treatment of Bret Hart, and there was much sympathy backstage for both of their positions.

Owen Hart has asked for his release from the company, citing the obvious reasons, but has been denied. McMahon has stated that he sees Owen Hart as "a valuable player" going forward, and attempted to offer his assurances that "the Bret situation" would not have any impact on Owen's standing within the company. Owen was, understandably, not convinced. It is unclear when Owen will be back with the company, or what legal maneuvers may be in play.

Foley, on the other hand, is expected to be back with the WWF for this week's RAW broadcast. He was irate with the decision to screw Bret over, and expressed it to several higher-ups, including Gerry Briscoe and Bruce Prichard. He stated that he "didn't think he could work for a man who would do that to his top guy".

Vince McMahon was apparently very concerned Foley would elect to quit, and reached out personally to try to smooth things over. We don't know what was said, exactly, but Mick was told to take the week off and return for this coming week's RAW. Several others backstage, including Sunny, Flash Funk, and the Undertaker, all considered boycotts as well, but ultimately did not follow through. McMahon seems to have lost a good deal of face with the locker-room, and it remains to be seen how he will bounce back from this.

The only other major note from the WWF side of things is that Augilla has been sent to OVW for further seasoning as the WWF mulls over how to proceed with a Jr. Heavyweight division.

Stay tuned to our sister site for recaps of WWF Shotgun Saturday Night and WCW Saturday Night on our B-Show Block!

infinitehallway · May 7, 2019

Welcome back to the Online Wrestling Galaxy B-Show Block recap, your place to "Be" on Saturday Nights! Here we'll run down the results of WCW Saturday Night and WWF Shotgun Saturday Night!

We start with WCW Saturday Night, taped earlier in the week in front of a decent sized crowd.

Show started off with the debut of new signing Blitzkrieg taking on Alex Wright. Blitzkrieg looked decent enough in the ring, lots of flashy moves, but seemed pretty generic, character wise. Wright looked good, picking up the win with his German Suplex. These two seemed to click very well, and may put on an even better match after Blitzkrieg gets a little more seasoning. RATING: 50

We come back from break with a hype video for The Giant, showing highlights of him choke slamming people to death. RATING: 65

Next up we get a darn good match between Dean Malenko and Lord Steven Regal. They gave these guys plenty of time to go out and put on a clinic, and they delivered. Great technical wrestling. Malenko picked up the win with the cloverleaf. RATING: 69

We then get a backstage promo with Bill Goldberg. He's come along quite nicely, but isn't anything to write home about on the mic. RATING: 75

We get back from break and get a real dud of a match between Pyscosis and another new signing, luchador Fantasma. The crowd crapped all over this, and while Fantasma looked decent enough in the ring, he had zero connection with the fans. Psycosis gets the win with his guillotine leg drop. RATING: 16 (Yikes)

After another break we come back and get another Raven pre-taped skit. This one is even darker than the previous one, with Raven reciting what sounds like some morbid poem over some loud, dissonant music. This was just weird, but the good weird. RATING: 84

Next up we get Curt Henning against Glacier in non-title action. Pretty much a showcase for Henning, which is unfortunate in retrospect, considering his failed drug test after the show. Henning wins with the Don't-Call-It-The-Perfect-Plex. RATING: 74

Next we get a promo from Diamond Dallas Page who talks some smack on Randy Savage. Nothing ground-breaking here, but the crowd is all in on this Savage DDP storyline. RATING: 87

We then get a pre-taped promo from Booker T, who does some self-promotion. Interesting that it's Booker by himself, not Harlem Heat. This was fine. RATING: 72

MAIN EVENT: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs Charly Manson- solid little lucha match and a good debut for Manson, who seems to be playing al goth-shock-rock type of character, and the fans reacted well to it. Commentators spend the match talking about Konnan's offer to Mysterio to join the NWO. Fun back and forth match here and Manson managed to not look entirely over-shadowed by the bigger star, which is nice on a debut. Rey wins with his springboard 'rana. RATING: 58

Show ends with a pre-taped segment with the Outsiders talking smack about the Giant. This was your typical black-and-white, loud music, and sophomoric humor video, simple but effective. RATING: 90

OVERALL GRADE: 64. Decent enough show, but nothing "must-see".

Over on your local syndicated network you could catch SHOTGUN Saturday NIGHT.

Show began with a short and to the point match as Jeff Jarrett took out Mark Henry in short order. Crowd didn't care at all about Henry, but Jarrett got a little bit of heat. RATING: 54

We come back from break and get a pre-taped skit, cutting back and forth between Goldust and Marlena. Goldust talking about "spurned lovers" and Marlena doing her best femme fatale film noir dialogue. Not really sure what this was supposed to be about, but it was well produced. RATING: 51

Next we get a real nothing-burger of a match as The Sultan took on Bob Holly. Both of these guys need new gimmicks, ASAP. Sultan picked up the win in a very dull affair in which he had about 90% if the offense. RATING: 39

After a commercial break we get a pre-tape promo with Triple H and Chyna. Hunter mocked Owen Hart, Mankind, Steve Austin, Bill Clinton, and the Dali Lama. Alrighty then. RATING: 82

Next match up was The New Blackjacks (Windham and Bradshaw) taking on the Truth Commision of Recon and Kurrigan. This was better than it had any right to be, primarily thanks to Barry Windham. Recon shows some promise but is VERY green. Blackjacks get the win after a double lariat. RATING: 45

In the back Sunny interviews Flash Funk before his main event match with Savio Vega. This seemed to be an attempt to let Funk develop a little more of a character, but the crowd didn't care. Sunny is hot, though. RATING: 63

MAIN EVENT: Savio Vega vs Flash Funk

This match could have been so much better than it was, but the crowd just doesn't care about Scorpio/Flash Funk in this character. He's badly in need of some reinvention. He picks up the win after his tumbleweed legdrop. RATING: 53

OVERALL RATING: 59

Neither show was anywhere near "must see" territory, but neither was terrible. WCW seemed to be aiming to introduce some of their new signings, while the WWF opted to give some of their established guys some time to elaborate on their characters. Thumbs in the middle for both.

Stay tuned for more news, notes, and show recaps!

infinitehallway · May 9, 2019

WCW MONDAY NITRO RECAP: WEEK 2- DECEMBER, 1997 live from Richmond, VA

Welcome back to Online Wrestling Galaxy for another edition of WCW Monday Nitro! We continue our march to Starrcade, which is being hyped as the biggest PPV in WCW History!

The show opens with the typical video and pyro, followed (once again) by Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff hitting the ring to cut a promo on Sting. Hogan calls Sting "a coward" and "a quitter", who "ran for the rafters when the going got tough". Hogan says he's an Immortal and an Icon, and he's not afraid of any boogey-man. Bischoff then takes the mic and says that come Starrcade they're going to "end the Sting situation" once and for all, teasing that they've secured the services of an assassin to help ensure Hogan's continued dominance, "a Hitman, if you will". The announcers play dumb about who he could POSSIBLY be talking about, but the crowd starts chanting for Bret again. The NWO is all smiles as they leave the ring. RATING: 100

REY MYSTERIO JR. vs KIDMAN

First match of the night has Rey Mysterio Jr. taking on Kidman. Great back and forth match from two of the top cruiserweights in the business. Total spotfest, but the good kind, as both guys went all-out trying to land the biggest, craziest move. Finish comes as Kidman goes up for the Seven Year Itch SSP, but Rey moves, rolls to the apron and hits a Springboard Rana for the clean pin! RATING: 70

Konnan comes out to the ramp to "congratulate" him, but Rey blows him off and storms right past him. Nothing much to this, just continuing the "offering Rey a spot in the NWO" story. RATING: 59

We go to break and come back with a Ric Flair promo out on the stage with Mean Gene. This is classic Nature Boy, here, as he goes to town cutting a promo on the NWO, saying that Sting is going to "cut out the cancer in this company once and for all". This continues the trend we saw last week with Piper, as the "established stars" of WCW are throwing all their support behind Sting, even though he's a lone wolf. "I don't know what's going on in your head these days Stinger, but if you're even half the man I know you are, you'll go out there, at the grand-daddy of them all, and you'll walk that aisle, and you'll finish this once and for all!" Good promo. RATING: 82

The announcers then let us know that the US Championship has been vacated due to an "injury" to Curt Henning, and an 8-man tournament is about to begin to crown a new champion!

US TITLE TOURNAMENT QUARTER-FINAL: BUFF BAGWELL vs ULTIMO DRAGON

Talk about a clash of styles. This was nice spot for Ultimo, give him a chance to get out of the cruiserweight shuffle, but he and Bagwell didn't click at all. With the focus of WCW supposedly shifting to a more "in-ring" based product, Buff may struggle to keep his cushy spot, so this was likely an attempt to get him in there with a good worker who might help him improve a little. Sadly there was no chemistry at all here, and the match was really disjointed. Buff picks up a clean win with an ugly looking Blockbuster. RATING: 54

We then go to commercial break and come back with Roddy Piper in the ring, cutting another promo on the NWO. This time, however, the Outsiders walk out on the ramp and cut him off. They trade jibes back and forth "you're old!" "you're nothing but a head of hair!" and the like. They don't come to blows, however, as Nash says they've "got bigger fish to fry". RATING: 86

We are back from break with another US TITLE QUARTER FINAL as GOLDBERG takes on STEVEN REGAL.

This is very similar to the previous quarter final, get the less than good worker with someone who can help bring him along and make him look good, with almost the exact same results. No chemistry here, as Regal's stiff, British style was not clicking with Goldberg's rudimentary offense. Announcers spent most of this match musing on if Goldberg's undefeated streak can carry him to the US Title. Goldie picks up the win with the Jackhammer. RATING: 55

We then head to the back for a Chris Jericho promo. He gives us the typical white-meat babyface promo of "I'm going to turn it around and win some gold!" but there isn't the usual fire behind it. Eddie Guerrero interrupts, mocking Jericho, and that gets Lionheart fired up. They have to be separated. RATING: 67

CHRIS BENIOT vs KONNAN

Next up we have the Crippler taking on Konnan. Benoit will be involved in another quarter-final match next week on Nitro, and gets "K-Dogg" as a tune up. Pretty good match here with Konnan holding up his end of the bargain. The match stumbled a little towards the end as Konnan seemed to hurt his leg. Benoit picked up the win with the Dragon Suplex. RATING: 74

We then head to break and come back with a pre-taped promo from Lex Luger, who runs down Buff Bagwell. This was every Lex promo ever. "Buff, you may think you're the stuff, and that's all well and good : points with index finger and thumb : but you will NEVER be the Total Package". RATING: 69

THE GIANT vs SCOTT NORTON

Following that riveting interview we get this all-time classic. This was a pretty standard big-man match. Neither guy really wanted to sell, which definitely hurt the match, but the crowd is firmly behind the Giant, so they were at least marginally interested. Chokeslam gets the win. RATING: 63

Post match the Outsiders hit the ring and lay out The Giant, waking the crowd back up. RATING: 84

We go to break and come back to a backstage sneak-peak of Eric Bischoff on the phone with his "travel advisor", bickering about how much first class air-fair from Calgary is going to cost for Starrcade. RATING: 66

MAIN EVENT: DDP vs RANDY SAVAGE

Crowd was geeked for this one and the match was good but not great. They had around 20 minutes to go out there, so they went with a slow burn build to it, rather than a wild all out brawl fans were probably expecting. Fans also seemed to be tiring of DDP's shtick, so he probably needs some freshening up in the gimmick department. The work itself, however, was very good. Both guys got their big moves in, and DDP looked to have the upper hand when Hogan ran in for a cheap-o DQ finish, which the fans did not appreciate. Hogan and Savage put the beat-down on DDP for a minute or two until Sting comes out of the crowd to chase them off with his trusty bat. He doesn't help Page to his feet, however, and ignores the offer of a handshake. Show ends with Sting heading back through the crowd, still the lone wolf. RATING (MATCH) : 82 RATING (ANGLE) 95

OVERALL: 86- A very good show on the Road to Starrcade. They're doing a good job building heat (or in some cases keeping it) for the major storylines. Fans are definitely ready to see Sting take Hogan down.

Stay tuned for our Monday Night RAW recap!

OOC: So, I'm still trying to find my groove stylistically here, as far as formatting and how much detail to go in to with the shows. I appreciate your patience as I get a good feel for this format, and appreciate views/comments/suggestions!

infinitehallway · May 10, 2019

WWF Monday Night RAW for December, Week 2, 1997

Live from the Sears Center in Chicago, IL, Monday Night RAW is LIVE. We open the show with the usual video package, pyro, and the announcers leading off, but they're interrupted by D-Generation X! Michaels, Helmsley, and Chyna make their way to the ring and cut a scathing promo, mocking pretty much the entire wrestling industry. They bury "the Old Folks Club down south", the "whiny Canadian contingent", and "the freaks at a bingo hall in Philly, before moving on to say Vince "needs us more than we need him" and say he "isn't about to get us to wear suits and toe any company lines". HBK then runs down Stone Cold Steve Austin, calling him "a bald, redneck, second-rate, 'never gonna-be'". Crowd is HOT at that. They do a few crotch chops and head to the back. Good promo to start the show. RATING: 88

MARC MERO (w SABLE) vs BART GUNN

Nothing special here, really, as Sable continues to draw more attention than Mero, though it appears they're going to continue to make it in to part of the story. Pretty basic match with Mero getting the win after the TKO. RATING: 55

After the match Mero, finally noticing the fans reaction to Sable's attire, forces her to cover up with his entrance gear and drags her back up the ramp. Sable looked like a star in this. RATING: 68

We come back from break and Sunny is in the back interviewing the Rock. He hypes himself up, saying that he's going to be the break-out star of 1998. Not exactly a barn-burner of a promo here, but it didn't really have a story behind it, so I guess that's to be expected. RATING: 69

NEW AGE OUTLAWS vs NEW BLACKJACKS

Decent tag match here from two teams that seem to be growing together as partners. Commentators spent most of the match talking about the Outlaw's rivalry with the Legion of Doom, claiming that these "young punks are trying to take the torch, not wait for it to be passed to them", which just reiterates that Jim Ross is the best play by play man ever. Outlaws get the win with a Fame-Asser. RATING: 66

To the shock of exactly no one, unless it was your first time watching wrestling, the LOD attacked post match, trying to hit Billy with the Doomsday Device, but Dogg breaks it up and they bail. Home-town crowd popped HUGE for the LOD. RATING: 78

We head to break and then return to a pre-taped sit down interview between Jim Ross and Vince McMahon. Vince pretty much cuts a promo about his family's legacy being the WWF, and how he wasn't going to let anyone do anything to ruin it. First he talks about Bret, saying he would not risk having his champion show up on a "second rate program" just to spite him, and although it "killed me", he did what he had to do. He then moves on to Austin, saying that while Austin is "an incredible competitor", he "doesn't personify the values of the WWF". Vince says he "won't let Austin drag the WWF's upstanding image through the mud". Great segment here, as Vince was just heel enough to seem like a jerk, but still relatable. RATING: 90

MANKIND vs FARROOQ

No mention is made of Mankind's absence last week, with the announcers hyping this up as "two men looking to move in to title contention". This was a straight up brawl, which definitely played in to Foley's strengths, but Simmons held up his end of the bargain very well. These two laid in to each other, even brawling around the ring-side area some. Mankind looked to have the upper hand and was looking to land the Mandible Claw when the Rock ran in and laid him out with a chair, much to Farrooq's ire! Mankind gets the DQ win, but certainly doesn't end up looking like he was victorious. RATING: 78

We go to commercial and come back to see DX entering Gorilla Monsoon's office. They're mocking him, acting like kids being sent to see the principal. They aren't laughing for long, as Monsoon informs them he's made a match pitting the two of them against Ken Shamrock and Stone Cold Steve Austin for the main event tonight! They throw a temper tantrum, but can do nothing about it! RATING: 75

GOLDUST vs TAKA MICHINOKU

Weird match-up here, and it just didn't work. Goldust looked really off here, as in messed up on something, and it really dragged the match down. TAKA did his best to bump around for him, but it just didn't work. Goldust gets the win. RATING: 63

Next up The Undertaker comes out for a promo in the ring, where he talks about never wanting to fight his family, never wants to spill his brother's blood. He says he's made mistakes in the past, but those are between him and his brother, and he won't drag those skeletons out of the closet. The lights go off, however, and Paul Bearer and Kane are on the Titan-Tron, apparently in some funeral parlor somewhere. Bearer says that it is not for the Undertaker to decide which secrets are shared or which skeletons will be revealed, and that if he refused to fight Kane "all of the darkness in your soul, Undertaker, will be shown to the world." Taker ends up walking off, looking somewhere between worried and defiant. RATING: 86

MAIN EVENT: TRIPLE H and SHAWN MICHAELS vs KEN SHAMROCK and STONE COLD STEVE AUSTIN

Crowd was excited for this. Story of the match was HBK going out of his way to avoid Austin at all costs, picking and choosing when to jump in very carefully. As a result HHH ended up working most of the match. Good stuff here, with lots of teasing of Austin getting his hands on Michaels. Match goes about fifteen minutes before spilling outside, where HBK used a chair to take over on Austin outside of the ref's vision, as Shammy and HHH were the legal men in the ring. Michaels and Austin brawled up the ramp, with Michaels actually getting the upper hand, leaving HHH behind in the ring to tap out to the ankle lock! Show goes off the air with HBK and Austin continuing to brawl as security tries to break them up. RATING: 82

OVERALL RATING: 83

infinitehallway · May 12, 2019

The Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Shocking news again tonight, and this time of a much more somber type. Legendary Joshi Puroresu star Bull Nakano has passed away in Japan. The 29 year old was reportedly involved in a freak accident, as a road crew lost control of a steam-roller and she was unable to get out of its path. Bull was widely considered one of the best female wrestlers in the world, having put on great matches with the likes of Manami Toyota, Madusa, and her mentor and sometimes partner Dump Matsumoto. Both the WWF and WCW have been mulling over re-launching a women's division in recent days, and Bull would have been on the top of either of their shortlists. Now, sadly, that will never happen.

In other news from around the wrestling world, WCW's Chris Jericho seems to be bulking up in order to make himself look more like a main-event threat. Rumor has it the new management is high on the young Canadian, and wants him to be busted out of "the cruiserweight zone".

Two of WCW's biggest stars have been flagged for using banned substances. Scott Hall has reportedly been sent to rehab after testing positive for hard drugs. This was far from Hall's first offense, although it was the first under the new regime's leadership, and he was told in no uncertain terms that he would not be getting any preferential treatment, and he needed to go to rehab and get clean if he wanted to remain employed. Many in WCW were expecting this to go over like a lead balloon, but word is Hall had his "come to Jesus" moment, to use the words of one old school wrestler with knowledge of the situation, an insider, if you wiiiiilllll, and was very grateful for the chance to get his act together. No word on how long he will be out for.

The other major star to get popped was Macho Man Randy Savage, who tested positive for steroids. He was fined an undisclosed amount, which is going to be the new policy for first offenses of this nature. Word is he laughed it off, saying he was more than happy to pay whatever fine.

On the other side of the Monday Night Wars several viewers noticed Dustin "Goldust" Rhodes' appeared to be working while intoxicated this past week against TAKA. Word has it that he has been fined for working in an inebriated state. There doesn't seem to be much heat in the locker room on him, which really says a lot about where the wrestling industry is, right now.

Speaking of the WWF, reports indicate there is a bit of a power struggle going on within the creative team over the direction of the company. One side, led by former WWF Magazine editor Vince Russo, wants to continue to push in a more edgy direction, featuring more soap opera style stories, vivacious women in skimpy clothes, and less emphasis on in-ring action. On the other side of the equation stands several more "old school" stalwarts, including Pat Patterson, Jim Cornette (who is rumored to be Vince Russo's biggest and most vocal detractor) and Jim Ross. It remains to be seen what, if any, changes are going to be made to creative, but WCW's dominance in the ratings does not seem likely to abate on its own any time soon.

Vince McMahon appears to be worried about the strength of his mid-card, as he appears to be cutting short the developmental stint of Sean Morely, a recent signing who has made a bit of a name for himself in Mexico. Vince Russo appears to be helming the creative for Morley, who is rumored to be slated to play a character based off of Ravishing Rick Rude, who left the company on less than stellar terms in the aftermath of Montreal. It is unknown if this will be another "Fake Razor" style angle, though it is doubted, as the last one went over like a lead balloon.

Vampiro's debut is being held up as McMahon has not settled on a new moniker for the Canadian. McMahon did not know much about him, instead deferring to Jim Ross and Bruce Prichard, who both spoke highly of his work. Vampiro (or whatever his name will be) is expected to start off in a fairly high position on the card, but not fully in the main event.

Stay tuned for more updates as we get them.

infinitehallway · May 19, 2019

The B Show Block for Week 2, December, 1997

Welcome back to Online Galaxy of Wrestling for our weekly recap of the Saturday Night B-shows! Up first is the WWF's offering, Shotgun Saturday Night. We are just over a week away from the Fed's final PPV offering of the year, Armageddon, and things seem to be shaping up for an epic conclusion for 1997!

DISCIPLES OF APOCALYPSE vs LOS BORIQUAS

The show opens up with a tag match, which they were trying to get over as a big brawl, but the crowd absolutely crapped all over Skull of DOA. Match dragged on way too long despite going less than ten minutes, and Savio picked up the win for his team. Real dud. RATING: 45

Back from break we get Sable out to sell some merch. Total cheesecake segment, but the crowd dug it. RATING: 64

STEVE BLACKMAN vs THE SULTAN

Fairly dull match here. Neither guy is great in the ring, though Blackman continues to be under-rated. The Sultan REALLY needs a different gimmick, as he's dying out there with this presentation. Blackman picks up the win with his Axe Kick. RATING: 52

Back from break we get a pre-taped skit with Paul Bearer and Kane. Another slickly produced vingette here, dark and foreboding, looking almost like something out of Psycho by Hitchcock. Bearer cuts a promo on the Undertaker, talking about the sins of his past, the darkness in his soul, and the fiery wrath Kane is there to unleash. Yet another very well produced segment, something the WWF has been really amping up lately. RATING: 77

BRIAN CHRISTOPHER vs FLASH FUNK

Our final match of the night was a bit of a train-wreck, as these two just did not click at all. Neither guy was bad, per se, they just couldn't get their timing down for anything, which was a real disappointment. RATING: 41

Show ends with a promo from the Nation of Domination, The Rock, Farrooq, Kama, and D-Lo Brown. This was basically a vehicle for The Rock to do more mic work and continue to "tease" the break up of the Nation. They're not being particularly subtle with the tension between Rock and Farrooq, but I guess they don't need to be. The Rock is going to be a STAR, and he looked the part here. RATING: 84

OVR 53

Very skippable show. The interviews/video packages were good, but nothing we aren't getting each Monday on RAW. Disappointing show.

On the other side of the isle we have WCW Saturday Night, the Mothership, continuing the build to Starrcade and Sting vs Hogan.

ABISMO NEGRO vs CHAVO GUERRERO JR

Abismo Negro is another debuting luchador, and he has a good deal of buzz surrounding him due to his recent good performances and rising popularity in Mexico. Fun little lucha-match, with Negro getting a somewhat surprising win over the more established Chavito, and looking damn good while doing it. RATING: 63

We then get a pre-taped promo from Rick and Scott Steiner, talking about all the rumors and whispers flying around, saying they aren't seeing eye to eye. They say that those rumors are "bunk" and that the Steiner brothers are going to take 1998 by storm. This was fine. RATING 74

MORTIS vs FANTASMA

Total squash here for Mortis. Less of a match and more of an exhibition for Mortis' flashy moves, which he seems to be going to more and more, something even the commentators take note of. Crowd could not possibly care any less about Fantasma. RATING: 50

In the back new interviewer Beulah McGillicutty is standing by with Booker T, who cuts a promo announcing he's entered in the US Title Tournament. He says Harlem Heat "isn't done" but he's going to focus on making it on his own. Decent promo. RATING: 61

LEX LUGER vs FIT FINLAY

You'd think that Fit Finlay would be able to drag a decent match out of ol' Flexy Lexy, but you'd be wrong. This was a dull affair featuring the usual Luger spots and little else. Commentators spent the whole match talking about his feud with Buff Bagwell. RATING: 50

Next up we have Mean Gene holding the microphone for The Macho Man Randy Savage and Liz, who cut a promo on DDP. He says dodges all of Gene's questions like a good heel, instead ranting and raving about DDP. Fairly typical, but the crowd is really in to this feud. RATING: 92

KIDMAN vs BLITZKRIEG

This was a spotfest to end all spotfests, both guys leaving it all in the ring and letting it all hang out. Match was surprisingly even, with Blitzkrieg getting his fair share of offense in before falling prey to the Seven Year Itch. This was all sizzle and no steak, just a bunch of crazy spots with no real flow or story going on. RATING: 45

Next we get a pre-taped vignette for the debuting Christopher Daniels, who will be using an evil preacher gimmick and calling himself "The Fallen Angel". The video is set in an old, gothic looking church, and sees Daniels reciting a promo out of a large, leather tome, talking about how he's coming to take the WCW cruiserweight division over, using all sorts of biblical imagery. He ends it with his catchphrase "And that's the Gospel according to the Fallen Angel". Not a bad video to introduce a character, but WCW is still behind the WWF when it comes to vignettes like this. Daniels seems suited to his gimmick, though. RATING: 45

We then get a more typical backstage promo from Konnan, telling Rey Mysterio he needs to see which way the wind is blowing. He tells Rey that he's gotten as far as he can on his own, and that if he wants to truly excel he needs back up, he needs a pack, he needs the NWO. RATING: 52

STEVE MCMICHAEL vs JOHN NORD

Mercifully short squash match for Mongo here. This was exactly what you'd expect from these two- a poor wrestling match. Mongo wins with his big slam. RATING: 38

Back from break we see the NWO partying in their hotel room, talking about how WCW may think they have the upper hand, but they need to remember people have "a change of Hart" all the time, and not to get too ahead of themselves. RATING: 93

Chris Jericho is backstage and cuts a promo, saying he's going to turn his recent bad luck around and show the world what he's all about. RATING: 68

Really fun match which was given the time to build slowly, and benefited from the time to heat up. Instead of going heavy with the high-flying they worked a more japanese junior style, and clicked very well. They traded big moves for near-falls before Ultimo fell prey to a brainbuster and Frog Splash, letting Eddie retain the Cruiserweight title. RATING: 68

OVERALL: 73

Fun little show with a solid main event. Show would have been better, but Nic Parry, a new addition to the commentary team with Tenay and Larry Z, really clashed with Tenay and dragged things down. It was really evident in the main event, where he seemed to be trying to prove he could call moves just as well as the Professor, which is of course ridiculous. Overall WCW's offering was definitely the better show, but I wouldn't call it can't miss.

Stay tuned for more news, rumors, and results!

WilburTrey · May 20, 2019

Great start so far. I will be reading.

The only thing I will suggest, is bolding result numbers, and or matches to kind of help them stand apart?

infinitehallway · May 20, 2019

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-username="WilburTrey" data-cite="WilburTrey" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="46598" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>Great start so far. I will be reading. The only thing I will suggest, is bolding result numbers, and or matches to kind of help them stand apart?</div></blockquote> Yeah, still working out the best way to go about formatting the shows. Thanks for the tip, and thanks for reading!

infinitehallway · May 24, 2019

The Wrestling Observer Weekend Update

Several WCW sources have confirmed to me that the new ownership group has begun holding meetings with top talent to discus the long-term vision of the company. The current tag-line being unofficially used is "The Sport of the New Millennium", and this will reflect an increased focus on the in-ring competition, stressing the skill and athleticism of the wrestlers. While the focus will not be entirely in-ring, ala the traditional Japanese style, it will see a decrease in the more sluggish, 80's WWF style work that has dominated parts of the card.

One wrestler reported to be concerned about this is Hulk Hogan, who has been the focus of WCW since arriving in 1994. The current feud he is engaged in with Sting has been building for over a year, and there appears to be some concern that Hogan may attempt to back out of the planned finish due to his worries about his position going forward. Eric Bischoff is said to be acting as liason between Hogan and his camp and the new management, and a closed doors meeting is planned before this week's Nitro.

One wrestler in line to benefit from the changes in direction seems to be Chris Jericho, who as we noted earlier in the week has bulked up considerably with a view to a bigger push. He has been hinting at a heel turn in recent weeks, and the current plan seems to be for him to feud with one of the Horsemen after Starrcade, likely Ric Flair or Chris Benoit.

The Dudley Boyz are in line for a big push in the tag division upon their debuts.

On the WWF side of the isle it is full steam ahead with their plan to make "Stone Cold" Steve Austin the biggest star in the business. He has caught the imagination of the fans in a huge way and Vince McMahon is hopeful that the Texan can help swing the tide in the Monday Night Wars.

It is also worth noting that McMahon himself has been receiving a lot of heat any time he appears on camera since the Montreal Incident, and now that he's been "outed" as real-life owner of the WWF, we may see him step further in to the authority figure role, especially as a foil to Austin.

Vignettes have been shot to lead up to the debut of Vampiro, who will be known as Azazel, a name he helped pick out himself based upon his interest in the occult and demonology. Bruce Prichard was the producer of the spots. The "demonic" nature of the character would be a natural fit for a program with The Undertaker, but considering Undertaker is locked in a long-term feud with Kane, this is unlikely in the short term. No word on who Azazel will be feuding with upon his debut.

The WWF continues to re-think its plans for a light-heavyweight division. Current ideas on the table are attempting to partner with another, foreign, promotion. Jim Ross and Bruce Prichard are the two main voices arguing in favor of a strong LHW division, seeking to counter one of WCW's unique features, and while McMahon has never been one to feature "smaller guys" or work well with other promotions, they seem to be winning his approval.

Sable is being trained by Dr. Tom Prichard for an in-ring debut, possibly at the Royal Rumble.

Stay tuned for more news and ratings.

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The Monday Night Wars- What Could Have Been

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