CactusHack Posted June 4, 2022 Share Posted June 4, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part I : December 28th, 1991 - 3:00 PM Board Meeting in Atlanta. Jim Herd “I’ve called you all here to announce my resignation. It’s no secret that the decisions I have made this year have had negative ramifications to the company, and Turner Broadcasting requires change to improve a year long decrease in PPV buys, negative consumer reaction, and large scale staff morale drops. It was my responsibility this year to reduce the budget as WCW failed to maintain any growth over my 3 year tenure. A responsibility that required tough choices. As displayed by our Lethal Lottery concept, our field of employee depth is drastically low. We put our 40 ‘best’ on display and that 40 contained undercard talents like Curtis Thompson, Marcus Bagwell and Brad Armstrong. The decision was made to reduce Ric Flair’s wage. His 150,000 a month price tag elsewhere would have cost us 3 other upper card talents or 15 other talents, and at 42, investing in Flair would be a short-sighted gain. It would have been irresponsible to not invest in the future. Unfortunately, the backlash that I have received from the rest of our staff means that even with the best intentions at heart, the workers will not want to work for me. I have loved my time here at WCW, but it must come to an end. That’s why you are here with me today - at this point, we will need to appoint a new VP to oversee company direction going forward.” Ted Turner “Thank you, Jim. Your time with WCW has been greatly appreciated, but the results we are seeing are not aligned with what we are expecting out of this program. So, our decision here will be made based on the expectation of change. If change is not met, we will be reconsidering our position as it pertains to the broadcasting of WCW programming on TBS. The requirement is simple - provide us with quality programming that gains viewers. I have another meeting for the syndication rights to Three’s Company. Ted, your final responsibility is to determine your replacement. You have until tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM to reach this decision. I don’t give a shit if it means you work through the night, the job must be done” The team of Jim Herd, Dusty Rhodes, Bill Watts, Harley Race and Jim Ross, sat in their boardroom for the next 17 hours, flanked by junior staff Eric Bischoff, and Paul Heyman. They argued in length over who would be responsible for the company’s direction going forward. At 8:00 AM the following morning, when Ted Turner returned, the disheveled group had reached their decision. Jim Herd “Welcome back, Ted.” Ted Turner “It’s Mr. Turner.” Jim Herd “Right, sorry, Mr. Turner. Mr. Turner, we have reached our decision. Effective at the end of my employment, Bill Watts will take over as VP of WCW. I allow him to take the floor and display his agenda.” Bill Watts “Thank you, Jim. Mr. Turner, under my vision, WCW talent will operate with stricter principles in order to ensure a professional environment. We will operate with an old school approach, leaning into our southern heritage. No low blows, no wrestling outside the ring, no top rope dives. Good, clean, family action for a family station. A stricter adherence to kayfabe and backstage rules, ensuring the staff understands they are not above the organization. No more blood, no more steroids, no more…” Ted Turner “That’s perfect Bill.” Bill Watts “Thank you. I believe that the older rule set will attract…” Ted Turner “No, not that. The no steroids rule. The rest is utter shit. It’s nothing new. Herd, I knew I couldn’t trust your judgement on this decision. Clear out your desk - your presence is no longer required at WCW. We’ll pay out your remaining days you stated you’d work through, on paper your resignation is accepted as is - in reality, you are done. Why are these two here, by the way?” Herd and Watts are shocked as Turner points to Heyman and Bischoff. Eric Bischoff with Paul Heyman “Hello Sir, I’m Eric Bischoff and this is Paul Heyman. We both have ideas on how to book the show and have been working wherever possible to learn the inner workings. We’ve been working various roles across companies the past couple years, trying to learn whatever we can.” Ted Turner “Thanks kid, I appreciate your efforts in working through the night for incompetent idiots. I’ve hired an outsider to turn this ship around. No history with wrestling, just a business acumen. He’s asked me to align him with staff that would have new ideas and fresh minds. I’d like you two to work exclusively with him in getting him taught on this specific business. Everyone, please meet your new boss.” Kip Allen Frey enters the board room. Kip Frey “Gentlemen, effective immediately - our wrestling is a sport. Let's change the game.” Edited August 24, 2022 by CactusHack Post forum transfer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Kremmen Posted June 5, 2022 Share Posted June 5, 2022 Interesting time period. WCW had a lot of really good talent then. Looking forward to see where you take this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 (edited) ROSTERS Current Champions: WCW World Champion : Lex Luger WCW US Champion : Bam Bam Bigelow WCW Tag Team Champions : Arn Anderson & Larry Zbyszko WCW US Tag Team Champions : Tracy Smothers & Steve Armstrong WCW TV Champion : Nobuhiko Takada WCW Light Heavyweight Champion : Jushin Liger Edited September 11, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 (edited) Prologue 1992 Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 5, 2022 Author Share Posted June 5, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part II : January 2nd, 1992 - 8:00 AM Board Meeting in Atlanta. Ready to start a new year fresh, Kip Allen Frey enters the WCW boardroom and takes his place at the head of the boardroom table. He is flanked by Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, Jim Ross, Bill Watts, Dusty Rhodes, David Crockett and Ole Anderson. All men were present a good half hour ahead of the meeting, buzzing with nerves about the looming changes that were to be made. They had previously always worked for individuals who lived the wrestling business and the man sitting at the helm now had zero experience in their industry. Who did he think he was, an outsider taking their spot in their world. Kip Frey “We are here today to address change. To my understanding - WCW has lost a lot of it’s luster, with one of our biggest draws leaving and the irreversible damage done to the legacy of the NWA that came with the championship being vacated. Is that correct? Yes… Add to that the corresponding backlash that came from our staff in our company treating their leader as replaceable, and a stale product that isn’t exactly different from anything else and it’s clear the path to progress and growth requires massive change. Before we get started, I’d like you all to clarify for me your roles in this company - Herd kept no dossiers on the day-to-day operations and as high-level employees, quite frankly going forward it’s your asses that will end up cut rather than our product.” Dusty Rhodes “Head booker. I write the showth and arrange the cardth. All thingth conthidered, thith ith my show, daddy-o. The American Dream hath all been to climb to the top of the ladder, and I worked my way from the bottom to the top.” David Crockett “Legacy of Jim Crockett, the founder of Jim Crockett Promotions, which in turn became WCW as we know it today. I act as an Executive Producer and Advisor for our weekly programs. ” Kip Frey “I didn’t see you at the meeting last week?” David Crockett “Yes, that is correct. I had holidays in the Galapagos and wasn’t interested in the VP position - I figured it wasn’t essential for me to be there if I wasn’t in the conversation.” Kip Frey “So, executive advisor, but not present to advise on the biggest decision the company has to make… Shocking and neglectful - a clear lack of ability to perform required functions of the job. You’re fired, David. Please leave immediately, we have business to attend to here.” A livid and embarrassed Crockett couldn’t find words to rebut and through a phone at the 18th storey window, which cracked but did not break, before Crockett stormed out of the room. Shock set onto the faces of the management group. Was this how things were going to be under Kip’s lead? Were they in jeopardy of losing their high paying positions? Jim Ross was next at the table to speak and froze, so Kip took control quickly. “JR, you have nothing to worry about as long as you are a hard worker - I’ve heard good things about you and enjoy what you bring to the broadcasts. Please, drink some water to collect yourself and then speak.” Jim Ross “Thank you, Mr. Frey. I appreciate that. I know it’s not my place yet - but I found that to be rather rash. David was a good guy, the boys respect him a lot. I too looked up to him, as a leader. His political pull reached far and wide and always helped connect us with the right people at the right time. I’m sorry to be accusatory here, but as God is my witness, I have to stand up for what is right.” Frey smiles, and stands up at the head of the table. He is not a large man, nor is he intimidating in any sense physically. He tilts his head ever so slightly as a gesture of consolation and a blanket aura relieved the tension in the room immediately. Kip Frey “Thank you, Jim. It takes a real man to speak against your boss in favour of a fellow colleague as you just have. We can agree or disagree on what just happened to our heart’s contents, but I’d rather focus on something that is sorely lacking at this company and that is Talent Relations. I’ve let go of one man today, but a goal of mine for this week is to ensure that we keep another. I’d like to assign you a task, JR, if you are up for it… It’s not mandatory, but if you accept and succeed, you will be promoted to Head of Talent Relations. I’ve come to learn that our current champion, Lex Luger, is unhappy and is planning on leaving when his contract expires at the end of March - I want you to ensure that doesn’t happen.” Jim Ross “Th… thank you, sir. Yes - I accept.” Kip Frey “Perfect. Paul and Eric, we can skip over you two as I already have debriefed with both of you separately. Ole, the floor is yours.” Ole Anderson “I’m part of the booking committee, as well as a Road Agent, which means that I structure the matches with the talent.” Bill Watts “Like Dusty and Ole, I book. Back when I was with UWF….” Kip Frey “I’m going to stop you right there, Bill. As of February first, ‘booking’ as you know it will cease to exist. Which means that you, Ole and Dusty will need new day-to-day jobs. Dusty has the benefit of being an on-screen performer - and will resume that role in full effect immediately, as I have big plans for the on-screen presentation of our program and you have the voice and the name value to continue there. Ole, you will continue as a road agent. We’ll have a separate conversation as to what will be changing on that front shortly - I’m not going to pretend to have any knowledge on the structuring of matches and will rely on you to lead a team of agents - this is potentially going to be the most important job of all. And Bill… my understanding is that you proposed a substance ban for the locker room. I’d like to appoint you as the manager of the locker room. Your first task is comprehensive drug and steroid testing of the entire locker-room as well as the documentation and handling of any failures. I expect a full report back to JR and I by Monday.” Bill Watts “What the f*ck? You can’t be serious. That’s a fool’s errand and a suicide mission!” Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blodyxe Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Really enjoyed your previous projects! Interesting to know what you'll do here. Drug testing Lex Luger will prolly make the job of keeping him a bigger challenge for JR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cool name Posted June 6, 2022 Share Posted June 6, 2022 Wonder if he pulls the trigger on Steve Austin or push Rick Rude harder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part III : January 2nd, 1992 - 12:00 AM Road Agents Meeting Kip Frey and Ole Anderson are alone in Kip’s new office. Ole looks worn out, concerned and upset. Ole Anderson “I’m just concerned that you are acting quickly without any grasp of our business. It’s not like your previous world - we have a long-standing history of how things are done. There is a code within the locker-room and a commitment to the false-reality that we have created as pro wrestlers. We’ve built a world here, where we book by committee and booking is what shapes how this all comes together. Concept matches, feuds, storylines - that’s the bookers job to develop and to say that the guys that are putting together the shows don’t exist anymore is crazy talk. Telling us that you have Bill Watts at your disposal, the man who created the current approach to episodic tv, and he’s not booking the shows? I think you are missing a key piece of the puzzle here.” Kip Frey “Ole, can I ask you a quick question? What is the most important thing in your mind to making a good wrestling program? Is it the storylines, the characters, or the wrestling?” Ole Anderson “Well, when stripped to individual aspects like you have, it’s the wrestling. But…” Kip Frey “So if we could ensure that our program had the best wrestling - then the we have a leg up. Everything else should follow, but the forefront our product should depend on good wrestling, right? Now, my understanding is that after your previous champion left, the staff collectively stopped putting on good matches. There is no storyline, goofy character or booking tactics that you can deploy to hide bad wrestling matches. I have a very simple idea, that we incentivize our wrestlers with a large monetary bonus for the best performance on the card. How likely is it that our guys will be phoning it in if they can effectively make bank by being the best. We are sport, I believe that competition within the team can breed success.” Ole Anderson “I see your point, but who’s going to arrange the cards each week without bookers? And with a bonus on the table, won’t there be more frustration with not being on the card than there already is?” Kip Frey “I think both your questions can be answered with one solution. But that’s for me to worry about. We have a few more tasks with the team to get through first before we go down that road. Just remember, come February First, we are going to change pro wrestling as we know it. There is a lot of work to be done until then, to get us to that point. What we need right now are leaders with the team, to ensure that change is received positively.” Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 Interesting time period. WCW had a lot of really good talent then. Looking forward to see where you take this. A crazy thing looking at the timeline is how much talent WCW had lost during the time period leading up to 92. I'm soaking in the era right now, should be a fun ride. Really enjoyed your previous projects! Interesting to know what you'll do here. Drug testing Lex Luger will prolly make the job of keeping him a bigger challenge for JR. Thanks mate! I've played a year through the scenario and am in love with the world, feel like I'll be able to see this project through. I've got a few tricks up my sleeve for Lex and the rest of the boys Wonder if he pulls the trigger on Steve Austin or push Rick Rude harder Good question, what do you think? Austin is a known future entity while Rude's career is a question of what could have been without the injuries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonOfSharknado Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 I am absolutely loving Kip Fry just burying everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 7, 2022 Author Share Posted June 7, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part IV : January 2nd, 1992 - 3:00 PM Sitting Down With the Dream Dusty Rhodes is now present in the boardroom with Kip Frey. With the two men alone in the large room - accompanied by only empty seats - Dusty notices just how insignificant and meek Kip is. He chuckles to himself, as normally these nerds hide behind large desks in order to assert their power, but here Kip is face to face to him without any position of advantage or protection. The Dream could snap at any second and break this man like a twig, surely Kip is aware that wrestlers come with short fuses and cannon-packed piston fists? One on one, this is where Dusty believes he can assert his will.” Kip Frey “Good afternoon Dusty, and thank you for joining me again today. I know that the past week has been a bit of a shock to the system for all of you, and I wanted to go over with you my expectations of your role going forward. Now, before we get into it - I just wanted to say that I am most excited to work with you going forward. I’m not super well versed with the staff that WCW has in place, but everyone knows Dusty Rhodes - you’ve got the voice of a generation and the cadence of a poet. You speak and people listen. There is immense value in that. So, before I pitch to you what I want you to accomplish, I just wanted to share that and give you an opportunity, as a man that I admire, to share your concerns.” Dusty Rhodes “Mr Kip, thank you for your kindneth and openneth, if you will. You are right about my voice being generational and I believe that my voice can be heard through my writing. I believe I am currently writing the next chapter of the American Dream by tranthcending patht the ring and onto being the power behind the sceneth. I think by removing me from booking, you are stifling the American Dream and affecting a career long narrative that fans like yourthelf have grown attached to. My want is to continue to be on the top of the world, and at 47 years old, my ability to be on top no longer coincideth with the confine of a wrestling ring.” Kip Frey “I actually completely agree with you, Dusty. My knowledge of this world may be limited, but I think that the narrative of the American Dream is one of the best stories ever told in wrestling. Can I ask you a question? What sports do you watch?” Dusty Rhodes “I’m a Texan through and through, Mr. Kip. I love football and bateball and played both growing up.” Kip Frey “I want to present WCW like a sport, akin to the NFL and MLB. Now, when you think of power in the NFL and the top of the chain, you don’t think of the schedule makers - an excel sheet can hold the schedule for the next 50 years. You don’t think of the producers behind the scenes planning the broadcasts for the individual shows. No… None of that is a big picture job. I want you to be Pete Rozelle - presented as having ascended to being the master of the league. Making powerful decisions that grow the company, transcend the day-to-day, and I want that to be a part of the broadcasts we put out each week.” Dusty leaves the meeting feeling taken aback - he went into it planning on directing the meeting and bending Frey to his will, but instead the pipsqueak nerd owned the entire conversation and never actually gave Dusty’s thoughts the time of day. The idea of being likened to Pete Rozelle was enticing and he romanticized this thought, but a storm cloud had formed above Dusty's head - Dusty was not planning to let this nerd boss him around. Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Helginho Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 Very interesting start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blodyxe Posted June 7, 2022 Share Posted June 7, 2022 "an excel sheet can hold the schedule for the next 50 years." TIL Excel launched in 1985 The mental image of Dusty making a spreadsheet in funny though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part V : January 4th, 1992 - 9:00 PM A Tale of Two Bars Part 1 The first broadcast of World Championship Wrestling for 1992 had just wrapped up and Frey invited Bischoff and Heyman to join him at a bar to catch some live music, and discuss the night’s show. They headed to Buckhead Village and entered a club where The Brains were the night’s act. The first show of 1992 saw Rude squash a jobber, Larry Zybyszko squash a jobber, Terry Taylor squash a jobber, Van Hammer squash a jobber, Mr Hughes squash two jobbers, and a 20 minute main event between Dustin Rhodes and Arn Anderson, which didn’t finish on the broadcast and the last portion was set to air on the following main event broadcast. Heyman and Frey were drinking Long Island Iced Teas, while Bischoff was going to ringing up Espresso Martinis. Both Heyman and Bischoff were excited for the opportunity presented by being snug with the new boss and getting the personal ear time, but Bischoff was slightly distracted by a brunette with big frizzy hair. Kip Frey “So tell me guys - what did you two think of tonight’s show? Honest opinions.” Paul Heyman “I thought it was fine, I think we’re doing a good job of building up heat for Cactus vs Van Hammer which gives us a good undercard match down the line people will want to see. And Sting against my alliance is red hot and worth the price of admission alone - having the show kick off with a brawl was good. I’m not too sure if Terrence Taylor’s push is working, he’s a great wrestler when the matches are super competitive, but doesn’t have enough charisma for these squash matches. And Dusty’s kid is only getting better - his match against Arn was fire and left me wanting to see the finish on the next broadcast - a better match than any of the wrestling from WWF Superstars this week, that’s for sure. Everything else was fluff though.” I also thought there wasn’t enough reason’s to come back. As I watched the show, outside of the Alliance vs Sting there’s a lack of star power on the show. We need more names to promote. People want to see Sting and Luger - gotta get more names for people to want to see. WWF’s got Savage, Hogan, Flair, Piper and the Road Warriors as larger than life stars.” Kip Frey “Interesting that you say that, Paul. I disagree - we have stars in Sting and Luger, as well as a lot of young guys who can become must see stars in time. I think the platform we have it’s what’s important. You also mentioned that Arn and Dustin was the best match on both shows, and I agree - It was hands-down better than anything else by a country mile. I believe that is our advantage, our in-ring product and if we focus on that and present that, we can be better. If our wrestling is better, people will choose to watch it. But we need to get rid of the fluff. What was the point of Larry Z against that nobody for example? The result is known before it ever started and there is no presented reason for why that match is even happening. And Paul, you said yourself that you are excited to watch Van Hammer and Charles Jack face off, but did you care at all about Van Hammer fighting that nobody?” Paul Heyman “Well, you have to establish a reason for guys to be fighting. People need to want to see Cactus and Van Hammer fight, so they need to be winning matches and hating each other along the way. Then when they finally face, people want to see it. There’s other ways though that you can get people to want to see two guys fight. You could have wrestlers personal lives on display and manipulate the audience with personal rivalries. Or depict guys as having been in rivalries since they were kids.” Kip Frey “You are right about needing a reason, but what is the reason for the matches tonight? What about the present? Building anticipation is one thing, but what happens in the ring should always matter if we want to have the best product. You are right that there are other ways to get people to want to see two guys fight - but I look at other sports like football and baseball, or soccer in Europe, people want to see these matches without personal flairs involved. The importance is set on the sport, and it draws a larger audience. Eric, you’ve been quiet - do you not have an opinion on this?” Bischoff’s eyes continue to wander across the bar. He’s got a good buzz going and is more interested in the nightlife than the conversation. The brunette he’s had his eyes on has locked eyes with him and smiled. With a small wave of her petite hand and a finger-twist of her hair, Eric is completely lost from this conversation. Eric Bischoff “I know we’re here really to talk business guys, but it’s a Saturday night and it’s been a long week… Honestly, I wish the atmosphere of our shows could capture this night-life feel of a party where possibility is in the air. Hell, we are on TV on a Saturday night, we should feel like it.. I know it’s not going to do me any favours, but I’m going to jump ship right now, and go buy that lady a drink and try my luck tonight. Sorry guys, this rounds on me - I’ll make up for bailing tonight on Monday morning, if she lets me out of bed by then!” Eric puts down a twenty, downs his martini, gets up and goes to the bar where the brunette is clearly waiting for him. Tonight will end well for him, both Paul and Kip can see. Paul waves him off and tries to get back to the conversation with Kip, but Kip keeps his eyes towards Eric and smiles. He glances around the bar, takes a sip of his drink and soaks in the energy of the neon soaked bar and it’s young patrons. After a few minutes, the brunette grabs Eric’s hand and they head for the door and a realization sets in for Kip, that Bischoff kid will be the one who makes his idea actually work. Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 11, 2022 Author Share Posted June 11, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part VI : January 4th, 1992 - 9:00 PM A Tale of Two Bars Part 2 Meanwhile at a country themed pub, Dusty Rhodes is joined by Ole, Bill Watts and Junkyard Dog. George Strait is playing on the jukebox and the majority of the patrons are in their 40s. A server brings them a jug of Miller Genuine Draft to replace their empty one. The group refill their pints as highlights of the Redskins dominating the Falcons 24-7 in the NFC divisional playoffs aired on the pubs tv, a repeat of their mid-season match up. Ole Anderson “It’s a shame to see a blow out, doesn’t make for a very good game to watch, eh? I like a good competitive game. Like last year’s super bowl - that was a treat to watch.” Bill Watts “No kidding, O. Here’s hoping tomorrows games are good, I’m spending my Sunday on the couch watching both games, like the good lord intended me too, especially after putting on a great wrestling program tonight. Rest and relaxation, right? It’s going to be the last bit of quiet before the boys hang me after the results of their drug tests come back. F****** nerd thinks he can tell me how to run a wrestling promotion? We’re going to have a riot on our hands on Monday… F****** nerd.” Junkyard Dog “I’m gonna to fail and then wus going to happen to me, huh Bill? He want me to start wrasslin with no pre-game, or he gonna fire me?” Bill Watts “Calm down, Sly, Ain’t nobody getting rid of you on my watch. The guy might be in charge, but when the locker room revolts on his dumb ass, he’s going to be crawling back to me to fix it.” Dusty Rhodes “What doeth he even think that he going to do with no bookerth? The entire locker room is going to thend him running back to wherever he came from, or better yet, one of the boyth ith going to knock him out cold. He can’t compete with what we do for WCW - no one going watch Mr Kip’s nerdy wrathling show.” Ole Anderson “Guys, I’ve been struggling something all week. You know what he told me? He told me that he wants to give out bonuses to the best match on the card. I don’t see how you do that without pissing off everyone who’s matches aren’t given time, or the boys who don’t even get time. All the promos are going to be off as they’ll be mad they aren’t wrestling.” Bill Watts “F***** nerd thinks he can run our business. I don’t see how this company makes it through the week with a dweeb like Kip in charge. Who the f*** names their kid Kip without expecting them to turn out to be a nerd who just f***s everything up anyway? Maybe I’ll take over UWF from that cokehead Herb and we can get the boys to jump and make a real run of it.” The conversation / b**** session continued, but Dusty had withdrawn from it to be with his own thoughts. A company where in ring performances were rewarded sounded great to him. You do all this work as a booker to build up a great match and your boys go out and ruin it by putting on a stinker because they’re just in it for the paycheque? With the boys being competitive and a cash prize on the line every night, that could actually make things easier. But how was Frey going to pull that off without a proper booker? Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 14, 2022 Author Share Posted June 14, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part VII : January 6th, 1992 - 9:00 AM - The Manifesto (Told from the perspective of Eric Bischoff) Something was happening, that was for sure. I may not have been with WCW at this point for very long, but it didn’t take much to understand that what was happening today was the first time it ever had. It’s not normal to have the wrestlers at head office, outside of one-on-one contract negotiations, never mind an entire 50 plus roster of giant meaty muscle men crowded into the 12 person boardroom. For f***s sake, El Gigante was sitting in an office chair and his legs were so long that he couldn’t fit his knees under the table. He must have been here early… A television was in the boardroom, which wasn’t normal, and it was running ESPN SportsCenter. Recaps of the weekend’s NFL Divisional games were airing at the moment. This much muscle wasn’t meant to be in a single room, especially not early in the morning, and everyone’s attitude was turning south really fast. Dusty’s kid spilt his coffee on Abdullah by accident and I think he proceeded to s**t himself. That’s when Kip walked in, and Ted Turner was right behind him. This was insane, Ted was wearing a cowboy hat for some reason and seemed amused by this freak show occurring in one of the boardroom’s he owned. Big Van Vader was wearing a maroon suit and looked like an over-ripened tomato. That has nothing to do with the story, but hell if you saw him you’d be distracted by it too. Everyone was silent, waiting for the smug man in the cowboy hat to speak, but all he did was point at the tv. SportsCenter aired a recap the Detroit Lions destroying the Cowboys 38 to 6. The analyst was talking about how disappointing it was to have to sit through that sort of game at this point in the playoffs. Kip Frey turned off the tv and started to talk about how no one wants to watch one-sided sports competitions, and that is true for wrestling as well. People are drawn to competition and that’s what our show needs to be about. Kip says that squash matches need to forgotten about - this isn’t a sideshow exhibition. I get what he was saying, but looking around that boardroom, you got the feeling that maybe it was. Then Kip announced the bonuses for the best wrestlers on each show. A $10,000 bonus to the best wrestler each week. At this point everyone perked up. Kip explained that they’d all have equal opportunity to earn that bonus, as starting February 1st, WCW would adopting a scheduled season. Wrestler’s win-loses would matter on screen more than ever, and a press conference would be held this week to detail the full extent of how this would work. Wild - the wrestlers had no clue how to react to this news. But then, get this, this is where things got weird. Ted stepped in and announced that Kip was on TBS payroll, not WCW. And recent layoffs of David Crockett, Jim Herd and Gordon Solie without replacing into those executive positions meant that WCW had a budgetary surplus and they were going to open the hiring floodgates ahead of Feb 1. The wrestlers and staff members were advised to suggest wrestlers that would bring out the best in them. Then it was time for the bad news. Bill Watts’ drug test results were in and there were several things that popped up. Frey announced that they wish to operate like a sport and in doing so, they are going to treat drug and steroid usage like a governing body for sport would. They want the best out of their athletes, and are willing to offer rehab to anyone who needs it. This first test will result in confidential meetings between the offender and Jim Ross, who will discuss recourse. Anyone who failed and agrees to clean up will not be punished, but will be subject to future testing that will not have lenient consequences. I couldn’t even begin to gauge what the wrestlers were experiencing in hearing this. This wasn’t a meeting - this was an immediate change in culture. I was blown away - Kip was smaller than every single man in the room he was addressing, and yet they were listening to him as subordinates in this moment. The confidence and passion in his voice made them believers. Finally, Kip pulled me up to the front. I had no idea what this was about… Kip said that the last piece of the puzzle was how the show was presented. It needed to stand out. People need to know the brand they are watching, and Kip said that I had the brilliant idea to present WCW’s flagship show like a nightclub set. Neon lights, smoke machines, the works. Starting Feb 1st, WCW’s flagship show returns to the name WCW Saturday Night, and becomes the Saturday Night Sport Show to watch. Kip whispered into my ear, “kid, you nailed it at the bar on Saturday. You are in charge of the feel of our show.” I think this might be my shot at the big time… A couple hours passed and the roster had their drug usage meetings. JYD and a few developmental guys opted to take up company paid rehab, Tommy Rich opted to continue drug usage on his own terms, and outside of that everything it appears that everyone agreed to be clean going forward. I have no clue what they did to get that agreement in place… Then at the end of the day, the company announced a few releases which they ensured had nothing to do drug usage, but rather the new direction of the company: Todd Champion, Bill Kazmaier, George South and The Italian Stallion. I’m not sure how to feel about all this, but hey, I get to redesign the show. It’s cool having a boss that empowers you to make change. One other thing… It felt like Paulie H was staring daggers in me after Kip put me over in front of the group. I don’t get why, but he’s always kind of difficult to deal with anyways. -EB Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blodyxe Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 Awesome stuff, man. Really enjoying the prologues Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dawn Posted June 15, 2022 Share Posted June 15, 2022 That dastardly Kip really proving to do a number on the locker room so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part VIII : January 6th, 1992 - 4:20 PM - The Champion’s Advantage (Told from the perspective of Jim Ross) What a draining day. After the staff wide meeting where Frey and Turner dropped bombshells on the company, Frey sat in with me as I conducted the drug test reviews with the staff. Frey had instructed me to make it clear in these individual meetings that regular drug testing was in the cards and anyone who failed would be sent to rehab on the company dime. Any refusals would result in termination. I was surprised, bah gawd, that most of the boys were actually receptive and agreed to stop doing the drugs, but I’ve been around long enough to know that when a guy says that he’s going to stop doing coke, he’s not actually going to stop doing coke… One guy, Tommy Rich - former NWA World Heavyweight Champion and huge star of yesteryear - made it clear he wasn’t going to stop using. He verbally ripped me to shreds, calling me a patsy and a pussy, and I just sat there and ate it. Felt awful - the guy was top of the wrestling world once, and I’m telling him he can’t do something? After he was done, Frey let him go, telling him that he respected Tommy’s personal choices and hoped that in turn Tommy respected Frey’s business decisions. Another guy, Junkyard Dog, called the test results a false positive and said that he wanted a retest. I stuck to my instructions and told JYD that while a false reading is possible, there is no penalty in the immediate and nothing he needs to argue against. If he is clean, all he has to do is remain clean and at future drug tests when there is a penalty on the line, he’ll be fine. JYD stuck to his story though, trying to state that it was a bad reading. I broke my role, as I’ve known him for a long time and I told him that whether he wanted to believe he was clean or not, it was only a matter of time before the coke caught up with him. He broke down and admitted he had a problem and didn’t know what to do. Frey stepped in and told him that they’d get him healthy - a fully paid stay at a top of the line rehab facility to help him get clean. Junkyard thanked us both - and bah gawd, I got a little teary eyed. Last but not least was the champ, Lex. Lex was a special case - he tested positive for a couple things and already was upset with the company and planning to leave. Before he came in, Frey told me to treat Luger no different than anyone else. Exactly the same. Luger came in and it seemed clear that he didn’t care what the meeting had to say. I went through the routine and laid things out to Luger, and he asked me - he says “Jim, do you think it matters? I’m not staying here - I’m running off to Vince and going to make money there, this place has been falling apart for a long time. So what exactly are you trying to tell me?” I could tell that this is what Frey wanted - he wanted to test me. Luger was going to do whatever he was going to do, and it was unlikely we were going to change that. Frey let me go through the ringer first, and tired as a mule now it’s my time to prove my merit. Crack and cave or keep standing. I told Luger that I didn’t disagree with him, it’s been a bad go here and losing Ric Flair put us all in a bad spot. But all things considered, WCW is still the wrestling company and what Frey is putting forward will only continue to push our team to be the best wrestling on the planet. So, if Luger stays, he can build a legacy around his talent. And if he leaves, he can build a legacy on his looks. Here, he’ll be pushed as an athlete, not a model. You can be the athlete you wanted to be in Green Bay. With Frey’s work-rate bonus, you’ll be competing each time you step in the ring for the right to be called the best wrestler on the card. Frey stepped in and thanked both Luger and myself for the meeting. Luger agreed to remain clean throughout the remainder of his contract, but is still planning on leaving. When he left, Frey told me I did great and that we built the foundation to keep our champion. I’m exhausted, bah gawd. But I think that this company is under the right leader. I never felt like I could impact the company as strongly as I had today - and good companies are about having the right people in the right places. - JR Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part IX : The World Changes - January 11th, 1992 - 6:00 PM Press Conference Press Conference in Atlanta - led by Dusty Rhodes, flanked by Kip Allen Frey, Eric Bischoff, Jim Ross, Lex Luger, Sting, Bill Watts and Ole Anderson. Dusty Rhodes “Hello, my fellow Americans! It’s great to be here today, and we here at World Championship Wrestling have some important news that we shake the very foundation of professional wrestling as we know it. 1992 will be the first year under a new format of wrestling for our company - we will be moving to a round robin based season format, similar to Professional soccer companies in Europe if you will… This format will be utilized to ensure that our weekly broadcasts feature more competitive wrestling matches, with an emphasis on win/loss records and weekly must-see match-ups. “We will be creating several divisions, with each division featuring 16 competitors. Our divisions will be an Elite Division, our version of the Premiere League as found in English soccer, as well as a second singles division and a tag team division. Over the course of the year, a wrestler will face off against all 15 fellow competitors within their division. This means massive match-ups like Sting against Lex Luger being shown on our weekly program - making every episode a must-see card. “The Division structure will run from February through November, encapsulating all Turner broadcasting, including our Clash of the Champions events. Wrestlers will compete in 20 minute matches, scoring 3 points for a victory and 1 point for a draw. The top scorer of each division at the end of the season will be awarded a championship. At the end of the season, the 6 lowest ranked wrestlers in the Elite Division will be relegated. The top two wrestlers in the second division and the top two tag teams in the tag division will be promoted. “Now, I’’ve wined and dined with kings and queens, and I’ve slept in alleys eating pork and beans, and I’m proud to say that the son of a plumber’s American Dream continues to be realized. You see… Dusty Rhodes has been promoted to Commissioner of WCW, and it’s my job to ensure that this competition is held to the highest of standards and ensure that over the years WCW becomes a highly successful sports organization recognized the world over. I am proud to announce that February 1st is the launch of our league, and on night one, we will be proudly presenting to you all a rebranded show to align with our desired presentation. I present to you the new Producer of WCW Saturday Night, Mr. Eric Bischoff.” Eric Bischoff “Thank you, Dusty - it’s with great excitement that I get to stand here before you all and share with you details surrounding the new format of WCW’s flagship television program. We are aiming to create a marriage between the sports broadcast presentation style of programs like Sunday night football and CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada, and the entertainment atmosphere of a Saturday night out on the town. Our presentation will feature a state of the art set for our wrestlers to be presented on. The format will provide our audience with the structuring of most sports matches with intermissions featuring expert analysis coupled with room to breath and cool off as entertaining figures provide banter. Everything about WCW Saturday Night will look and feel like a specific program - separating it from any other wrestling show on the market today. How it all came together stems from one man - Vice President Kip Allen Frey.” Kip Frey “Thank you, Mr. Bischoff. Folks, I’m not here to talk much - my program will do the speaking for me. What I am here to do, is share with you a few surprises, just a couple of the signings that WCW has made in the last two weeks in preparation for our major expansion.” Tully Blanchard, Jerry Lawler, Steve Williams, Bam Bam Bigelow, One Man Gang all enter from behind a curtain to fanfare. Lawler grabs a mic the mic and plays up to the crowd a bit, before announcing one last surprise. Out comes Jesse “The Body” Ventura to massive fanfare. Jesse Ventura “My days inside the ring may be done, but I’ll be on your television sets every Saturday night to giving my personal take on the competition. When Eric Bischoff said expert analysis… Here I am! WCW will proudly present ‘Inside the Squared Circle’, a weekly segment where I will break down key moments from that night’s action with a cohost I have personally selected, Magnum TA. Ladies and Gentlemen, rumours of WCW’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Our split from the NWA was not the beginning of our death, but rather the beginning of our rise.” Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricX Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 I really like the story-line that you are building up. It's intriguing on what WCW will become under this change of management. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hashasheen Posted June 18, 2022 Share Posted June 18, 2022 Interesting decision, if all rather too international for a southern product like WCW. Its a shame that all the titles are being retired as a result, given the inherent value of the NWA title, but now we'll have to wait and see how the booking plays out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 18, 2022 Author Share Posted June 18, 2022 Awesome stuff, man. Really enjoying the prologues Thank you - I felt like I needed to build a strong background before kicking things off. I've got the first two shows already written out, but still want to work through the background. That dastardly Kip really proving to do a number on the locker room so far Lol - I think that Kip was the perfect person for this dynasty, as it's true to life and I'm using some of his actual philosophy (bonuses for best performance) in building the world, but he was only involved for a minute before he was gone. He's not a wrestling personality which makes him the kind of enigmatic leader that could be used however I see fit to tell the story without it feeling off. I really like the story-line that you are building up. It's intriguing on what WCW will become under this change of management. Thank you - I hope that the intrigue can continue into the actual shows, I still need to understand how I'm going to balance the story telling of the on-screen product versus the behind the scenes story long term. Interesting decision, if all rather too international for a southern product like WCW. Its a shame that all the titles are being retired as a result, given the inherent value of the NWA title, but now we'll have to wait and see how the booking plays out... The NWA title and the NWA itself were splitting from WCW in 1991. After Flair jumped ship to WWF, the NWA championship was vacated and no longer used by WCW. I haven't stated that the titles will be vacated, they're going to remain active and function more as television titles would, while the divisional championships will function as the most prestigious titles. Depending how the story plays out, there is the possibility that the World Champion and the Elite Division Champion could be different individuals at the end of a season. The first few shows should give a bit more clarity to how titles will function under the approach. Definitely a bit of a stretch altogether for a southern based product, but I think it plays well with the leader being a tv producer who's not so familiar with territorial styles and is looking at the television audience as his focus. I'm hoping to post the last prologue and preview for the first show later tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusHack Posted June 19, 2022 Author Share Posted June 19, 2022 (edited) Prologue Part X : January 21st, 1992 - 9:45 PM - The Mind of Madness (Told from the perspective of Paul Heyman) This month has been a blur, but here we are just 10 days prior to of the kick off of either a wrestling revolution, or a financial disaster. The backstage in the past few weeks has been utter chaos and a complete sh*t-show with more and more bodies just appearing, I don’t know how Frey thinks he’s going to keep his job. At the last two shows, I got heated with Diamond Studd, Schiavone and a past-his-prime Austin Idol who came in thinking he was hot shit because of his work with the other old crone, Jerry Lawler. Schiavone and I got in each other’s space, probably because he knows I’m going to be a bigger part of the show with the new format. And then Idol treated me like a stage hand and that sure as shit wasn’t going to fly. Lastly, I got in between Studd and Dustin Rhodes who were tussling and then Diamond thought I threw a cheap shot at him. So we tussled and f*cking Frey wouldn’t fire that useless jobber. Ole pulled Dustin off and popped him in the eye, giving him a huge shiner. Austin tried to help me out and ol Cowboy Bill Watts thought he was tough enough to deal with him, and Austin popped him in the chin, knocked him on his ass. We were by the curtain and some guy grabbed me, so I took another swing… turned out to be a fan and Frey sent me home without pay… Last week, Missy Hyatt got caught in the change room doing a line and got sent to rehab by JR. Bill might be a dumb ol redneck, but he seems to be the only one with a head on his shoulders though, as he called for an emergency meeting and tried to convince Kip his plan wasn’t going to work and too much change was going to f*ck everything up. And instead of doing something about it, Frey just told everyone that the waters are just a little rocky right now, but once the boat corrects itself and gets on its course, the waters will be calm and steady. And that f*cking pretty boy Bischoff stood there in the background with a smile on his face taking notes - he thinks that he’s hot shit now because Frey’s got a boner for him. I swear to god, if Eric says one thing to me, I’m going to break his f*cking nose. He held a meeting the other day to go over the new broadcast format, and it’s all bullshit. Sounds about as pretty as he is, none of the grit that makes wrestling wrestling. Ole and Bill are planning a coupe, I think. There’s too many guys to manage and no booker. Frey’s out of his f*cking mind. For f*cks sake, he hired more referees - what do we need more referees for? And where is the money coming from for all these bodies. Doesn’t matter how good the show is, if no one wants to work there. That hick JR looks like he’s going to have a heart attack, he’s moving into an HR role and the entire roster has a problem with something. I was going to walk, but Frey gave me a bonus for all the work I’ve been putting in. He says that he sees something in me, but he’s just politicking to try and make some allies while everyone else turns on him. The only thing going for him is ever since that press conference, tv ratings have spiked up. The fans are curious, but that curiosity will subside. I’ve got to align with Ole and Bill and make sure I have a job when this ship sinks. Some of the boys are drinking Frey’s kool-aid, but I find it so placating. He’s improved catering, hired a masseuse, arranged paid transport, telling the staff that he’s improving the quality of life. It’s only a matter of time before the ratings drop and Billionaire Ted wants cut and this whole thing falls apart. -PH ROSTERS (These can be found on page 1 going forward) WEEK 92.01 CARD Prediction Grid: Shooters Club vs Samoan Swat Team Al Perez vs Austin Idol Kevin Von Erich vs Nobuhiko Takada Big And Bigger vs The Fantastics The Journeymen vs The Enforcers (WCW tag titles are not on the line) Cactus Jack vs Dustin Rhodes Ron Simmons vs Steve Williams Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat (US Heavyweight Title on the line) Edited September 3, 2022 by CactusHack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElectricX Posted June 19, 2022 Share Posted June 19, 2022 Shooters Club vs Samoan Swat Team Al Perez vs Austin Idol Kevin Von Erich vs Nobuhiko Takada Big And Bigger vs The Fantastics The Journeymen vs The Enforcers (WCW tag titles are not on the line) Cactus Jack vs Dustin Rhodes Ron Simmons vs Steve Williams Rick Rude vs Ricky Steamboat (US Heavyweight Title on the line) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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