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Post by anthonymm13 on Feb 11, 2022 17:55:52 GMT 1
You definitely established a solid lineup and your guys are filling the roles you laid out for the nicely. This is a fun world to follow.
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Post by marc91 on Feb 14, 2022 17:59:38 GMT 1
Getting a sold out crowd in MSG is definitely a good start!
It's interesting to note that Backlund was not in the main event. He had a good match but his interview wasn't anything special, so let's see what you're going to do with him
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Post by bookerman on Feb 24, 2022 7:32:17 GMT 1
January 23, 1983
Vince Jr. tells me he is in talks with Terry Funk, who has more demands than most (a big bonus for one) but would make for a good Backlund opponent in at least one show.
Also, we’re going to change Billy Graham’s gimmick to more of a “I’m a superstar and I know it” gimmick. He’s used to that. It should work. But we’re also thinking of a face turn down the line. Maybe not until late this year, but it’s a possibility.
Onto the show.
Mennen Arena Morris Township, NJ Capacity 2,500 Attendance: 2,212
Championship Wrestling - Airing Jan. 24, 1983
Ivan Putski d. Charlie Fulton in 2:47 Rating: C- / 55. Putski 62, Fulton 32.
Rocky Johnson d. Rene Goulet in 3:24 Rating: D+ / 52. Johnson 57, Goulet 33.
Interview: Tony Atlas and Rocky Johnson share niceties and agree to team up. Rating: C- / 56
Chief Jay Strongbow, Julies Strongbow d. Alexis Smirnoff, Tiger Conway Jr. in 4:26 Rating: C- / 54. Jay Strongbow 55, Jules Strongbow 61, Smirnoff 44, Conway 39.
Buddy Rogers’ Corner: Masked Superstar challenges Bob Backlund for a match at MSG! Rating: B / 79.
Pedro Morales d. Mr. Fuji in 4:38 Rating: C / 65. Morales 66, Mr. Fuji 53.
Interview: Don Muraco welcomes any challenge any time; S.D. Jones answers the call. Rating: C+ / 68
Invader #1, Invader #3 d. Brian Blair, Frankie Lancaster in 3:31 Rating: D / 46. Invader #1 41, Invader #3 45, Blair 35, Lancaster 25.
Superstar Billy Graham d. Tony Garea in 7:07 Rating: C+ / 69, Graham 70, Garea 49.
Post-Match: Lou Albano asks Superstar Billy Graham to join him as a client. Rating: B+ / 86.
Overall: B- / 73
All-Star Wrestling - Airing Jan. 28, 1983
Afa, Sika d. Frankie Williams, Tracy Smothers in 5:17 Rating: C / 61. Afa 78, Sika 60, Williams 37, Smothers 22.
S.D. Jones d. Mac Rivera in 3:18 Rating: C- / 53. Jones 55, Rivera 41.
Vignette: Tony Garea talks up his partner Eddie Gilbert Rating: D / 42
Eddie Gilbert d. Alexis Smirnoff in 2:40 Rating: D / 46. Gilbert 43, Smirnoff 42.
Buddy Rose d. Curt Hennig via countout in 5:22 Rating: C / 60. Rose 58, Hennig 55.
The Lord’s Throne: Lord Alfred Hayes talks to Big John Studd about the art of the body slam Rating: B- / 72
Big John Studd d. Brian Blair in 1:42 Rating: D+ / 51. Studd 61, Blair 38.
Ivan Putski, Tito Santana d. Ray Stevens, Iron Mike Sharpe in 6:22 Rating: C+ / 67. Putski 64, Santana 65, Stevens 63, Sharpe 46.
Interview: Jimmy Snuka hopes to work with Andre The Giant at MSG in February Rating: A / 89
Jimmy Snuka d. The Iron Sheik in 4:54 Rating: B / 78. Snuka 89, Sheik 60.
Overall: B- / 76
Tapings Post-Mortem:
Two very good tapings as I continue to show better main events. Hopefully that translates into better ratings and attendance.
Meanwhile, I like Alexis Smirnoff’s performances, and Ivan Putski has stepped things up nicely. Also, I’ve been trying out unemployed Tri State workers, and the best of the bunch so far seems to be Frankie Williams. |
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Post by bookerman on Mar 4, 2022 8:08:49 GMT 1
January 24-29, 1983
Company News
Coming off the tapings, we find out that Invader #1 was wasted on drugs. Again. I won’t stand for any more, especially after I went through the same issue with David Sammartino. So Invader #1 is dismissed.
In better news, both Jacques and Raymond Rougeau have signed on, as has Dino Bravo. If IWA wants to play dirty, we certainly will, too.
TV ratings: 0.03 for Championship Wrestling, 0.02 for All-Star Wrestling.
Global News
CState fired a ton of talent, another sign that the company is going into the tank.
NJPW may make Andre The Giant its figurehead. He’s our figurehead too, so … OK?
Speaking of which, and this isn’t great news: AJPW are offering Andre a contract. They have Tuesday shows (as do we). Vince would love to stop them, but they have more clout right now and ... well ... they're going to get him. Doesn't mean we lose him, but it'll really hurt our ability to promote him on TV.
MSW signed a deal with SportsChannel America.
Jimmy Snuka and Afa have signed deals with GCW, so they’ll work there from time to time.
Meanwhile, the work to find a good April match for Backlund at Boston Garden has become a real challenge. Terry Funk seems to have hit his limit with PPA contracts; we could wait to see if CState drops him (which should happen) before we pounce, but we could really use him. If not Funk it’s probably someone Backlund has already faced quite a few times, mostly in or around 1980 (Sgt. Slaughter, Greg Valentine, Larry Zbyszko, Ken Patera).
The only big name he hasn’t faced is Harley Race. That could be a real hot draw. Do we want to do that at the Garden? Or maybe we do it there, just once, then bring it to MSG in the summer or fall? We’ll hold on this idea.
Other options - or those who are slightly less well known in New England - include Rick Martel and Killer Khan. We could also just throw Dino Bravo into the mix. That’s certainly an option. But we want to have a real hot tournament for that New England Heavyweight Championship title.
Also, in most pressing news, we hear that GCW has now ascended to the point where workers are accepting written deals with them. Both Snuka and Afa are on board there with PPA deals, so that’s good for now. But it’s clear that we need to move quickly in New England to increase our importance there and secure our ability to sign big names.
The one good thing about GCW expanding is that we still have a good relationship with them, so we can still use anyone they bring in on a written deal. But we definitely want to get to a place where we don’t need to be relying on that …
Strategy
OK, time to figure out our upcoming cards for Boston, Philadelphia, and the first few New England shows. First is Boston (Feb. 5):
Andre The Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow vs Superstar Billy Graham, Afa, Sika Bob Backlund [c] vs Big John Studd | WWF World Heavyweight Championship
Otherwise I’m not sure. I’d like both Dino Bravo and the Rougeau Brothers to get into the mix. With Bravo, who should be a heel, I’d like him to answer an open challenge and pick up a win. Maybe over someone that sells really well. My top selling faces are:
Andre The Giant Jimmy Snuka Tito Santana
Hmmm. I suppose Santana can take a loss to Bravo. Maybe he dominates and it’s a countout? Either way, it’s not a bad option.
As for the Rougeau Brothers, they should be faces, but I’m severely lacking in good heel teams outside of the Samoans. I suppose I can throw Ivan Koloff and Alexis Smirnoff at them. Easy bait.
My issue is I’m severely lacking good heel teams.
I also need an opponent for Muraco and am actually thinking a rematch against Morales works there. Either that or someone relatively inconsequential like Tony Garea. So:
As for Philly (Feb. 12):
Bob Backlund [c] vs [???] | WWF World Heavyweight Championship Pedro Morales vs Superstar Billy Graham Jimmy Snuka vs Big John Studd
Originally internal options for Backlund included Koloff, Mr. Fuji and Iron Sheik. Hmmm. What if we brought in Andre for this show and had him team up with Backlund and another team? In fact:
Andre The Giant, Bob Backlund, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow vs Mr. Fuji, Buddy Rose, Afa, Sika
Perfect. We’ll have Muraco defend the IC strap against someone like Garea, and we’ll get Masked Superstar in action against a decent face that he can take down. Maybe Tito jobs once more. Plus we’ll have a tag match (thinking the Rougeaus against Koloff and Smirnoff a second time), and Bravo will debut somehow. Great.
Then there’s our first two New England shows (Feb. 16, Feb. 23). They’re smaller cards, about an hour in runtime each. Before booking that, we need to get the New England Heavyweight Championship tournament field down. Here’s who we’ll have in the mix:
Faces Chief Jay Strongbow Ivan Putski Jimmy Snuka Jules Strongbow Pedro Morales Rocky Johnson Tito Santana Tony Atlas
Heels Big John Studd Dino Bravo Don Muraco Larry Zbyszko Masked Superstar Mr. Fuji Ray Stevens Superstar Billy Graham
I’m not a fan of the face group, especially resorting to the Strongbows and/or Atlas and Johnson. Right now, I’d position the first round like so:
Larry Zbyszko d. Jules Strongbow Chief Jay Strongbow d. Ray Stevens Jimmy Snuka vs Masked Superstar (draw) Tony Atlas d. Buddy Rose
Superstar Billy Graham d. Rocky Johnson Tito Santana vs Don Muraco (draw) Pedro Morales d. Big John Studd (DQ) Dino Bravo d. Ivan Putski
The idea is to set up the April Boston show, protect who we must, and build up the names I want to build up. I’m thinking Boston will have a series between Snuka and Masked Superstar. I’ll protect Studd and even Bravo to have Morales move to the semifinal against Graham, I think. I may change that. Vince still wants Snuka to advance deep, but I really want a heel to take this. I’m standing on this for now and hoping it sticks.
For now, the first New England show (Feb. 16) will look something like this:
And the second show (Feb. 23) will look something like this: I’m actually wondering if we need reinforcements. Looking at who has heat in New England, and can draw face, I’m drawn to Rick Martel. He was in the WWF pretty recently, holding the tag belts with Tony Garea. He’s 26, athletic, Canadian and actually plays heel better, and now I’m wondering if teaming him with Bravo as a heel team makes sense. (They're great friends, as well.) I think it might. I’m offering a deal.
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Post by bookerman on Mar 14, 2022 8:00:56 GMT 1
Tapings time. Vince Jr. tells me he has to move on from Terry Funk, who’s just too demanding. Meanwhile, all of his other targets for a New England main event are getting scooped up by GCW. They’re moving quickly to sign just about everyone.
So, our next best option is Larry Zbyszko. He can still move tickets as an evil heel, so we’ll look to reintroduce him at Boston Garden and set up a program with Backlund. Then we may have him work some New England shows between now and when he actually takes on Backlund in April. We start negotiations.
With that, here’s what we have for Boston Garden coming up next week:
Onto the show.
Tate Rink West Point, NY Capacity 2,648 Attendance: 2,336
Championship Wrestling - Airing January 31, 1983
Big John Studd d. Paco Rameriz in 1:58 Rating: D / 47. Studd 61, Rameriz 16.
The Iron Sheik d. Frankie Williams in 3:43 Rating: C- / 55. Sheik 69, Williams 40
Tony Garea, Eddie Gilbert d. Butcher Vachon, Rene Goulet in 2:31 Rating: C- / 53. Garea 63, Gilbert 42, Vachon 50, Goulet 33.
Pre-Match: Lou Albano comes out to court Buddy Rose to join him Rating: B- / 75
Buddy Rose d. Swede Hanson in 3:54 Rating: D+ / 50. Rose 61, Hanson 37.
Buddy Rogers’ Corner: Strongbows talk about challenges, but Albano and Samoans invade and it gets heated. Rating: B- / 73.
Tony Atlas, Rocky Johnson d. Bob Bradley, Tiger Conway Jr. in 4:44 Rating: C- / 54. Atlas 54, Johnson 54, Bradley 42, Conway 39.
S.D. Jones d. Invader #3 in 3:59 Rating: C- / 57. Jones 54, Invader #3 48.
Post-Match: Don Muraco shows off his belt to S.D. Jones Rating: C+ / 67
Bob Backlund d. Mr. Fuji in 7:23 Rating: B- / 76. Backlund 91, Mr. Fuji 53
Post-Match: Bob Backlund accepts The Grand Wizard’s challenge and will face The Masked Superstar at MSG! Rating: B- / 76
Overall: B- / 71 All-Star Wrestling - Airing February 3, 1983
Superstar Billy Graham d. Brian Blair in 3:11 Rating: C- / 54. Graham 87, Blair 37.
Interview: Lou Albano can’t wait to unveil his new team next week on Championship Wrestling. Rating: B / 82.
Curt Hennig d. Iron Mike Sharpe in 5:30 Rating: C- / 55. Hennig 55, Sharpe 48.
Ivan Putski, Tito Santana d. Bob Bradley, Tiger Conway Jr. in 4:32 Rating: C- / 58. Santana 66, Putski 62, Bradley 41, Conway Jr. 39.
(Commercial for WWF at Boston Garden with Andre The Giant, Jimmy Snuka, Bob Backlund and more!)
Pedro Morales d. Mac Rivera in 2:57 Rating: C- / 54. Morales 69, Rivera 42.
The Lord’s Throne: A closer look at The Iron Sheik and his turbulent history Rating: C / 61
Don Muraco d. Paco Rameriz in 3:20 Rating: C- / 55. Muraco 72, Rameriz 20.
Pre-Match: Big John Studd’s next victim in the Body Slam Challenge falls before he can lift the beast. (Pot: $250) Rating: C+ / 68
Big John Studd d. Rocky Iaukea in 1:59 Rating: C- / 53. Studd 62, Iaukea 23.
Jimmy Snuka, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow d. Ivan Koloff, Alexis Smirnoff, Charlie Fulton in 6:20 Rating: B- / 75. Snuka 92, Jay Strongbow 52, Jules Strongbow 58, Koloff 60, Smirnoff 41, Fulton, 34.
Overall: B- / 72
Tapings Post-Mortem
Another good pair of shows as I push better main events. I also got Backlund to work a show for once, as I tell him he’ll be working two Championship Wrestling shows per month at the moment. He's not very happy about it.
Otherwise not much else to report, though Snuka continues to completely overshadow just about everyone. If he wasn’t in cahoots with GCW I’d think seriously about giving him a strap sooner rather than later.
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Post by bookerman on Apr 5, 2022 0:20:52 GMT 1
January 31-February 4, 1983
Here are our upcoming cards (after adding more matches to our Boston and Philly cards):
WWF at Boston Garden - Feb. 5, 1983 One annoying piece of news is that Larry Zbyszko isn’t officially on board yet. Luckily George Steele said he can make it to the Garden for a quick appearance, so he’ll close the show calling out Backlund.
WWF at Philadelphia Spectrum - Feb. 12, 1983 WWF at Madison Square Garden - Feb. 19, 1983 With the Rougeau brothers debuting, we decide to give them a gimmick of good guy punks. They’ll wear jean jackets and black clothing while pumping up the crowd. We’re thinking of the simple name of The Brothers Punk.
As for Dino Bravo, we’ll play up his Canadian heritage; he’ll boast about being the biggest star in Canada. That’ll shove IWA a bit.
We also decide to offer a PPA contract to Masa Saito, who has in the past teamed with Mr. Fuji. The idea is to either have a small Japanese stable (with Tiger Chung Lee) or have Fuji and Saito tag together with Lee breaking away.
Company News:
Well, the first domino has fallen: The Iron Sheik has signed a written deal with GCL. We can still use him via talent trading, but I can’t imagine working with him unless we want him for a small run against a younger challenger.
Also, Tony Garea is heading to GCW on a written deal. Sheesh.
We then find out that both Andre The Giant and The Masked Superstar are going on tour with AJPW when that starts up in March. That's a bit of a bummer. We can still use them for the arena shows, but the tour means they can't work Tuesdays, which means no TV. I'll have to rethink some long-term plans, then.
TV ratings: 0.03 for Championship Wrestling, 0.02 for All-Star Wrestling
Global News:
We’re not the only one losing a big name for a while: Ric Flair of MACW is going to tour Japan with NJPW.
Ken Patera won the AWA Championship over Nick Bockwinkel this week.
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Post by bookerman on Apr 13, 2022 7:10:59 GMT 1
February 5, 1983
We’re in Boston. George Steele arrives about an hour before bell time and keeps to himself. I have spring on the mind: If Masked Superstar and Andre are gone for a while, I’m thinking of having Larry Zbyszko show up for a potential MSG run against Backlund. I’ll also need to rely heavily on Superstar Billy Graham and Jimmy Snuka … maybe they can even feud?
Anyway, I’m excited for Boston. We bring in a local jobber named Spike Huber for the proceedings. At 7 p.m., we get going!
Boston Garden Boston, MA Capacity 18,000 Attendance: 5,452 [paid]
WWF at Boston Garden - February 1983
Ray Stevens d. Spike Huber in 3:23 Rating: C / 60. Stevens 62, Huber 24.
A nice little squash, and amazingly the crowd is already buzzing. Great sign.
Tony Atlas, Rocky Johnson d. Iron Mike Sharpe, Bob Bradley in 5:03 Rating: C- / 56. Atlas 58, Johnson 59, Sharpe 45, Bradley 30.
Atlas gets the pin. Johnson was off his game, but the match kept the crowd hot. Shocked but very happy.
In-Ring: Dino Bravo debuts and challenges anyone to beat the Canadian Legend. Rating: C+ / 66
Maybe not as strong as I would’ve wanted from Bravo’s debut, but hopefully this means this is the baseline. His “Foreign Star” gimmick gets an above-average reception.
Dino Bravo d. Tito Santana in 7:52 Rating: B- / 71. Bravo 69, Santana 64.
Hey, nice one! Great heat and great workrate, as Bravo wins by grabbing the tights. We’ll have him win by cheating in the early going.
Jimmy Snuka d. Mac Rivera in 4:01 Rating: C / 59. Snuka 86, Rivera 28.
Just wanted a pseudo-squash here to get Snuka out there for the fans. He stood out, as always.
Interview: Bob Backlund on meeting Big John Studd tonight Rating: C+ / 66
Could really do better here. I’m cooling on Backlund.
Don Muraco [c] d. Pedro Morales in 11:41 to retain the WWF Intercontinental Championship Rating: B / 78. Muraco 73, Morales 59.
Submission win for Muraco in another wild brawl. Morales was tiring toward the end. Nevertheless, a better result than their first bout at MSG. I’d say this was about ***½. Solid work by Muraco to carry the older Morales.
Curt Hennig d. The Iron Sheik in 4:51 Rating: C- / 58. Hennig 42, Iron Sheik 60.
A shocker! With Sheik heading out I’m fine jobbing him to young guys like Hennig. He gets the rollup to steal it. A fine result as it gives the fans a slight breather.
Interview: The Brothers Punk debut and promise a run to the top. Rating: D+ / 51.
Ouch. Not a great start for the Rougeaus. The punk gimmicks get an average reception. Gotta build them, then.
Jacques Rougeau, Raymond Rougeau d. Ivan Koloff, Alexis Smirnoff in 6:43 Rating: C- / 55. Jacques Rougeau 50, Raymond Rougeau 52, Koloff 55, Smirnoff 36.
Smirnoff isn’t very good here, a sign that maybe I shouldn’t rely too much on him. Jacques gets the Boston crab to win, and I applaud the inside joke. The Brothers Punk start very much in the middle of the roster.
In-Ring: Big John Studd’s Body Slam Challenge: Another victim! (Pot: $300) Rating: C+ / 69
He’s getting better at this, I think.
Bob Backlund [c] d. Big John Studd in 13:05 to retain the WWF World Heavyweight Championship Rating: B / 82. Backlund 84, Studd 66.
Wow! A great performance by both, and I’m stupidly happy with Studd. Backlund, too. Nearly a **** bout. Also, we find out that McMahon and Lord Alfred Hayes work well together. Interesting.
Post-Match: As Backlund celebrates, George ‘The Animal’ Steele attacks from behind! Rating: B+ / 86
Good! I’m excited for Steele.
In-Ring: Gorilla Monsoon announces the New England Championship and a tournament to crown a winner, plus Backlund vs Steele in April at the Garden! Rating: B- / 74.
Maybe Gorilla becomes an on-air president with Vince and Hayes taking over regular duties on the mic? Patterson? I’ll figure something out?
Andre The Giant, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow d. Superstar Billy Graham, Afa, Sika in 19:49 Rating: B / 81. Andre The Giant 100, Jay Strongbow 61, Jules Strongbow 57, Graham 87, Afa 73, Sika 53.
Andre gets the pin with the slam. A good match (about ***¾) but not enough selling. I may have to adjust for Philly and MSG, then.
Post-Match: Andre The Giant and his team celebrate the victory Rating: B- / 76.
Good finish here.
Overall: B / 80.
Hey! Great show for our first one at Boston Garden. Yes, we didn’t sell nearly enough tickets, but Vince Jr. is OK eating that cost for this one. He wanted to make a splash locally and on TV, and I think he did.
I give special thanks to Studd and Backlund, plus Tito Santana for doing the job.
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Post by bookerman on Apr 24, 2022 7:46:23 GMT 1
February 6, 1983
TV tapings day, and I find out we did a 0.32 TV rating for the Garden show. But then Vince Jr. comes to me.
“Bruno handed in his notice.”
It’s a dark day. It doesn’t matter at this point what went on with David Sammartino because Bruno, for more than a decade, was the WWF. He was it. The uber star. Now he’s leaving.
As I begin booking Championship Wrestling, Vince Jr. comes back to me with a missive: “Start booking big main events.”
“For TV?”
“Yes. I’m talking with networks. I’m trying to land a weekly A show, the kind that can match what Turner’s doing in Georgia. So we’ll need big-time main events to bring it home to networks.”
“How’s Backlund and Jones against Muraco and the Masked Superstar?”
“Yes. That’s it. More of that. And if anyone back there gives you hell, just threaten them. Threaten everything.”
So, I’m told to do a big main event, add another decent match, then fill out the card with squashes. Fine.
“I’m not a monkey boy, going in that ring every week for the TV crowd,” says Backlund.
“OK. Just watch how long you hold onto that strap.”
“You son of a-”
“Look, it’s just a threat, Bobby.”
John F. Kennedy Civic Arena Rome, NY Capacity: 2,000 Attendance: 2,000
Championship Wrestling - Airing February 7, 1983
Iron Mike Sharpe d. Tommy Seigler in 2:04 Rating: F- / 15. Sharpe 46, Seigler 36.
Tito Santana d. Rick Link in 1:36 Rating: D+ / 49. Santana 65, Link 30.
In-Ring: Buddy Rose, Lou Albano shake hands before Rose’s match. Rating: B- / 72.
Buddy Rose d. Ivan Putski in 7:44 Rating: C- / 54. Rose 60, Putski 53.
Buddy Rogers’ Corner: Lou Albano shows us the new Superstar Billy Graham, cuts a promo against Snuka, Andre The Giant. Rating: B / 78.
Tony Garea, Eddie Gilbert d. Mac Rivera, Invader #3 in 5:18 Rating: C- / 54. Garea 60, Gilbert 43, Rivera 41, Invader #3 49.
Big John Studd d. Frankie Williams in 2:29 Rating: C - / 52. Studd 61, Williams 37.
Interview: Bob Backlund, S.D. Jones have words for their opponents tonight. Rating: C+ / 68.
Interview: Masked Superstar, Don Muraco, The Grand Wizard of Wrestling respond. Rating: C+ / 69.
Bob Backlund, S.D. Jones d. Masked Superstar, Don Muraco via DQ in 10:09 Rating: C+ / 71. Backlund 91, Jones 57, Masked Superstar 81, Muraco 73.
Overall: C+ / 69
All-Star Wrestling - Airing February 10, 1983
Pedro Morales d. Charlie Fulton in 1:39 Rating: C- / 54. Morales 66, Fulton 40.
Interview: Lou Albano says he’ll give $1,000 to the man who slams Andre The Giant at MSG. Rating: B+ / 84
Superstar Billy Graham, Buddy Rose d. Brian Blair, Frankie Williams in 5:03 Rating: C+ / 71. Graham 89, Rose 62, Blair 40, Williams 38.
Curt Hennig d. Mr. Fuji via DQ in 7:27 Rating: C / 61. Hennig 58, Mr. Fuji 53.
The Lord’s Throne: An inside look at the Strongbow Way and the family history Rating: C+ / 67
Jules Strongbow d. Afa via DQ in 6:16 Rating: C+ / 69. Afa 73, Jules Strongbow 57.
Tony Atlas, Rocky Johnson d. Bob Bradley, Rick Link in 2:41 Rating: C- / 57. Atlas 59, Johnson 59, Bradley 43, Link 33
Interview: Dino Bravo says he’s the greatest Canadian wrestler and will inflict damage on the WWF. Rating: 74
Jimmy Snuka d. Tiger Conway Jr. in 5:10 Rating: B / 77. Snuka 89, Conway Jr. 39.
Overall: B / 76
Tapings Post-Mortem
Well, whatever show Snuka and Graham are on sure does better, and this week that was All-Star. Otherwise, I was happy with Bravo’s interview spot, and Hennig is coming along nicely.
Up next is the Spectrum, followed by another round of tapings and our MSG show. Vince Jr. hints that we might be starting our A show right after MSG.
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Post by bookerman on May 28, 2022 4:56:17 GMT 1
February 7-11, 1983
Card update!
WWF at Philadelphia Spectrum - Feb. 12 WWF New England 1 - Feb. 16 WWF at Madison Square Garden - Feb. 19 Some changes.
Andre and Masked Superstar will be working for AJPW the night of our Spectrum show (it starts), so we’re making changes. One being a big gamble: Curt Hennig stepping in to help Backlund fend off the heels. Why are we doing this? Great question. I guess I’m giving Hennig a chance to make a name for himself. Let’s see him work a big arena show in the (gulp) main event.
As for the Masked Superstar spot, we’ll just slot the debuting Zbyskzo there. He’ll get the win.
Also, we had to slot Putski into the Tony Garea role at MSG, since he’s off to GCW. We’re still not sure what to do to fill out the MSG card. I like Patterson challenging Morales, essentially coming to the ring and goading him for losing the IC belt.
Company News
Good news: I spoiled it above: Larry Zbyszko is on board. So is Masa Saito, who I might wait on for a moment. I think Masked Superstar can run two MSG shows with Backlund, so we’ll probably do a DQ finish to start with a second match set for March. Then Zbyszko can run the springtime program over three shows. But I also want Zbyszko at MSG now; maybe he makes a surprise open challenge midway through the show, then demands Backlund.
Also on board: Rick Martel. Awesome. I’m heavily thinking of pairing him with Dino Bravo.
We offer a six-month extension to Ivan Koloff. We need him for the moment.
TV ratings: 0.03 for Championship Wrestling, 0.02 for All-Star Wrestling
Global News
- GCW just re-signed David Sammartino. Cool, go ahead, Ted.
- Speaking of GCW, its TV show this week included a main event of Assassin #1 and Mr. Wrestling beat Hammer and Sickle (Greg Valentine and Ivan Koloff). You’re accumulating all this talent, and that’s your main?
Ed Wiskowski won the PNW Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Title at PNW’s Superstar Extravaganza. In their main event, Ted DiBiase, Buddy Rose, and Tom Prichard beat Don Running Bear, Harley Davidson (Hillbilly Jim), and Sheik Abdullah Ali Hassan.
- MLW has loaned Billy Graham to CWF via the NWA. Vince Jr. is annoyed at all of this.
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Post by bookerman on Jun 1, 2022 5:45:25 GMT 1
February 12, 1983
We arrive in Philly for what we hope is a surprisingly effective show, despite not having Andre or Masked Superstar.
Vince Jr. meets with me, as is custom.
“What do you think about our New England shows? I’d like to push Snuka. He’s shown a lot.”
I don’t know. I think about the plan I’m writing: Andre The Giant as the unstoppable heel. Not that Andre is going to win the New England Championship that we’re introducing, but that I think this is the place to push a heel as our top draw up there. This is where we experiment.
“Vince, I like a heel in this territory.”
“A heel? We just go to New England and settle in and establish a heel champion? Are you crazy? Do you know anything about booking a territory?”
“Vince …”
I know little, but damn, if you look around at GCW and the other companies growing leaps and bounds, they’re taking the risks that we need to take.
“Let me have this as my pet project. At least on the booking side. Let me experiment here.”
“OK smart guy, who do you have in mind?”
There are two solid heel draws for New England, one old, one young. I like the young guy.
“Zbyszko.”
“No way. No. We haven’t even seen him. I’d rather Billy Graham. He’s a surefire draw, he prioritizes us …”
“He’s yesterday’s news, Vince! Want to shake it up? Let’s go with Larry.”
“I don’t know yet. Book a first round, give them both wins. Book one of the better faces to go over, too. Maybe Morales. If not Snuka … I don’t know yet. But damnit, if I even whiff that this won’t work, I’ll hotshot it back to Snuka just like that! I know this is a new place for us, but we're not atop a pile of money here.”
Our new A show is likely to premiere right after MSG. So there’s that, there’s New England, there’s the actual MSG show, there’s Andre and Masked Superstar going on tour, there are guys going to GCW … there’s a lot.
Before the show, I sit down with Larry Zbyszko and ask him if he has gimmick ideas. “The king of wrestling,” he says.
“Go on.”
“I’m the greatest grappler in the world. I can brawl better than the toughest scum. I’m the peak athlete. I’ve come to the World Wrestling Federation to show these idiots what a real wrestler looks like.”
“Run with it.”
The Spectrum
Philadelphia, PA Capacity 18,690 Attendance: 18,690 [SELL OUT!]
WWF at the Spectrum - February 1983
Tony Atlas, Rocky Johnson d. Mac Rivera, Iron Mike Sharpe in 4:20 Rating: D+ / 52. Atlas 56, Johnson 57, Rivera 33, Sharpe 39.
Just fine for the opener. I have to remember that Rivera and Sharpe don’t gel as partners. Atlas was off his game, though.
S.D. Jones d. Invader #3 in 4:04 Rating: C- / 56. Jones 57, Invader #3 49.
Another match that leaves me shrugging. Jones is fine for a stand-in, as he’s 42 and can work up the card. But make no mistake: We’re talking about early card talents here. Jones wins with a submission.
Dino Bravo d. Frankie Williams in 3:36 Rating: C- / 55. Bravo 62, Williams 37.
Williams isn’t very good, huh? Bravo gets the quick win, and he’ll continue to punish his way up the card.
Interview: Don Muraco says he’s ready to show Ivan Putski what a real man looks like. Rating: C+ / 71.
That’s more like it. Our real show begins in earnest with a nice Muraco interview.
Raymond Rougeau, Jacques Rougeau d. Ivan Koloff, Alexis Smirnoff in 4:48 Rating: D+ / 55. Raymond Rougeau 51, Jacques Rougeau 50, Koloff 59, Smirnoff 41.
I speak too soon. Koloff is off despite being the best man in the ring. I’ll need to really build the Brothers Punk. Maybe a feud with the Samoans is in the cards, once they nab the straps in maybe April or so.
Superstar Billy Graham d. Pedro Morales in 6:59 Rating: B- / 72. Graham 90, Morales 64.
Here we go! Not as strong as their January match, but still about *** to get the crowd going. Graham wins via cheating, so we might have a blowoff in March. We’ll see.
Post-Match: Graham declares Pedro Morales’ career finished. Rating: B / 76.
Graham is still working at a high level, it seems.
Don Muraco [c] d. Ivan Putski in 9:39. Muraco retains the Intercontinental Title. Rating: B- / 72. Muraco 70, Putski 55.
I had them put on a brawl and they delivered with nearly 10 minutes, though Putski tired toward the end. As it stands, they gave me another *** match. Putski isn’t the best guy for a long run against Muraco, but he’s good to do a job.
In-Ring: Larry Zbyszko surprises everyone by entering the ring and challenging anyone in the back. Rating: B / 76.
A solid way to announce his presence via live event. His King of Wrestling gimmick goes over pretty well. Now we’ll see if Zbyszko can elevate Eddie Gilbert …
Larry Zbyszko d. Eddie Gilbert in 5:37 Rating: B / 73. Zbyszko 83, Gilbert 44.
Hell yeah. Great debut for Larry as he makes Gilbert look good and still shuts down the kid with a submission maneuver. Another *** match, and we’re rolling a bit now.
In-Ring: Big John Studd is back with the Body Slam Challenge. (Pot $350.) Rating: C / 63.
This works. I’m playing the long game with Studd.
Jimmy Snuka d. Big John Studd via DQ in 18:55 Rating: B+ / 83. Snuka 89, Studd 59.
Yeah! Snuka delivers once again with a ***3/4 bout, absolutely carrying Studd for nearly 19 minutes. The DQ finish sets up a rematch in March, naturally. Snuka is definitely on a collision course to be Muraco’s major challenger later in the year.
Interview: Our main event teams meet and chat with Pat Patterson. Rating: B- / 72
We’re just setting up the main event by getting the crowd into it. Hoping like hell that we have an entertaining match …
Bob Backlund, Curt Hennig, Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow d. Mr. Fuji, Buddy Rose, Afa, Sika in 21:39 Rating: B / 74. Backlund 91, Hennig 59, Jay Strongbow 51, Jules Strongbow 57, Mr. Fuji 50, Rose 61, Afa 72, Sika 56.
I can’t be upset with this. Apparently there wasn’t enough selling out there, but we still got a good *** match out of it. Also, Hennig held his own. If Andre was in the match we’d certainly have more to praise, but I’m just glad that there was enough fun to go around. Good main event to close a very decent show.
Meantime, Afa tells me he doesn’t want Lou Albano as his manager anymore. Alright then …
Post-Match: Backlund and Hennig celebrate, but George Steele interrupts and wants the champion! Rating: C+ / 67
Threw this in to set up a March title match between Backlund and Steele. They’ll go at it at Boston Garden, but those shows are few and far between, so they can also work a Spectrum show or two. The bad news is Hennig didn’t perform well here. Oh well.
Overall: B- / 73
Once again, we could’ve done better, but this isn’t a loss at all. I was informed that we used Hennig a little too much; well, if I didn’t have him celebrate with Backlund at the end, I probably would’ve been fine. Oh well.
In the post-show speech I praise Zbyszko, Snuka, and Hennig.
TV rating: 0.18.
Event Post-Mortem
We continue to make good money as we sell out Philly once again. Snuka continues to be our ace in the hole, while Graham is also holding up his end. Muraco looks like fine money with the IC strap, and Zbyszko seems to be an instant hit.
The pressing issue is with Afa not wanting Lou Albano as his manager, which is simply odd. I’m still slating the Samoans to nab the titles soon, and they’re Albano’s guys. I’d rather try to smooth this over.
Here’s my preliminary top card for Philly in March: I think we’re on the road to a steel cage match between Snuka and Studd, but probably in April. We’ll do a tag match, maybe a six-man, as well. I imagine we’ll have Muraco defend the IC against another midcarder (maybe Hennig?). Still some time to consider that.
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