DOTT: The Race To National

[teakle]

It happened in March 1983. It was bluebell time in Kent. I was a staff writer for All Star Wrestling in the UK. The Head Booker was Tony St Clair, but as he was also an in-ring talent he had to rely on me to bring together ideas for the cards. We were definitely the number two promotion in the UK due to Joint Promotions grabbing all the headlines due to their tv deal. We could not compete with them in terms of “superstar draw”, but we could put on good shows, which drew a lot of praise from wrestling insiders and the more critical fans. UK promotions were very old school. Slow paced battles of almost laughable heroes pitted against outrageous heels. It was a world away from what was going on “over the pond”. There the longstanding territorial system was beginning to be swept away. Vince McMahon Jnr. had started it all by splitting from the NWA. He cleverly saw that, due the emerging pay per view market, a previously old and creaking territorial promotion could rise to national acclaim and create both a wrestling and financial empire. As it turns out it was Vince’s scheming that saw my life take a dramatic change. The US scene, more than anywhere else had the potential to dominate the globe. The UK and European scenes did not bear mentioning. They were training grounds for some solid mat wrestlers, but little else. Canada and Mexico were sideshows. Japan’s scene was strong, but it was almost entirely introverted; it was designed to satisfy the Japanese market and was content with that. The US scene however, was a different story. At this time the big players in the US were as follows: [B]AKA “The Race To National”[/B] [LIST=1] [*]World Wrestling Federation - “WWF” – The young McMahon had struck first and struck hard. In splitting from the NWA and declaring war on the territorial system the WWF had moved ahead of all rivals. Securing both national tv coverage and an unheard of lucrative pay per view deal. It could attract the big names to fill the roster and was undoubtedly the number one promotion. However, the battle was far from won. Whilst the WWF had a strong following, it was some way off reaching national acclaim. It was still heavily reliant on the Tri-State area. Until Vince could take them to National level and secure the talent to written contracts, they could be beaten. [*]Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling – “MACW” – Jim Crockett Jr’s baby and stronghold of the NWA. Be in no doubt, the NWA name still held respect at this time and the MACW had seized control of the belt by virtue of holding the contract of the current Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair. It is unlikely that Crockett will ever relinquish the belt and appears intent on keeping it for his promotion. It was perhaps Crockett’s actions that ended the territorial system as much as McMahon’s. In choosing to keep the NWA Heavyweight Championship all out war had been declared. Not just the NWA against the WWF, but the former NWA promotions against themselves. While MACW lacked a national tv deal, they possessed the most talented roster around. Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes etc… If they could keep hold of them, then they could quickly catch and overtake the WWF. [*]American Wrestling Association – “AWA” – Or Vergne Gagne’s Pet Dinosaur as it had been “affectionately” termed. Vergne had already left the NWA before McMahon’s decision to follow suit, but had done so with less success. The plus side to the AWA was a national tv deal to match the WWF’s. Unfortunately, the poor booking of Verne had led the roster to stagnate, with the notable exception of Hulk Hogan, who was already on the road to becoming a national institution. The roster is aging and it remains to be seen if Hogan will hang around for much longer. Big changes will be needed if the AWA are to survive. [*]Georgia County Wrestling – “GCW” – By far the smaller of the top promotions and only deserving of a mention due to holding arguably the best tv deal of them all on TBS. If they can use the remaining seasons on their contract, they stand some chance of making it to the big time. [/LIST] Now the fact that the big players were looking to shake things up in their push to make it to National was not a surprise. Nor was the fact that there was interest in acquiring my services. As I have already said, I was drawing good press for my work and, at just 27, I was earmarked as a man with a great future ahead of me. What was surprising was where the approach came from. I could have expected a staff role on any of the “Big Four” promotions. Or I could have expected an approach from a smaller Regional or an ambitious Local promotion to become their Head Booker. A Head Booker spot at one of the Big Four seemed out of reach… What led to elevation beyond my station was an unusual string of events. A stubborn headstrong owner had gotten into trouble with his bankers. Although the promotion was solvent, who can really expect to survive if their bank simply chooses to exercise their rights and threaten to call in loans, mortgages and overdrafts? It appears that some bigwig on the bank’s board was keen for their 45% ownership of the promotion to grow in value. They had the big name promotion, they had big name wrestlers and had, through their influence, gotten a big name tv deal. What was holding them back was the big name owner of the promotion with his even bigger ego. The bank had decided to take a chance and force the owner’s hand. They had called him and his advisors in and demanded changes or else they would pull their support forcing him to close. The owner could stay, but they wanted a Head Booker brought in to run the creative side of things. As the owner had previously run the show himself, as you can imagine, this went down very badly. Some weeks had gone by without a deal being brokered. The bank had closed all lines of credit and was making things difficult. The owner decided to offer a compromise. He would agree to bring in a Head Booker, but if they were not a success, then control would revert back to him and the bank would agree to back him in his plans. The deal was done and all was left was to agree on a mutually agreeable name. Now, when one side wants the Head Booker to succeed and the other wants them to fail, agreeing a name is not going to be easy. The bank had approached and already agreed a deal in principle with George Scott, who had recently left the MACW and was regarded as the best there was. However, this was exactly who the owner did not want. The owner wanted his friend, but weak booker, Larry “the Axe” Hennig to take over. The bank did not. I was told that lots of names were suggested and rejected by one side or the other, before my name came up. To the bank, I was a risk, but well respected, easy to work with and likely to be a breath of fresh air. To the owner, I was a punk kid who would come in and through my inexperience do such a poor job that he could replace me within six months. So, all without my knowledge, it was agreed that I was the man to do the job. It was late in the day when the call came in. I was tired and was unwinding watching Minder. Of course I had heard of the owner; he was a legend in wrestling circles. His in ring technical skills were exceptional and was credited with training some of the top talents of the last few decades. I was told that a decision had been made to appoint a new Head Booker and I was the name that the parties had agreed on. I was stunned, of course, but this was an opportunity of a lifetime. We briefly discussed terms; I was to have overall control of the show, subject to his “guidance” and the financial package for me was many times more than what I could hope to earn in the UK. What followed was a hectic couple of weeks. I promptly quit my role at All Star Wrestling; they understood, it was unheard of for someone of my standing to get this opportunity. In just two weeks I had sold my flat and jumped on a plane to the US to become the new Head Booker of the American Wrestling Association… [I]Back story over, now on with the diary…[/I]

[teakle]

[B][U]Week One[/U][/B] Economy: B- and falling. Industry: E+ and rising . Verne had greeted me somewhat coldly in his office on my first day. He made it clear that he did not think he needed a Head Booker, but this had been forced on him. He pointed out that he thought my chances of success were slim and he would not be unhappy to see me fail. Thanks, Verne! He did set out some guidelines that I had to work within: · I was brought in to make money, not to lose it; I needed to have more than $650,000.00 by the end of my 2 year contract. · Also, hiring unfit wrestlers wasted money; I could not sign anyone with less than B- in resilience. Overall, I was happy with Verne. He had been honest with me and not gone out of his was to make things difficult. My first task was to have a thorough assessment of the roster that Verne had left me with: [U]Main Event[/U] Baron Von Raschke – A reliable OLD heel. He is popular, charismatic and a good worker, but OLD! At 43 he is (whether he likes it or not) winding down his career. He is on a written contract, so I will use him as much as possible and then begin to wind down his career and help the younger stars to get over. Nick Bockwinkel – A true legend. 3 time and current AWA champion, 3 time AWA tag champion as well as having held a hatful of other titles. He is great in the ring and good out of it. He is past his peak at the age of 48, but he remains in good shape and will have to carry the main event scene for now. Ken Patera – A big, bad, 40 year old, ex power lifter turned wrestler and McDonald’s fan. For a late-comer to the game, he is a reasonable worker, but will only be as good as the wrestler who is carrying him. He is, however, very popular and could have a role helping push some younger guys, but will not have a chance at the main event any more. Hulk Hogan – At 29 a mere pubescent in terms of our main event roster. In terms of wrestling ability, it’s best we concentrate elsewhere. He has the ability to put on ok matches, but will have to rely on charisma to carry him through. Fortunately for him, he has that in bucket loads. Potentially he is a true breakout star and global phenom. The only problem is that I am not the only one to think this and it is strongly rumoured that the WWF will come in for him soon. They can offer more money than I can even consider and will, arguably, be more suited to Hogan’s entertainment over wrestling skills approach. Wahoo McDaniel – Another main eventer over 40?! What a shock… However, he is a good solid brawler who, although more solid than spectacular, can hopefully still put on a good match. Overall, it is clear where the problems lie. Out of five main eventers four are on the wrong side of 40 and the other guy is likely to leave! [U]Upper Midcarders[/U] Rick Martel – Another slip of a lad at just 26. He is the youngest by far of the upper echelons of the roster and clearly has some potential. A good all-round wrestler who is already a two-time WWF tag champion. He is a good worker, but more solid than spectacular at the moment. He will need to improve before he becomes a true main event force, but given that he has 20 years on most of my main eventers, why not give him a try out! Greg Gagne – I can feel some storming arguments coming over this lad. He is reasonably popular in our area and is not the worst wrestler on the roster. However, what he is doing in the upper mid-cards only Verne can answer. Jesse Ventura – Simply as a wrestler I would have fired this man on the spot. He cannot wrestle!!! However, in terms of sheer charisma, he is almost unparralled. His promos are the stuff of legend and he has the ability to hold a crowd in the palm of his hand. Simply too good to let go without a fight, but he must be another potential target for the WWF. Jerry Blackwell – HUGE! At over 500lb and a genuine giant I am assured this man can pull off a genuine dropkick, which is almost unbelievable. It is a shame that in almost all other respects he sucks. Some may say I am being harsh, as he can slug it out occasionally, but really is not very good. He will need a manager to speak for him and will need to improve quickly if he wants to keep his job. Mr Saita – Another 40 year old… He is a great technical wrestler, but lacking in psychology and charisma. If it was not for his advanced age he would have a future, but can I really justify giving him a push now? [U]Midcarders[/U] Jim Brunzell – 3-time and current tag champ, but nothing really to write home about. The upper midcards are out of reach for him at the moment, but he is solid enough for now to probably hold his position on the roster. Mike Graham – A 13-time tag team champion! However, that was elsewhere. Good enough to pull off reasonable matches, but only when carried. Simply not good enough to remain. Sgt Rene Goulet – I am sorry, but I really do have to draw the line at 50 year olds! A lifelong jobber and it’s a close call whether he gets fired first or picks up his free bus pass. Brad Rheingans – He is only 30! He is only 30! An excellent mat wrestler, but lacks understanding of psychology and had all charisma surgically removed at birth. Needs a manager, but could if he can still improve his performance skills, he could just make it… David Schultz – Another youngster at just 29, but his brawling skills are already formidable. He needs to work on his all-round game and he will need careful booking, but with good charisma, he could be a breakout star. Curt Hennig – A good solid all-rounder at the tender age of 25. He is the son of his ageing roster compatriot, Larry Hennig, and maybe the only reason that his father is kept around! [U]Lower Midcarders[/U] Sonny Rogers – Only 25, who can just about pull off a solid match, but will always stink out the ratings. No obvious potential. Kenny Jay – a decent mat worker with a solid grasp of the basics. No charisma and at 46 he’s not getting any better. Buck Zumhole – 26 years old and a solid wrestler. Might be one to be fired if only because of his name! [U]Openers[/U] Kevin Kelly – young, big, rubbish, fired. Nacho Berrera – Almost singularly lacking in talent. [U]Enhancement “Talent”[/U] Jake Milliman – Young, but rubbish and going nowhere but to the exit. The overall impression was one of an aging roster, but with some solid wrestlers in there. It was strongly rumoured that the WWF were poised to come in and sign our talent and there was little we could do to stop them. I made the call to Hulk Hogan’s agent to see if he would be interested in an improved deal to stick around, but I got a distinct impression that I was wasting my breath. Obviously new talent needed to come in and quick. Now it was time to review the backroom staff… or not. What caught my eye was what termed as “occasional wrestlers”. This is apparently another way of saying broken down ex-wrestlers kept on the staff as they were friends of the owner. [U]Occasional Wrestlers[/U] Blackjack Lanza - 48 year old, good brawler, tag team specialist, good charisma, but a bit of a wreck! Billy Robinson - 43 year old, Brit, Incredible technician, still fit enough to pull out some good matches. The Crusher – 50, 3-time AWA champ and 7 time tag champion, good brawler, but psychology and stamina are dropping off badly. Larry Hennig – 50, 3-time AWA tag team champ, decent brawler, but other skills dropping off badly, will need to be carried. Dick the Bruiser – 50, 1-time AWA HW, 3-time AWA tag, 10-time WWA Heavyweight champ and 12-time WWA Tag champ. He is still a great brawler with charisma, however his stamina is low and injuries are mounting up. Mad Dog Vachon – 53, 4-time AWA Heavyweight and 2-time AWA Tag champ. A good brawler. What on earth are these guys doing here?! On the plus side they are still talented enough, but it remains to be seen if they are fit enough to fight any more. If they can be used as jobbers then they will; if not they will be fired.

[D. Boons Ghost]

Fantastic backstory, teakle! I'll be looking forward to this one.

[TsuMirren]

Phew, for one horrid moment I thought you were going to do a UK dynasty there. haha Good luck with this one.

[teakle]

[B]AWA Road Tour[/B] Advanced booking: Baron Von Raschke v Nick Bockwinkel Hulk Hogan v TBA [U]Santa Barbara Hotel – CA – 1,000 people and a sell out![/U] The show opened when Hogan came out to the ring and got on the mic. He admitted that the WWF had come in for him and made him an offer to join them. He talked about not being sure what he is going to do, but wanted to be honest with the fans. And, if he leaves, then he wanted to leave with a bang! He issued an open challenge to anyone to fight him that night. The crowd clearly warmed to Hogan’s honesty and his charisma carried him through. [B]Rating: B-[/B] Sheik Adnan Al-Kaissey came out to meet Hogan. He badmouthed the USA and accepted Hogan’s challenge with a slap to the mouth. Hogan tried to fight back, but was held back by the officials. Well my plans for a good old-fashioned patriot vs enemy angle bombed with the fans left unhappy with what they witnessed… [B]Rating: D- [/B] [B]Jerry Blackwell v Jim Brunzell[/B] A reasonable match ended after 10 minutes when Blackwell hit Brunzell with a big boot and grabs a handful of tights when going for the pin; arguably a bit pointless as he had a 250lb weight advantage. The crowd was less than happy at the method of the victory. [B]Rating: D+[/B] Next Nick Bockwinkel comes out and got on the stick. He says that as the Heavyweight champ you have to be prepared to face the best. He is prepared to take on the best that the AWA has to offer and challenged Baron Von Raschke to a match. [B]Rating: B-[/B] [B]David Schultz v Larry Hennig[/B] Young(ish) prospect Schultz hit his patented Flying Corkscrew Elbowdrop after 12 minutes. These two looked good out there and appeared to have some pretty good chemistry which lifted the rating a little, although there was a noticeable lack of selling shown. [B]Rating: C[/B] [B]Billy Robinson v Brad Rheingans[/B] Two great technicians of differing generations went at it for 10 minutes of scintillating action packed fun. After 10 minutes Rheingans triumphed with a Cradle Suplex. Brad did not do himself justice out there and looked off of his game and there was a lack of selling shown. However, contrary to that, the two of them had pretty good chemistry and this lifted the crowd. [B]Rating: B-[/B] Baron Von Raschke marched out to the centre of the ring and started talking. He appreciated Bockwinkel’s offer and accepted the title match. [B]Rating: C+[/B] [B]Hulk Hogan v Sheik Adnan[/B] Hogan won after 10 minutes with his patented Big Leg Drop, but the match was not good. Hogan and the Sheik just did not click at all and the Sheik just cannot compete in even such a short match anymore and looked exhausted by the end. [B]Rating: C-[/B] [B]Baron Von Raschke v Nick Bockwinkel[/B] After what has been an inconsistent card these two old-stagers pull a cracker out of the hat. The battle is fierce and evenly balanced. 22 minutes of thrilling action are ended in controversial fashion when Bockwinkel gets the pin using the ropes for extra leverage. Bockwinkel makes the first defence of his title. Now the match suffered due to a lack of selling shown, BVR was beginning to struggle towards the end and the crowd did not take kindly to the cheap finish. However this was offset by two great wrestlers who have GREAT chemistry together. [B]Rating: B[/B] [B]OVERALL: B-[/B] A great main event and a solid match from Brad Rheingans led to a good rating for the first show. However, it all could have been much better. A more wisely chosen opponent for Hogan and dropping the cheap finishes could have improved matters further. But, a B- is not to be sniffed at and is at least a strong start.

[teakle]

[B]Post match issues and egos…[/B] What was particularly annoying was that the worst match on the card only had Jim Brunzell being squashed by Jerry Blackwell as Dick the Bruiser refused to do so due as Verne had given him creative control. Needless to say having a creative control clause and being the wrong side of 40 coupled with a pay per appearance deal, does not make for a secure career… The next day when I arrived in my office I had a message from Verne to come and see him. Now, I was a little hesitant about this. Overall the show had been good, but there were obvious errors that I made. There was no way that I should have used The Sheik in ring and any idiot could tell that the way we promoted our shows meant that the crowd would not like the cheap finishes I had booked… or could they… In fact Verne was delighted at the use of the cheap finishes. He considered a masterstroke and that it showed that I clearly been learning from his previous booking of the AWA. He suggested that I allow Hogan to win the Heavyweight belt, only to have it taken back due to some ridiculous technical breach of the rules. I said that I would consider it. Idiot. As expected, approaches were made for members of my roster. Hulk Hogan was approached by (the optimistic) MLW and the WWF. The WWF also approached Ventura, which will not be too much of a loss. Bobby Heenan was approached by HCW and ASW went for Okerland, but neither was a worry as I expected them to prioritise the AWA. Considering the aging roster and the likely departure of two of my best workers, I made a host of calls to find replacements. I made sure to approach a mixture of older stars and younger up and comers to try and balance out both ends of the roster. Approaches: Arn Anderson, Barry Windham, Bobby Eaton, Brett Hart, Dick Murdoch, Don Muraco, Gino Hernandez, Jake Roberts, Jerry Lawler, Kevin Sullivan, Koko B Ware, Larry Zbysko, Marc Rocco, Paul Orndorff, Randy Savage, Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton, Terry Gordy, Sgt. Slaughter, Ted DiBiase, Tommy Rich, Tony StClair and Tully Blanchard. The one non wrestler I went for had a famous name, Tony Hogan! Young, talented and hugely charismatic, pity he can’t wrestle. Remind you of anyone? In fact the name was coincidental. Potentially a great manager. [I]In fact a generated new worker.[/I] Rejected approached: Terry Gordy - too small. Barry Windham – loyalty. Gino Hernandez – loyalty. Randy Savage – loyalty. Signings: Tony Hogan $125, Bobby Eaton $600, Arn Anderson $625, Mark Rocco $625, Koko B Ware $425, Robert Gibson $625, Ricky Morton $925. I was somewhat miffed at having to pay 50% more for Morton than for Gibson, but you really have to have both or neither of them really… My big money signing of the week was… Jake Roberts at $1,275 per show. Sacked: Nacho Berrera, Kevin Kelly, Kenny Jay and Jake Milliman.

[teakle]

[B]AWA All-Star Wrestling[/B] [U]Mid-West Small arena in front of a sell out crowd of 5,000.[/U] [B]Mike Graham v Sonny Rogers[/B] Graham and Rogers both get a chance to impress not only the fans, but their new head booker. Graham wins after he pins Rogers after 9 minutes with a Rolling Reverse. [B]Rating: D+[/B] [B]Greg Gagne v Sgt. Rene Goulet[/B] In a transparent attempt to win the favour of the owner, Verne’s son gets the win after 10 minutes with a Gagne Sleeper. Thankfully the two had pretty good chemistry otherwise the remaining matches would have to go some to make up for two awful matches. [B]Rating: C+[/B] [B]Mad Dog Vachon v Rick Martel[/B] A freakishly fit 53 year old Mad Dog Vachon pulled out one of the finer matches of the latter part of his career, but Martel triumphed by forcing his aged opponent to submit in the youngster’s Boston Crab after 12 minutes. Suspiciously immediately after this match, Vachon’s physical condition dropped massively; rumours abound… [B]Rating: B-[/B] Bobby Heenan comes out and pronounces that he will soon be taking over the AWA when he sets up a monstrous stable of wrestlers keen to do his bidding. Apparently the fans turned against the angle, which is possible, but apparently the performance of the legendary Henan to be was “not very good to begin with”… I think not! I chose to change the fans not Heenan. [B]Rating: D![/B] [B]Brad Rheingans v Curt Hennig for the vacant Television Championship[/B] Brad puts on another solid performer against a fellow touted starlet. Brad wins after 16 minutes with Hennig giving in to the Standing Short Arm Scissors. The bout dragged in the middle, but Brad looked good. [B]Rating: C-…[/B] [B]OVERALL: C-[/B] Overall not a bad show again, but rookie errors were made. It was clear that the fans just did not want to see angles at the moment. Whilst we have the roster to put on good matches, I will have to amend the product to allow some tolerance to angles. In the last show the main event saved the card, this time it killed it. Brad may be a good prospect, but he is not ready to main event any cards yet. Viewing figures: 1.33

[teakle]

[B]Post match issues, egos and a change of fans wanted…[/B] More trouble with the “occasional wrestler/frequent moaners”. Mad Dog Vachon complained about having to put Martel over, but was forced to do so anyway. It seemed like only a matter of time before full scale rebellion kicked in. Again, I met with Verne after the show to discuss my performance. He was accepting of the lower rating (still higher than anything he had every pulled off). What he was most happy about was Gregg getting a singles push. He was less happy about the “kids” that I had brought in. He accepted that younger workers were needed, but hoped that I would show caution in my dealings with the roster. I kept quiet after this. I left thinking that I had buttered Verne up enough to make some swift changes that he would not like. If I time things correctly I might be able to bring in the changes I wanted without causing him to go too out of control. I discretely altered the advertising for the future shows to appeal to a more Mainstream audience.

[teakle]

[B]Wrestling News[/B] A busy week… [LIST] [*]Koloff and Leduc win the final of the Crockett Cup in a C- match with McDaniel and Rotundo. They celebrate by formally joining forces under the name: Pain Game. [*]Leo Burke wins the vacant AGPW Heavyweight title. Leo selflessly booked himself to win the strap over Bobby Bass in a C- match and highlight of the show. On the same card, Hubert Gallant wins the vacant AGPW US Heavyweight title. [*]In an otherwise solid and uneventful card on the ASW (UK) show an upset happened with Danny Boy Collins being defeated by the diminutive Princess Paula. Innovative booking? [*]HCW put on a bit of a dog of a show with only one of their matches rating above D+, however, this was the (tiny) push they needed and they rose to Regional level. [*]Paul Christy picks up the WWA Heavyweight championship with a win over Dick the Bruiser (no creative control clause there…). [*]AJPW Champions Carnival is won by Bruiser Brody, who defeated dory Funk Jr, which pulled out a tired C rating. [*]ICW owner Angelo Poffo’s hand is suspected in son Lanny’s picking up the ICW Television title. With other son Randy Savage as Heavyweight champ. it cannot be long before Angelo chooses to put the tag belts on them as well… [*]Ron Ritchie wins the CSW British Commonwealth Mid-Heavyweight belt from Dan Davis. [*]Not so shocking news when the David von Erich wins his father’s Texas Heavyweight championship from Jim Garvin. [*]Matt Bourne wins the Mid-South Television title defeating Butch Reed in a disappointing D+ showing. [*]Rufus Jones and Mike Rotundo defeat Black Bart and Kelly Kiniski to win the vacant Mid-Atlantic Tag Team championship, but the star of the show is Flair who defeated Terry Funk to retain the NWA Heavyweight belt. [*]Vic Faulkner defeated Alan Kilby for the JP British Heavy-Middleweight championship. [*]Hulk Hogan defeats Andre on a NJPW card. [*]Raymond Rougeau beat Angelo Mosca to win the MWA Canadian Heavyweight championship. [*]Dr Tom Pritchard defeated Dean Malenko for the PNW Television title. [*]The WWA, E-, ICW, E, WWF In Your Neighbourhood, D+, WWC, D- all stink the place out with bad shows on Friday. [*]SECW rise to regional on the back of a D rated show. [*]HCW make a great business move in bringing in Roy Shire as head booker, but Dory Funk Jr. reported to have turned them down. DiBiase and StClair snub the AWA in turn… [*]Steamboat and Orndorff join the WWF on PPA deals in continuing strengthening of their roster. [*]Stan Hansen beats Jumbo Tsuruta to win the NWA United National Heavyweight belt in an outstanding B match. [*]A bizarre looking combination of DiBiase and Kamala win the Mid-South Tag Team belts from Mr Wrestling II and Tiger Conway Jr, who managed just one defence. [*]WWC and WCCW both put on D+ shows and CWA All Stars let things get even worse with a D-! [*]Mr Wrestling II and Larry Zybysko win the vacant National Tag Team belts over Ole Anderson and Stan Hansen. [*]Kerry Von Erich turns down chance to join WWF. [/LIST]

[teakle]

[B]Week 2[/B] Economy C+ and falling Industry E+ and rising On reflection, that was a good first week. The problems were largely inherited ones and, with a drastic roster overhaul, hopefully soon to be sorted. There were still problems with getting the “product” right, but we are putting on the most consistent shows out of the Big Four, so can be rightly proud. On the downside the economy dropped a level this week and is still falling. Not a problem yet, but we may be heading for financial problems in a few months. Signings: Tommy Rich $1,300 d/s $700, Larry Zbyszko $1,625 d/s $1,000, Kevin Sullivan - $1,850 d/s $1,100. A much more expensive lot of signings this week. Previously few of the active roster were on more than $1,000 per week, but to improve the roster this must be done. The ones that got away: Dick Murdoch – too small, Bret Hart – loyalty, Sgt Slaughter – war, Don Muraco – war, Tully Blanchard – concentrate elsewhere. As expected Jesse Ventura left to join the growing mass that is the WWF roster. In a move certain to provoke Verne, several members of the roster were culled… SACKED: Steve O, Sgt. Rene Goulet, Steve Regal, Mike Graham, Dick the Bruiser, Larry Hennig, The Crusher, Sonny Rogers and Ken Patera. Ken Patera was a tough call. I was tempted to job him out for a while before letting him go, however there were rumours of an incident following at a fast food outlet last week. Mr Saito’s roll in the matter remains under investigation. I suspect that Verne will not be happy at losing Larry Hennig, but I felt there was no place for him on the roster any more. Dick the Bruiser would have been retained but for the time he exercised his creative control clause. The tag team division received a bit of a shake up. The New Midnight Express formed (Morton & Gibson), the Bruisers (Sullivan & Roberts) hooked up again as well as Generation Next (Koko & Eaton).

[teakle]

[B]AWA Road Tour[/B] Advanced Booking: Hogan v Bockwinkel for the title and Larry Zbyszko to make his debut. [U]Returning to the Santa Barbara Hotel in CA. 1,000 sell out[/U] [B]Generation Next v New Midnight Express[/B] I had hoped that these two young teams would click straight off, but no such luck. A solid, but uninspiring performance ended when Gibson pinned Koko after 13 minutes with a small package. [B]Rating: D[/B] Bobby Heenan came out accompanied with Jerry Blackwell, his new client. Heenan hyped Blackwell as being the first member of his new team as Blackwell shows off his impressive size. Again, the crowd turned against this angle! [B]Rating: D[/B] [B]Jake Roberts v Mad Dog Vachon[/B] “The Snake” made a solid start against the now less mobile Vachon. Roberts comes out the winner in 10 minutes with a pin after hitting a DDT. [B]Rating: C[/B] Hulk Hogan came down to the ring. He started talking about how unhappy he is that he might leave his fans in the AWA, he doesn’t want to go, but feels it’s his duty to all of his little Hulkamaniacs to go to the show where more people can see him… [B]Rating: B[/B] A “surprise” response from Bockwinkel. He interrupted Hogan and told him to stop whining. It was a simple choice to make, either stay loyal to the AWA or leave. Bockwinkel offered to send him off in style by beating him in a title match tonight. [B]Rating: B[/B] [B]Blackjack Lanza v Tommy Rich[/B] Tommy Rich joined the list of debutants. On paper two good brawlers should have made a better match. It ended with Rich winning over Lanza after 10 minutes with a Thesz Press, but even after such a short match Lanza was exhausted. [B]Rating: C[/B] [B]Billy Robinson v Larry Zybysko[/B] The surprise act of the “occasionals” Robinson is involved in another great match. Fellow technician Larry Z wins after 13 minutes with a pinfall whilst holding a handful of tights and lifting the crowd. [B]Rating: B- [/B] However, Larry Z puts a dampener on his excellent debut by grabbing a mic. and ranting about how he will revolutionise the AWA. Again the crowd were not happy! [B]Rating: D [/B] [B]Hulk Hogan v Nick Bockwinkel[/B] These two pull a stormer out of the bank to end the show. Hogan may not be a great talent, but he is good enough to be carried to some good matches. Bockwinkel wins in 19 minutes with a pin after a piledriver. Hogan was visibly tiring. Announcing quality not up to match quality, but still lifted the crowd. [B]Rating: B+[/B] (and to date, global match of the year) [B]OVERALL: B![/B] Koko was used too much as was Ricky Morton. A great rating and the segments show that there is big room for improvement. Still need to work out why the crowd seems against some of the angles, but not others… Mad Dog and David Schultz were warned for turning up late.

[Dragonmack]

Good read so far and why the crowds are crapping on angles is the overness of the people doing them. New people who haven't built their popularity in your region will get crapped on while your established people will get good results.

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[B]Post match issues, egos, fan problems and politics...[/B] To say I was delighted with the show was an understatement. We had, for the first time achieved a degree of consistency throughout the card. The show started slowly and built up nicely to a barn-storming main event, which was an early contender for the match of the year. If only I could keep Hogan, building up a feud between him and Bockwinkel could push us to the top in no time, but I knew there was no hope. After the show it was announced that Hogan had confirmed that he would join the WWF, which left the dilemma of how to handle his leaving. Do I job him out? Or, do I let him leave with dignity in the hope that I will be able to poach him back later? Mad Dog Vachon and David Schultz were warned for turning up late. Vachon is noticeably unhappy at being used as a jobber to the young stars. The plan was to use him once or twice more before disposing of him. Quite rightly I had thought that sacking him now might push Verne over the edge. Once again I was bemused that the crowd had “pooped” on some angles. Then, in a moment of pure inspiration [I](ahem!)[/I] I realised that is was my lesser known stars that were having the problems. Maybe, if I just stuck with it, as they got better known, then the reactions would improve. Of course, Verne wanted a word with me about the sacking of so many of his favourites. I will not repeat the details of the meeting, but suffice to say Verne was apoplectic. I understand that he demanded the bank terminate my contract, but, thankfully, they were delighted with my start and were having none of it. Regardless, Verne made it clear that I had to start showing more respect for him and the history of the AWA.

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[B]All-Star Wrestling[/B] [U]MW – Small and in front of a disappointing crowd of 3,962 people[/U] [B]High Flyers v Generation Next [/B] In a blatant attempt to appease Verne, the High Flyers, and more importantly his son, got more national exposure. Gregg Gagne made Eaton submit with an Indian Deathlock after 10 minutes to retain the tag belts. [B]Rating: C[/B] [B]Baron Von Raschke v Mr Saito[/B] The somewhat tarnished reputation of Mr Saito was put to the side and to great effect in this great match. BVR wins after 13 minutes when Mr Saito submitted to a clawhold. The rating suffered a little as not much selling shown, but the match was a good one regardless. [B]Rating: B[/B] [B]Brad Rheingans v Mark Rocco[/B] The often used and pushed Rheingans won by submission after 12 minutes with a Standing Short Arm Scissors. On a good note, Brad’s newly appointed manager Tony Hogan did some good work at ringside. [B]Rating: C[/B] [B]Rick Martel v Hulk Hogan[/B] Well, the decision was made. Job Hogan, but don’t bury him. In an effort to gain popularity for a rising young star Martel wins in 13 minutes after a Flying Cross Body led to the pin. [B]Rating: C+[/B] After match Hogan picked himself up. He did not look happy at all with the loss. However, in a surprise move he went over to Martel and offered him a handshake, which was accepted. The two embraced and celebrated for the fans. [B]Rating: B-[/B] [B]OVERALL: C+ [/B] Koko used too much again. The tv rating was 1.3, down by 0.03, too little to worry about.

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[B]Post match (lack of) issues, plus Hogan…[/B] Well, for once, the post match dealings were simple, although I did not suggest to Verne that this was probably to do with my sacking of most of the “occassionals”. Verne had calmed slightly, probably due to Gregg getting another victory. We were not exactly back on good terms, but he did speak to me… which was a shame. As previously reported, Hogan was due to leave now. I called him into the office to speak to him before he left. Now it was well known that on a personal level Hogan and I did not get on; McMahon and Hogan were great friends. However, the one way of getting through to Hogan was by appealing to his love of Hogan! I laid some simple facts down for him. At the moment, the WWF were number one. However, he had only signed a PPA deal with them. That meant that if we rose in size, which we were certain to do, then we could become number one. In that instance, we would be straight back in to try and re-sign him.

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[B]Wrestling News[/B] [LIST] [*]WWF pulled off a solid C show for WWF Championship Wrestling, with Ray Stevens beating Backland to steal the show. [*]“Mean” Gene Okerland joined the ASW on a PPA deal, but confirmed that this would not be allowed to interfere with his AWA work. [*]Roddy Piper joins the WWF and Sgt. Slaughter signs with MLW. [*]Mike Shaw fails a steroids test. [*]In the CWF, Johnny Heffernan wins vacant Florida Television title in bout with Leroy Brown. [*]HCW decide to actually use belts and champions for the first time! They got two new champs in just one night. Kamala wins the modestly named Universal championship by beating Super Destroyer in a D+ match. Jim Duggan, a mere Intercontinental champ, beat Matt Borne, performing in front of just 152 people in New Jersey. [*]AGPW pulled off a solid C- show. [*]Tully Blanchard also snubbed an approach from the MLW. [*]Leduc and Lewin won the vacant Florida Tag Team belts over Sullivan and Rhodes. [*]Steve Kearns suffered a head injury and was put out for 5 months. [*]AJPW put on a C+ show thanks to Stan Hansen beating Jumbo Tsuruto in a B- main event. [*]CWA put on another rubbish show D-, with no match better than D-! [*]CSW and SWCW got ratings warnings pulling in 0.3 and 0.35 ratings respectively. [*]Dory Funk Jr rejected SECW as he remained loyal to AJPW. [*]Terry Funk is no longer friends with the friendly sounding Killer Karl Kox! [*]Billy Jack Haynes win the PNW Heavyweight strap beating Sheik Abdullah Hanson in a D match. [*]AWA rivals MACW put on a much inferior C- show in front of just 767 in the NorthWest. Highlight is Terry Funk and Joss Leduc winning the NWA World Tag Team belts from Steamboat and Youngblood in a C match. It appeared that MACW are looking to spread their popularity on a national level before they even get to cult… [*]AJPW get a further ratings warning. [*]WWC put on a solid C- show. As do MSW who were reliant on former AWA targets Dick Murdoch and Ted DiBiase to get the rating up. WCCW get a D+. [*]CSW put on a good C show headlined by Harley Race. [*]NJPW Strong Style only gets a D+. [*]WWF In Your Neighbourhood also only gets a D+ with a PPV buy rate of 0.07. Backland over Sika to retain Heavyweight belt. Muraco over Santana to retain the IC belt. Piper was the highlight of the show. [*]Mr Wrestling II defeated Dick Murdoch to win the vacant MSW North American Heavyweight title. [*]MACW put on a good C+ show. Steamboat performs well in his last match before joining the WWF, but the star of the show is Ric Flair defending his title against Dusty Rhodes in a B match. [*]GCW get a ratings warning. A lacklustre D+ show pulls in a rating of 2.08, which although great for wrestling shows, is not good enough for TBS. If they lose their slot, then they will probably drop out of the Big Four at the end of the month. [/LIST]

[angeldelayette]

The diary looks good so far! Definitely a reader.