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Post by Dimos on Mar 14, 2023 19:40:44 GMT 1
It's a diary that I started a year ago on another platform.
Here are a couple of facts:
1. The diary already has a large archive of written shows, but they are in another language. This means that it will not be short-lived, as I only need to translate it into English. So if you like it, you can safely commit to reading it.
2. I started this diary with the hook of "Russian oligarch" so that it would not become just_another_WCW2001_diary. Like an year ago. Not it's more cringeworthy than fun lol. This hook has not aged well. I'm not sure if I'll continue with this theme in the future, but for now, I'm uploading what has already been written.
3. English is not my first (or even second or third) language, but I'll do my best to write in a way that is not painful to read.
4. The first four shows were written worse than the others, but it will get better.
5. I had fun playing and writing it...
... so I hope you'll have fun reading it.
Memo #000: Is Russian "dirty" money the only way to save WCW?
Ain't it ironic?
After all the negotiations between WCW, AOL, Bischoff, Vince, and whoever else you can think of, I have placed the newly signed rights to all WCW licenses and everything they owned right next to my cup of Russian tea.
(I'll tell you the difference between Russian tea and all other kinds some time later.)
I can already hear the shrieks of wrestling marks:
"How can WCW end up in the hands of a Russian oligarch? What does he know about wrestling? Is he from the Russian mafia? Is it just for money laundering? That's inappropriate!"
Maybe it is. I don't really know.
What I do know is this:
1. I've been a wrestling fan since 1998, and WCW was a promotion I deeply dug into.
2. While AOL, Fusion, and Vince were all trying to get a better deal for themselves and throwing all kinds of shenanigans at each other, I had cold, hard cash from my "oil business," so I could buy WCW right away. And I did just that.
3. I can write my ideas, my opinions, and my...well...diary here to gain the trust of wrestling fans all over the world. I'm not doing it for praise and kudos, but to learn English writing in a practical way.
Will it be readable? I don't know.
(My bet is 'no.' This is my first try at writing in English after all...and I've hated English lessons since school where the teacher told us about 'American capitalists that want to destroy our happy country' in 1976...)
Will it be interesting?
I don't know either.
But I've already "played" with WCW for almost two years now and written about my journey in a journal. I have that journal in my vault right next to my Gazprom stocks. It's all in Russian. Why not translate it? Why not write my memoirs about what Russian money could do for World Championship Wrestling? And why not practice English writing (for the first time in my life!) during that?
Now it's time to drink more tea...
23.05.2003
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #1 There is a video is about the history, traditions, and legacy of WCW, including the final match between Ric Flair and Sting at the last Nitro. (46)
"The Professor" Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbyszko welcomed us on a first Nitro after reboot.
The first episode of the new era was opened by Eric Bischoff, who welcomed everyone to the new WCW and apologized for the "mistakes of the past". He explained that it was a new era and everyone had a choice to make - stay and help make WCW great again or go home, go to Vince, or go anywhere else. But in the new WCW, everyone had to earn their place. (65)
Match 1, WCW Cruiserweight Title: Shane Helms vs Shannon Moore. Helms defending the title against his partner Moore. Although it wasn't the best cruiserweight match ever, it was good enough to start. At the end Helms caught Moore with the Vertabreaker and retained his championship. (13:23, 46)
Lex Luger is here to cut a promo, acknowledging that there wouldn't be a WCW without guys like Sting, Flair, Hogan...and Luger. But now everyone blames them for what happened to the company. Eric Bischoff is here to respond. “Are you serious? Right now you pal Buff Bagwell had started a fight backstage. And he had been fired right on the spot. You have a choice pal - either stay and fight for your place here or go home”. Luger was about to respond when he was brutally attacked by Mark Jindrak! (54)
Match 2: Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo vs Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi and Yang) vs Jamie Noble and Kid Kash vs Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris). It was a showdown of the best young cruiserweights here. Air Reid won after Styles gave Kash the Styles Clash. (10:33, 34)
WCW World Heavyweight and US champion Booker T is here! He is glad to have WCW alive, but doesn’t trust Bischoff a bit. He is ready to give him a benefit of the doubt though. Eric Bischoff responded. He is offering a handshake and a new WCW contract, which Booker signed on his title belt. However, Booker had to choose which belt to defend, and he chose to keep the World title. The US title was vacated, and a new champion would be determined in an 8-man tournament, with the final at the Great American Bash. Booker would defend his title later that day. (80)
Match 3, WCW Tag Team Championship and WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championship: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire vs Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio. It is bout for WCW tag team titles unification. Chuck and Sean used their size to dominate. At some point they threw out Rey and… he just went backstage! O'Haire and Palumbo easily won over Kidman to become the undisputed tag champions. (12:42, 63)
Backstage Kidman tried to find Rey, but he was nowhere to be found. (44)
Jeff Jarrett cut a promo, expressing his desire to be the face of new WCW. Eric Bischoff is here to announce that Jarrett would get his chance - to become the World champion… tonight! (61)
Chavo Guerrero in pre-match promo announced that he was sick of playing stupid gimmicks and that he is a great wrestler and he is a Guerrero. He would participate in the US title tournament. (39)
Match 4, US Title Tournament First Round: Konnan vs Chavo Guerrero. Chavo defeated his opponent with a Frog Splash. (6:44, 60)
Diamond Dallas Page cut a promo expressing his loyalty to WCW and his desire for a title shot, but he was attacked by Mike Awesome, who gave him an Awesome Bomb through a table. (58)
Match 5, US Title Tournament First Round: Lance Storm vs Alex Wright. Storm advanced into semifinals with the Mapleleaf submission. (7:44, 54)
Match 6, WCW World Heavyweight Title: Booker T vs Jeff Jarrett. They fought to decide who would be the World champion in the new WCW, but there was no winner, as they were both attacked by Scott Steiner with a steel pipe. The first Nitro of the new era ended with Steiner at the center of the ring with the pipe in one hand and title belt in other. (12:55, 69)
Overall: 58
WCW Monday Nitro
Episode #2
Video replay shows Scott Steiner's actions from last week (70)
The show starts with Scott Steiner's promo where he claims to have dominated in 2001 and doesn't want to sit on the bench. He wants his title back. Jeff Jarrett responds, saying that he understands all of it, but Steiner attacked him, and he didn't like it. Jarrett wants to be friends again and dominate together in the new WCW. Steiner agrees, but suddenly Booker T appears with a chair. Steiner runs away, leaving Jeff Jarrett alone to take a chair shot. After a minute, Steiner returns to help Jarrett get up, but instead, he viciously attacks him and destroys with a pipe shot. (77)
After a commercial break, Eric Bischoff talks to Steiner, expressing his dissatisfaction. Bischoff promises that will not be on a bench tonight and be in action. (69)
Match 1, WCW Cruiserweight Title: Shane Helms vs Evan Karagias. Last week Helms won over Moore and tonight he defended his title against another former 3 Count member. Helms made a pinfall after executing a Vertabreaker (11:43, 42)
There's a mysterious video about a wrestler's debut where a lot of black water falls from the sky. We don't know his identity yet. (60)
Mike Awesome cuts a promo backstage, declaring that he's done with stupid gimmicks like being the 70s guy or the Fat Chick Killa. He's a Career Killer and always has been. Last week DDP was merely an example. More to come. (67)
Match 2: Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) vs Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. Skipper uses brass knuckles on Air Paris and gets a win for his team. (9:33, 32)
Match 3, US Title Tournament First Round: Billy Kidman vs Kaz Hayashi. Both wrestlers are trying to advance to the semifinals, knowing they need to take any chances to shine in new WCW. Kidman, more experienced in singles performance, is favored to win, but Rey Mysterio in a luchador mask comes to the aisle. Kidman tries to talk to him, but Rey attacks him! Hayashi wins with a Hayashi Cutter. (10:11, 46)
Match 4: Mark Jindrak vs Alex Wright. Mark Jindrak dominated again, defeating Alex Wright in under four minutes. (3:32, 38)
Chavo Guerrero does a pre-match promo, complaining again about not being respected in WCW and living in the shadow of his famous uncle. He declares that it's all in the past now, and he will be the main Guerrero from now on (48).
Match 5: Chavo Guerrero vs Hugh Morrus. Chavo used every tactic from Guerrero's playbook to win, including a chair shot and a Frog Splash (7:44, 58).
Disco Inferno cuts an in-ring promo, claiming that his Disco gimmick was stupid and that he's a serious performer. He reveals that his real name is Glen Gilberti and that he wants to prove himself by winning the US title. His opponent is then revealed to be none other than ROB... VAN... DAM! (50).
In Match 6, US Title Tournament First Round: Rob Van Dam vs Glen Gilberti. RVD is making his debut and scoring a win after executing a Five Star Frog Splash. (8:24, 52)
Ric Flair comes to the ring for a promo. He has a tear in his eye and talks about not trusting Eric, but he can't deny that WCW is his home. He admits that he may not be the "Nature Boy" he once was, but if he can be useful to the company and fans, he'll be here. Eric Bischoff comes to the ring, apologizing for past mistakes, and expresses his willingness to work together with Ric for WCW's sake. Bischoff and Flair shake hands in the middle of the ring making it kinda historic moment, but suddenly, Chris Kanyon appears and attacks Flair with a vicious chair shot from behind! (71)
Match 7: Scott Steiner vs Bam Bam Bigelow. Scott Steiner was punished with a match against legendary extremist Bam Bam Bigelow. It proved to be a tough match for him until the referee took a bump. Steiner resorted to using a steel pipe to secure the win (4:55, 62). After the match, Steiner continued his assault until Booker T made a save. Eric Bischoff came out again. He fed up with Steiner's behavior. Earlier tonight he promised him a hard match. And boy did he deliver! Bischoff set up a tag team match between Steiner and Jarrett against Booker T and Bigelow, and it was set to start right away (66).
Match 8: Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett vs Booker T and Bam Bam Bigelow. Despite Bigelow having been hurt in a previous match, Booker T and Bam Bam Bigelow managed to defeat Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett. It happened when Booker T got a hot tag, causing Steiner to leave the ringside and leaving Jarrett alone. JJ was hit with an Axe Kick and lost. (12:11, 63) After the ring bell, Booker T, with his title belt in hand, stared down Scott Steiner on the ramp (68).
Overall: 66
Memo #001: Is There Only One Way to...?
True Story:
During my time in prison, I met a guy with prostate cancer. When looking at his options, he went to several different specialists. Each told him their way of treatment was the best and only way worth doing.
The surgeon said the ONLY solution was to remove his prostate.
Another doctor said drugs would be the best.
And the naturopath said he should use only natural approaches.
That's what I was thinking about while dealing with all the backstage problems in my 3rd week as WCW owner. RVD was influenced by drugs and couldn't make it to the next Nitro. Same as Mike Awesome. Konnan was getting fines for "backstage heat" every time he came to the show. Scott Steiner taunted low-card guys and made the locker room hate DDP, although Page wasn't an angel himself.
There wasn't a one single show without incidents, so I was wondering...
What was "THE way" to deal with it?
Talk to them?
Yell at them?
Fine them?
Fire them?
Make a trip to Chernobyl with them?
For now, I decided to go along with the situation. Whatever happens is okay.
But there will be a day when I must deal with it...
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #3
Video about what happened last week. Mike Tenay, Larry Zbysco, and Tony Schiavone welcome us again. (68)
Announcement: Diamond Dallas Page will be here tonight for the first time since his brutal attack from Mike Awesome two weeks ago. (67)
Jeff Jarrett opened the show and blamed Scott Steiner for lying to him. Steiner had betrayed him last week. Eric Bischoff responded and wanted to solve it "WCW-style": Jarrett against Steiner tonight! Jeff wasn't too happy... Booker T came to save him and wanted Steiner for himself. Jarrett was ready to step aside. Bischoff agreed: Booker T will fight Steiner tonight in non-title action and Jarrett will be a special enforcer then. (76)
Match 1: Shannon Moore vs Evan Karagias. Shane Helms joined announcers to observe the match. The announcers mentioned that Helms would defend the WCW Cruiserweight title in a triple threat against Karagias and Moore at the Great American Bash. As for match, Moore catched Karagias on Bottoms Up and won. (10:11, 39)
Video about the debut of a mystery wrestler again... Now we know his name: Black Reign. (59)
Match 2: Mark Jindrak vs Konnan. Jindrak dominated again. He won over Konnan after a Superkick. (6:15, 43)
Last week: Rey Mysterio was back in his masked style and attacked Billy Kidman. (32)
Match 3: Billy Kidman vs Chavo Guerrero. Rey Mysterio interfered once again, distracting Kidman. Chavo used it and performed Frog Splash to win. (11:16, 51)
Gene Okerlund found Rey Mysterio backstage. Mysterio cut a promo about not being respected at WCW. The mask was synonymous with "great wrestler" for him, and all lucha libre was behind Rey. Rey will prove that lucha libre can dominate in WCW. (35)
Diamond Dallas Page, wearing a neck brace, did an in-ring promo. He isn't scared of Mike Awesome and did nothing wrong. But if Awesome has problems with him, they could solve it in the ring. Mike Awesome entered the ring and wanted to solve it "ECW-style": no talking, no tears, no drama, only in-ring action. DDP wasn't ready for a match tonight, but he would be ready at the Great American Bash. Awesome left... but only to return and deliver another Awesome Bomb to the injured DDP. (68)
Scott Steiner had a backstage interview: he needs no alliance or allies. He wants the World title and will get it by himself alone. (54)
Match 4, US Title Tournament Semifinals: Lance Storm vs Kaz Hayashi. Hayashi was good, but Storm took a win, catching him in Mapleleaf. (8:31, 43)
Last week: Chris Kanyon is back and attacked Ric Flair (64).
Chris Kanyon is here to explain his actions from last week. He was sick of hearing "drama queen Flair" talking about him helping WCW... Flair was the reason for WCW's bankruptcy. If it wasn't for Flair, there wouldn't be some shady Russian guys backstage. And now Flair wants to help? Kanyon and the new WCW need no help from Flair and other old millionaires. So his attack was to make that statement. Flair can go home the same way as other "big WCW stars." Ric Flair appeared to answer and taunted Kanyon. Maybe Kanyon was just envious of Flair's career? Because Kanyon couldn't make 1/100 of what Ric made. Flair grabbed a chair and went to the ring, but Kanyon ran away. (62)
Match 5, Non-Title Match: Booker T vs Scott Steiner. It was WCW-style: there were referee bumps, interference from the special enforcer Jeff Jarrett, and the use of a steel pipe. Jarrett distracted Booker T while Steiner used the steel pipe to choke him out in the Steiner Recliner, ultimately winning the match. (16:32, 75) Right after the match, Jeff Jarrett smashed a guitar over Steiner's head. (68)
Overall: 72
WCW Monday Nitro
Episode #4 Last week: Jeff Jarrett attacking Booker T first and Scott Steiner next. (56)
Furious Scott Steiner is seen looking for Jeff Jarrett backstage. (53)
Match 1, #1 Contendership for WCW World Tag Team Titles: Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) vs Jung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi and Yang) vs Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo. Styles and Paris won once again. This time it made them number one contenders for title match at the Great American Bash. (6:45, 30) After the match, Elix Skipper was not happy with Kid Romeo's performance. Champions Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire attacked celebrating Styles and Paris. (30)
Another video vignette is shown about Black Reign's debut. (59)
Match 2: Shane Helms and Jamie Noble vs Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias. Miscommunication between Evan and Shannon was the reason for their loss after a Vertabreaker on Karagias. (9:41, 40)
Jeff Jarrett came to the building but was immidiately attacked by Scott Steiner. Jeff Jarrett jumped into the car, and Steiner broke the window with his pipe. Jarrett ran away. (52)
During a backstage interview, Mike Awesome says, "There are no real 'extreme' guys in WCW. I was the champion in most tough organizations in the world - ECW and FMW. I want to do the same in WCW. Right after I will destroy DDP's career at the Great American Bash." (56)
Match 3: Mike Awesome vs Hugh Morrus. Mike defeated Morrus after an Awesome Bomb. (5:41, 46) After the match, DDP attacked Awesome and did the Diamond Cutter. Page broke his neck brace and yelled, "I will wait for you at PPV!"
Backstage, Eric Bischoff speaks over the phone to Jeff Jarrett, calming him down and promising to take care of Steiner's rage. (52)
Rob Van Dam gave his first interview since his WCW debut. He is here for the titles and wants to become the United States Champion at the Great American Bash. (36)
Eric Bischoff is trying to calm down Scott Steiner and promises him Jarrett in a tag match tonight. Booker T and Steiner will face Jarrett and his partner. (71)
Match 4, US Title Tournament Semifinals: Rob Van Dam vs Chavo Guerrero. RVD was much over with crown, but Chavo used brass knuckles and made a pinfall to win. However, the referee reversed his decision after seeing the foreign object in the ring. The decision was overruled, and RVD won by DQ. (13:11, 50) After the match, Lance Storm attacked RVD with a Superkick.
Billy Kidman told Gene Okerlund he has no idea what got inside the head of Rey Mysterio... But they will have a match at Great American Bash. (29)
Ric Flair's backstage promo: He is ready to come to the ring and do the same thing he has been doing for 30 years - win tonight and win over Kanyon at the PPV. (58)
Match 5: Ric Flair vs Rey Mysterio. Flair and Mysterio have different styles, which made their match interesting. Mysterio had his moments, but Flair was far more experienced. Flair put Rey into the Figure-Four Leglock, and Rey tapped out. (15:23, 46) After the match, Chris Kanyon did the Flatliner to a tired Flair. Kanyon proposed to Rey to join him in beating down the legend... and Rey accepted! Billy Kidman made a save. (52)
Booker T backstage interview: He is ready to fight back to back with Steiner tonight, but at the Great American Bash, there will be no such thing. (42)
Match 6: Scott Steiner and Booker T vs Jeff Jarrett and Mark Jindrak. Jindrak was a surprising partner for Jarrett. The match was full of arguments between Booker and Steiner, but in the end, Booker T kicked Jarrett with the Harlem Sidekick - and Jarrett fell right into Steiner Recliner. (13:11, 46) Right after the match, Scott Steiner tried to attack Booker T, but the champion was ready and kicked Scott out of the ring. (58)
Overall: 46
Great American Bash 2001 Final Card
WCW Cruiserweight Title Shane Helms vs Shannon Moore vs Evan Karagias
WCW World Tag Team Titles Chuck Palumbo & Sean O'Haire vs Air Raid (AJ Styles & Air Paris)
Rey Misterio vs Billy Kidman
Extreme Rules Match Diamond Dallas Page vs "Extreme Career Killer" Mike Awesome
WCW United States Heavyweight Title Lance Storm vs Rob Van Dam
"Nature Boy" Ric Flair vs Chris Kanyon
WCW World Heavyweight Title Booker T vs Scott Steiner vs Jeff Jarrett
Memo #002: Should I Brace Myself for More Messages Like This?
I received an amusing MSN message this week after publishing the first part of my "bought-WCW-and-hope-I-can-save-it" diary.
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"Dude, I have no idea who you are or what you do in Russia... but your writing sucks. It's not readable. Do not post your letters anymore. I am not interested. DO NOT SEND ANYTHING ELSE IN ENGLISH. EVER!!!!"
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Well...
The lad sounds like he was pissed off.
Usually, I just delete these (well, kinda... since I live in the European Union now. When I lived in the USSR, we had other options for dealing with guys like him...).
But in this case, I wondered:
Maybe he has a point?
Maybe I shouldn't write my diary on "western" boards?
Maybe I should just settle for publishing my memoirs on Russian boards, where I already published two full years of "game," went through an exodus of all my champions to Vince (all at once!... story for next time), repaired my bank balance, and could fight with Vince by stealing his superstars in 2003? I even had 1 (one) reader here. But he was gone lately... (Maybe I should call my "bratva" guys to find him? I am worrying...)
Well... there is only one way to know.
I decided to do what every Russian leader never did:
I decided to ask people!
Was it readable?
Should I write more?
Could you stand my sick "Russian-styled" English?
Tell me. |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 14, 2023 20:11:53 GMT 1
WCW Great American Bash 2001 The show started with video containing key moments from the beginning of WCW up until the latest events. Who will be the first champion of the new era? Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, or Booker T? We'll find out soon. (56)
Match 1, WCW World Tag Team Titles: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire vs Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris). It was the biggest match ever for inexpierenced Styles and Reid. Right before the match, AJ Styles and Air Paris introduced their new manager, Torrie Wilson! Torrie actively helped the youngsters, not forgetting to tease guys in the front row with her beauty. Air Reid were close to a big achievement in their careers, but Palumbo used a title belt on Paris and went to keep Styles away from the ring. Sean O'Haire did a Senton Bomb on Paris to win the match, and Palumbo and O'Haire are still World Tag Team Champions. (14:21, 42)
Match 2, WCW World Cruiserweight Title: Shane Helms vs Shannon Moore vs Evan Karagias. The match looked good on paper, but wasn't as exciting in real life. Nevertheless, it ended with a Vertabreaker on Karagias, and Helms retained the title. (13:11, 40)
Jamie Noble came to the ring for a promo, saying that nothing has really changed in WCW as he doesn't have a match tonight. He wants his chance to shine at the first PPV and issued an open challenge to anyone in the locker room. The lights went off, and James Mitchell appeared on the aisle, introducing us to his new client, Black Reign! (34)
Match 3: Jamie Noble vs Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell). Black Reign made his WCW debut by defeating Jamie Noble after using the Blackout. (5:33, 45)
Match 4: Rey Mysterio vs Billy Kidman. After a couple of nearfalls, Mysterio caught Kidman with a Springboard Hurricanrana, which he rarely used after losing his mask. But now, this move is back in his arsenal. And brought him a victory. (16:11, 50)
Diamond Dallas Page interview. DDP he said that he isn't scared of Mike Awesome and that he will show Mike that some guys here are familiar with the word "extreme." (48)
Match 5, Extreme Rules Match: Diamond Dallas Page vs Mike Awesome. DDP and Awesome had a wild brawl using every weapon available at ringside. There was blood, bumps, and a lot of motivation to win. Mike Awesome showed us that he is ready for bigger leagues, finishing the match with an Awesome Bomb. DDP couldn't leave the ring on his own feet and needed help. (12:44, 57)
Match 6, WCW United States Title: Lance Storm vs Rob Van Dam. Former ECW wrestlers were deciding who would be the new US champion, and we witnessed another great match from these 'extreme' guys - even better than the last one. No one showed mercy to their opponent. Storm had his chances, but the victory went to RVD after executing the Five Star Frog Splash. RVD is the new United States champion! (14:58, 60)
Match 7: Ric Flair vs Chris Kanyon. "Nature Boy" had a lot to prove in his match against Chris Kanyon. It was a tough match for Kanyon against the more experienced legend. Flair really owned the match and showed that it was too early for his retirement. Much too early. The match was full of storytelling, psychology, and drama. In the end, Flair couldn't win cleanly and had to put Kanyon in the "Figure-Four Leglock" while grabbing the rope. Kanyon tapped out. (18:44, 60)
Match 8, No Holds Barred, WCW World Heavyweight Title: Booker T vs Scott Steiner vs Jeff Jarrett. In the main event, we had to determine the 'real' world champion of the new era. There was a lot going on in the match: alliances, betrayals, spots, psychology, as well as steel pipes, chairs, title belts, and bodies of opponents - everything was allowed. But in the end, Scott Steiner literally stole the victory from Booker T by pinning the very tired and beaten Jeff Jarrett. Scott Steiner finished the first PPV by becoming the new WCW World champion. (19:53, 70)
Overall: 58
Memo 003: Ready to leave? Then leave.
There's a lot of bad management advice out there, but I think I found the worst.
You see, I was never good at people management.
At my Russian corporations, I preferred to pour a lot of money into my employees and expect them to do good work with a smile on their face.
(OK, I don't really care about their smile...).
So when my backstage morale was as low as support for the Soviet Communist Party in 1991, which wasn't pretty back then, I decided to go for some advice I heard: "Do a stern speech and give them a way out if they aren't happy." It sounded like good advice on paper. Most of the unhappy ones would go, and the more or less unhappy ones would stay. Then, I could work to make them happy, and the happy ones would stay happy, right?
Right?!
Not really.
Scott Steiner, Mike Awesome, Rob Van Dam, and Shane Helms wanted to leave, and I didn't have any choice or power to change it.
They left.
My World Heavyweight champion is gone. (He will later join Vince... I liked Scott. He reminds me of my first bodyguard, Vasily. I wanted to create all my booking around him. Around Scott. Not Vasily. We won't see Vasily for the next six years.) My United States champion is gone. My Cruiserweight champion is gone. And a lot of really good guys with them.
Now, I have to start from scratch and rewrite everything.
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Post by Dimos on Mar 14, 2023 20:21:11 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #5
The show begins without any pyro or intro, with Eric Bischoff standing in the ring. Bischoff states the obvious, that key WCW stars are gone, but he doesn't care where they go because WCW will rebuild with whoever is left. Bischoff makes a couple of announcements: first, the "Z1" cruiserweight tournament starts tonight, featuring eight of the best cruiserweights from the USA, Japan, Mexico, and Canada, fighting to determine the next cruiserweight champion. Second, tonight's main event will determine the new World Heavyweight Champion. (63)
Match 1: Air Reid vs Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias. Very fast-paced match, with Reid coming out on top. Pre-match, Reid is introduced by the new manager, Torrie Wilson. (6:53, 39)
Backstage, Booker T talks to Bischoff and asks about the World Title match tonight, as he is a former champion. Bischoff loses his cool and blames Booker for the current situation, saying that he couldn't beat Steiner yesterday and now Scott is gone as a champion. (66)
Before the next match, the announcers discuss the Z1 tournament structure. The eight participants are split into two groups, with each cruiserweight fighting everyone in their group. Two winners from each group will advance to a four-way match at Bash at the Beach to determine the new WCW Cruiserweight champion.
Match 2, Z1 First Round: Kaz Hayashi vs Jamie Noble. Hayashi showcases his puro moveset and wins after delivering some stiff kicks to the groin and finishing with the Hayashi Cutter. (10:15, 49)
Ric Flair cuts a promo on everyone who left WCW, stating that staying with the company during tough times is how legends are made. Flair stays here no matter what. No matter Bischoff as a president. No matter bad finances. No matter nothing. Flair stays and has intention to become World Champion one more time! Booker T responds by reminding Flair that he was a former champion, and goes on to give a heel promo about giving young guys a chance. Booker blames Flair for WCW almost died because he and other old-timers wanted everything for themselves. The argument between Flair and Booker leads to Bischoff announcing that they will face off in the main event to determine the new WCW champion. (76)
Ted DiBiase sits in first row.
Match 3: Diamond Dallas Page vs Mark Jindrak. DDP is visibly injured and Jindrak takes advantage by using his new MMA-style to kick DDP in the ribs. Jindrak is disqualified after refusing to stop beating DDP, and Hugh Morrus makes the save. Black Reign then appears in the ring and does "Blackout" to DDP. (8:31, 51)
Rey Mysterio does an interview, stating that lucha libre is in his blood and no one at WCW understands it. (29)
Lance Storm comes to the ring wearing black and white pants instead of his Canadian colors and cuts a realistic promo about his ECW past. "But here is the big league. Mike Awesome couldn't stand real pressure and is made for little leagues like ECW and Japan." Chavo Guerrero interrupts and mocks Lance, telling him his place is in the basement along with ECW and guys like Awesome. Lance attacks Chavo and throws him out of the ring. Chavo tries to get back but is stopped by security. (33)
Match 4: Rey Mysterio vs Billy Kidman. It was a rematch from yesterday's Great American Bash. The match showcases the new WCW style announced by Bischoff before, with more drama and psychology, unique moves, and almost-pinfalls. Kidman wins after hitting a Shooting Star Press, but replay shows that Rey's leg was on the rope. (15:11, 51)
Match 5, WCW World Heavyweight Title: Ric Flair vs Booker T. Match to determine the new WCW World Champion. The match is typical Flair style, with lots of psychology, drama, almost-pinfalls, and cheats. Fans are behind Flair, which makes Booker T resort to using heel tactics, further endearing Flair to the audience. Chris Kanyon comes to the ring and delivers a Flatliner to both Flair and Booker T, causing the referee to stop the match. Kanyon celebrates with the title. (23:22, 70)
Overall: 64
WCW Monday Nitro
Episode #6
Booker T starts the show with an in-ring promo, expressing his frustration with Chris Kanyon's interference in his match. Booker calls Kanyon out and he shows up to mock Booker. The two agree to face off in a match later that night. (56)
Match 1, Z1 Tournament: AJ Styles (w/ Torrie Wilson) vs Shannon Moore. In the fast-paced match Styles seems likely to win, but Vampiro interferes by pushing him off the top rope. Moore takes advantage (not seeing what happened before) and gets the win after Bottoms Up. (9:12, 46) After the match, Vampiro comes to the ring and stares down Moore, leaving everyone confused.
Black Reign and James Mitchell cut a backstage promo, criticizing DDP, mocking his “positive attitude” and challenging him to a match at Bash at the Beach. (62)
Ric Flair delivers an in-ring promo, targeting Kanyon and promising to get back into the World Title race. Jeff Jarrett interrupts with a promo about WCW veterans, and announces that he’s got an info from Bischoff’s office: at the Bash at the Beach main event will be a Fatal 4-Way match for the World Heavyweight Championship featuring Flair, Jarrett, Kanyon, and Booker T. Flair challenges Jarrett to a match tonight. (58)
Ted DiBiase is spotted in the first row.
Match 2: Diamond Dallas Page vs Glen Gilberti. DDP nearly gets the win, but the lights go out and Black Reign's music plays. DDP is distracted and Gilberti capitalizes, hitting the Chartbuster. It was not enough for a win. DDP goes for Diamond Cutter… That time Black Reign interrupts by himself and destroys Page with Blackout, resulting in a disqualification. (6:33, 57)
Match 3: Mark Jindrak vs Hugh Morrus. Jindrak incorporates MMA-style moves while Morrus brawls. The match spills outside of the ring and ends in a double count-out. (6:12, 46)
Chavo Guerrero does a backstage interview, mocking Lance Storm and challenging him to a match for the US Championship at Bash at the Beach. (30)
Match 4: Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero vs Lance Storm and Billy Kidman. Mysterio wins with a roll-up and his feet on the ropes. (14:55, 58)
Match 5: Booker T vs Chris Kanyon. Booker T and Chris Kanyon face off in the fifth match. The two wrestlers are evenly matched and tired towards the end. Kanyon shocks everyone by hitting Booker with a ring bell and finishing him off with a Flatliner for the win. (17:11, 56) The announcers begin to see Kanyon as a serious contender for the World Title.
Match 6: Ric Flair vs Jeff Jarrett. Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett deliver a classic wrestling match in the final bout of the night, with Jarrett using every trick in the book to gain the upper hand. Flair counters and puts Jarrett in the Figure-Four Leglock, grabbing the ropes for leverage to get the win. (17:18, 62)
Overall: 51
WCW Monday Nitro
Episode #7Tonight - Ric Flair and Booker T vs Chris Kanyon and Jeff Jarrett!
Ric Flair’s in-ring promo: Flair is boasting about his win over Jeff Jarrett last week. Flair thinks that Jarrett would never be "Nature Boy" even now, in relatively easy times when WCW needs new stars. In the '80s, he would never have gotten out of the midcard and would have remained a simple country singer. Jeff Jarrett showed up and once again talked about how it was time for Flair to retire, and he isn’t the only one who feel that way. From behind, Chris Kanyon climbed into the ring and attacked Flair. Although Ric tried to fight back, Jarrett joined in and the two of them trampled Flair. Booker T rushed out to help, but by then, Jarrett and Canyon had already done quite a bit of damage. (59)
Match 1: Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias vs Air Raid (w/ Torrie Wilson). It’s a rematch from two weeks before. Styles and Paris were closer to winning. Karagies started to use heel tactics to give his team an advantage. At the end Vampiro snuck into the ring and put Karagias down with the Nails to the Coffin, unnoticed by the referee. Styles made a pinfall. (8:48, 44).After the match, Vampiro climbed into the ring. Moore is getting ready to defend himself, but Vampiro just stared him down. Vampiro made some weird gestures, and Moore dropped to his knee a second later and bowed his head. Next, Vampiro gave Shannon some order… and Moore performed a Bottoms Up on Karagias! Vampiro did another Nails to the Coffin and then brought a chair into the ring, ordering Shannon to do another Bottoms Up – this time on the chair. Evan Karagias was seriously injured, and Moore leaves the ring with Vampiro.
Ric Flair is getting help backstage, with Booker T checking in on him. Flair hinted that Booker T wasn't in much of a hurry to get help, but eventually, the wrestlers came to peace and agreed to partner up tonight to take on Kanyon and Jarrett.
Match 2: The Wall vs Chris Harris. The Wall returned to WCW ring and in his first match easily took down jobber Chris Harris in two and a half minutes, finishing him off with a Chokeslam. (2:33, 25) After the match, Vampiro again is here! Now he stared into Wall's eyes. He seemed pleased with what he saw and left the ring.
Match 3, Z1 Tournament: Billy Kidman vs Elix Skipper. In a good match, Kidman was very close to winning, but a man the commentators introduced as Frankie Kazarian snuck into the ring. Kasarian grabbed Kidman as he prepared to do the Shooting Star Press and performed his own finisher - Back to the Future. All that left to Skipper is to get a win by pinfall to score two points in the Z1 tournament. (10:12, 44)
Backstage, Jeff Jarrett and Chris Kanyon are talking about tactics for the main event tonight and Fatal 4-Way at Bash at the Beach. Both conclude that the more they wear out Flair and Booker T tonight, the easier it will be for them at the PPV, where every man will be for himself. It appears we have an alliance here.
Ted DiBiase in the audience again. He raises up a banner with a money symbol and the words "Bash at the Beach."
Match 4, WCW World Tag Team Titles: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire vs Hugh Morrus and Fit Finlay. Morrus was good, but he fell out of the ring eventually and was immediately attacked by Mark Jindrak. Morrus and Jindrak went off to fight in the aisle, and meanwhile, Palambo and O'Hair easily defeated the lone Finlay. Palumbo and O’Haire defended the titles. (11:10, 48). After the match, Jindrak performed Gutbuster on concrete floor on Morrus. Morrus needs help, as it looks like his ribs are broken.
Backstage, Ric Flair is getting ready for a match. He just finished getting help as Jeff Jarrett and Chris Kanyon attacked him from behind! A little beating with all backstage stuff leaves Flair laying down in blood. (53)
Diamond Dallas Page comes out for a promo. He brings up that Reign talks a lot about his darkside, but he has no idea about Page's darkside. DDP promises to show him that at Bash at the Beach. Suddenly the lights go out, and when they come back on, Black Reign is already in the ring. He attacks DDP and does some of his signature moves, but DDP after every one of them! Black Reign surprised. Eventually, DDP takes advantage with a series of punches and knocks Reign out of the ring! Black Reign wants to get back to the ring, but is stopped by his manager James Mitchell. (70)
Backstage, Ric Flair is getting help again, but this time he seems to be seriously injured, and his participation in the main event is in doubt. Booker T arrives and is met with a wave of accusations from Flair for not helping. Booker also loses his temper, and the teammates have a serious argument. (63)
Match 5: Lance Storm vs Rey Mysterio. It was a cool 15-minute match. Storm was able to block Hurricanrana and change it into Maple Leaf to get a win by submission. (15:13, 52) After the match, Storm offers Rey a handshake, but before Mysterio can accept, Lance was attacked from behind by Chavo Guerrero! Chavo offers Rey to join the beating… and he does! (32)
Match 6: Ric Flair and Booker T vs Jeff Jarrett and Chris Kanyon. There was an obvious miscommunication between Booker T and Ric Flair, while Kanyon and Jarrett acted like a team and using heel tactics gave them even more edge. At the end, after a series of mistakes by Booker T and Flair, Kanyon managed to get Flatliner on Flair for three. (17:44, 55). After the match, Ric Flair and Booker T continued to argue. To the point when Flair slapped Booker! As Booker was ready to answer, WCW officials separated them. (65)
Overall: 50
WCW Monday Nitro
Episode #8
Ric Flair is here for an in-ring promo. He accused Booker T of being a bad teammate last week. That's when Booker T shows up, and both wrestlers exchange some taunts, with Booker T acting more like a heel in this situation! In the end, Booker T challenges Flair to a match tonight at Nitro, and Flair accepts! (62)
Match 1: Enforcers (Steve Corino and Cal Anderson) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero) (w/ Paisley). All four are making their debut in WCW with their new managers. Pitbulls were over with fans, when Corino and Anderson were old-school heels. At the end Arn Anderson gave Corino a brass knuckles, Corino used it on Reyes to get a win in their debut match. (9:49, 44)
Backstage, Arn Anderson and his Enforcers meet Ric Flair. Flair greets an old friend, then judges the newcomers saying that if they work hard enough, they can reach the same heights as Ric and Arn. (42)
Match 2, Z1 Tournament: Jamie Noble vs Shannon Moore (w/ Vampiro). Moore came out accompanied by Vampiro, who watched his protégé closely. The protégé, in turn, now wore new black clothes, a Mohawk on his head, and black and white makeup with a cross across his face. The change in image has also affected Moore's arsenal of moves - he now does more brutal moves and punches. Nevertheless, Noble proved to be a decent opponent and almost recorded a victory. Vampiro distracted a referee, when some man in a hoodie snuck into the ring and knocked out Noble with a Superkick and a move that indie fans know as Angel Wings. Moore got a pinfall and the win. (8:33, 40) After the match, mystery man removes his hood. He has same black and white cross makeup, but announcers recognize indie star Christopher Daniels anyway! Vampiro enters the ring, and all three pose in the ring. (39)
Ted DiBiase jumps over the fence and makes his way to the ring. He delivers a promo about seeing great potential for investment in WCW. He announces his first investment opportunity, which he will present at Bash at the Beach. WCW security arrives and escorts Ted out. (52)
Match 3: Mark Jindrak vs John Cena. Cena is another rookie making his debut tonight. Cena made a quite good impression, but Jindrak was better. Mark would definitely get a victory, but Morrus ran in and attacked him. DQ. (6:01, 30) After the match, Jindrak hits injured ribs of Morrus. But Hugh is a tough guy who just spears Mark into a barrier. It is ending with a big brawl, and we need a lot of officials to put end to it. Announcers are talking about their upcoming match at Bash at the Beach that could be a massive and brutal brawl. (35)
WCW World Tag Team champions Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire are here to deliver about their dominance in tag team division. For now they defeated every tag team and left with no opponents. They are making an open challenge, and there is one team to accept it… KRONIK! (46)
Match 4, WCW World Tag Team Titles: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire vs KroniK. Very intense match with both teams fighting all over the arena. The match ends in a draw by double count-out. (7:21, 44)
Black Reign and James Mitchell are here for an in-ring promo promising again to destroy DDP's body and take his soul. The lights go out, and when they come back on, DDP is in the ring! He attacks Reigns with his own “weapon”. DDP kicks Reign out of the ring and then challenges him to face Diamond’s dark side at the PPV. (63)
Match 5: Lance Storm, Billy Kidman and AJ Styles vs Chavo Guerrero, Jeff Jarrett and Chris Kanyon. Announcers highlighted the fact that Kidman and Storm chose Styles to be their teammate as he is the one of the most promisingyoung talents in WCW. However, even that did not help them in their match against a group of heels who familiar with cheats and tricks. In the end, Jarrett smashed his guitar over Styles head, Chavo executed Frog Splash and made a pinfall victory. (15:47, 53)
All set for our main event... as something completely unplanned occured (at least judging by the reaction of WCW officials). Kevin Nash entered the ring! Nash is back in WCW, and it seems like a surprise to everyone. Nash delivered a great promo about finally being back when he saw that his old friend Eric Bischoff was back at the top. Now Hogan works for the WWF, Scott Hall is in Japan, but Kev is here and doesn't mind having some fun. Nash wants everything just like the good old days -- money, cars, girls, and all of WCW belonging to the “bad guys” alone. Nash asks Bischoff to be sure to call him when he gets a chance so they can wreak havoc and have fun again. With those words, Nash leaves the ring. Eric Bischoff shows up, waving his arms. This seemed to have been completely unplanned, and few people knew what all that means. (58)
Match 6: Ric Flair vs Booker T. Finally we’ve got to the main event. It was a match full of drama and psychology, although the wrestlers were a bit exhausted by the end. The match was interesting in how Booker T's demeanor went from typical babyface to downright heel when he saw there was no way he could beat the veteran fairly. Ric Flair avoids Axe Kick and put Booker into Figure-Four Leglock. This is the moment when Jeff Jarrett and Chris Kanyon jumped into the ring, attacking the exhausted match participants ending match in draw. (18:12, 63) After the match, brawl continies. Flair and Booker T are trying to defend themselves. Jarrett missed his punch and knocked out Kanyon. Kanyon answers... and now they started brawling with each other! Officials intervened, separating all of them. In six days they will meet again at Bash at the Beach to determine the new WCW Champion. But as for now, Nitro goes off the air. (57)
Overall: 54
WCW Bash at the Beach 2001 Final Card
Z1 Tournament Final/WCW Cruiserweight Title Ladder Match AJ Styles vs Shannon Moore vs Jamie Noble vs Kaz Hayashi
No DQ Match Hugh Morrus vs Mark Jindrak
WCW World Tag Team Titles Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire vs KroniK
Rey Misterio vs Billy Kidman
“Show Me Your Darkside” Match Diamond Dallas Page vs Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell)
WCW United States Heavyweight Title Lance Storm vs Chavo Guerrero
WCW World Heavyweight Title Booker T vs Chris Kanyon vs Ric Flair vs Jeff Jarrett |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 14, 2023 20:25:24 GMT 1
WCW Bash at the Beach 2001 Eric Bischoff starts the show by making an in-ring promo. He is once again emphasizing the importance of the Cruiserweight division to the new WCW. Bischoff calls them "the future of wrestling" and himself "the guy who brought them on a large scene". Eric introduces the annual Z1 trophy. The winner of the next match will receive the trophy and become a new WCW Cruiserweight champion. (57)
Match 1, Ladder Match, WCW Cruiserweight Title: AJ Styles vs Shannon Moore (w/ Christopher Daniels) vs Jamie Noble vs Kaz Hayashi. Christopher Daniels actively intervened in the match on Moore's side. So active, in fact, that he managed a few high-risk spots himself. Each wrestler was close to winning and showed everything he had in his arsenal, but in the end, it was Jamie Noble who was victorious. He became the first Z1 trophy winner and the new WCW Cruiserweight champion. (17:44, 53)
Match 2, WCW World Tag Team Titles: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O'Haire vs KroniK (Brian Adams and Bryan Clark). It was only the second match of KroniK after return, but it ended as a disappointment. Bryan Clark didn't really keep up with the rest of the match. Both Adams and Clark were slow and sloppy. Nevertheless, participants were trying to make it up for the crown by making the fight intense and brutal. It is safe to say that KroniK were the strongest opponents the current champions had faced in the new WCW. But they defended it clearly as the result on Senton Bomb by O'Haire on Clark. (15:33, 51)
Match 3, No Holds Barred: Mark Jindrak vs Hugh Morrus. A brutal brawl... again. But this time, there was a big involvement of every possible weapon. Attacking the injured ribs was the tactic Jindrak chose for the match. Later he attempted the same move on the concrete floor that originally injured Hugh. This time Morrus blocked and came back with a couple of moves himself. So much that in the end, Morrus was surprisingly closer to winning... It was the moment when Ted DiBiase came out of the crowd. Ted hits Hugh with a steel briefcase. Jindrak finished Morrus with a Gutbuster on the chair and made a pinfall. (10:33, 47) After the match, Ted DiBiase announces that he has just made an investment in the future of WCW - in Mark Jindrak. (46)
Video recap of Mysterio-Kidman feud. (55)
Chris Kanyon backstage interview: "It is time for me to shine, to solidify my status as the top dog in the new WCW... and become a new WCW World Heavyweight champion." (42)
Match 4: Billy Kidman vs Rey Mysterio. An intense match that was worthy of ending their long and tangled history. Mysterio positioned himself as a heel (not very skillfully and not well received by the crowd) but won by a clean pinfall. (18:01, 63)
Jeff Jarrett backstage interview: he gave his reasons why he should become a new champion tonight. (39)
Match 5, WCW United States Title: Lance Storm vs Chavo Guerrero. A match to determine the new US champion. Both wrestlers were skillful in the ring and had a really exciting match. Chavo actively used all sorts of tricks (Guerrero-style), but Storm was much closer anyway. In the end, Chavo pulls out the Maple Leaf by hitting Lance with a low blow and putting him down the Three Amigos. Next... Frog Splash and pinfall. Chavo Guerrero is the new WCW United States champion! (16:44, 60)
Booker T backstage interview: "The WCW Title will get back where it belongs... on my waist." (43)
Kevin Nash makes his way back into the ring through the crowd. Security tries to stop him, but with not much success. "What's up? Bischoff hasn't called me back, hasn't answered any calls, hasn't sent me a plane ticket, hasn't paid for my hotel... And now he's throwing security on me! What's the matter? Where is all the fun?" Eric Bischoff shows up. "I would love to talk about old days. It was fun, that's true. But the past must remain in the past. It's a new time - the time of Noble, Chavo Guerrero, Kanyon... The time of all the new stars. I do not want to do business the old way. Hogan, nWo and stuff... It is OVER!" Nash winks and says that he understands - Eric can't say it outright. "You cannot talk about it honestly - fine. Don't talk. Do." Eric once again repeats himself so Nash should have no illusions. Kevin replies that he's willing to wreak havoc alone if necessary. Every week. Every show. Until he'll get the respect he deserves. "There is no future for WCW where little guys get all the showtime. You either know it and just say nice words, Eric, or you're delusional". Bischoff orders security to escort Nash out of the building. Nash replies that he will leave on his own. But it is not over… (69)
Match 6, Show Me Your Darkside Match: Diamond Dallas Page vs Black Reign. One more brutal and intense match. Everything was used - chairs, tables, trash cans, and even thumbnails! It was on the thumbnails that Black Reign almost got Diamond Cutter... but James Mitchell intervened. Page grabbed Mitchell and was about to throw him on the thumbnails... but Reign grabbed him and destroyed him with BlackOut. 1-2-3, Black Reign wins. (12:13, 59)
Ric Flair backstage interview. As the last of the contenders, he talks about tradition and the importance of the world title to him. And promises that he has it in himself to become WCW champion one more time. (47)
Match 7, WCW World Heavyweight Title, Ric Flair vs Booker T vs Chris Kanyon vs Jeff Jarrett. As usual in matches like this, there was a lot of action, near pinfalls, surprise alliances, betrayals, and taking over the advantage. Guitars, the championship belt, and all the "dirty tricks" came into play. By the end of the match, Kanyon was seen as a serious contender. Especially when during the referee's bump, Kanyon pinned Jarrett for a good 5 seconds, but there was no one to count. Booker T avoids a shot with the belt by Jarrett and does a Bookend on the lying guitar. 1-2-3, and Booker T regains the world title once again. (20:25, 62)
After the match, Booker T is exhausted. He happily raises the belt. But the celebration comes to an end when familiar music blares in the audience. Out comes...
... GOLDBERG!...
Goldberg walks into the ring, looks at the new champion, smirks... ...and Spears the hell out of him! See you at the Nitro tomorrow night! (67)
Overall: 58
Memo #004: Difficult men
I once read book "Difficult Men: Behind the Scenes of a Creative Revolution".
That book contains interviews with the creators of some of the most highly esteemed recent television series. Like The Wire, The Sopranos, Mad Men, Deadwood, The Shield. Things that will be popular in 2000s, but nobody knew about them in 2001.
One denominator that all these shows had in common was a difficult protagonist
The main hero wasn't always a perfect, likeable guy like before.
Instead, they were complicated characters. They were not perfect. They had their flaws and sins.
Yes, they were 'difficult'.
That is what I think about when I remember Bash at the Beach 2001.
I had bet on Chris Kanyon, seeing potential in him as a main eventer. But he turned out to be difficult.
Because Chris Kanyon is the guy I bet on, taking him as potential main eventer. But he was difficult. In the main event, he seriously injured Jeff Jarrett and broke his ankle so badly that he'll be out for the next 12 months, give or take. After the show, we had to call in several road agents to separate Jarrett and Kanyon when they went into a full-scale brawl.
Well...
Jarrett will be missed.
Kanyon...
He's now got serious heat with the WCW locker room.
On the other note...
We had a lot of firing after PPV. Some of the guys that were offered new contracts just a couple of months ago showed that they weren't on the same level as the others.
Lash LeRoux, Alan Funk (formerly known as Kwee Wee), Road Warrior Animal, Kid Romeo, and Evan Karagias were among those who were leaving. Romeo and Karagias even formed a new team on the indy scene.
They won't be missed, but there's one guy who definitely will be.
And it's all his fault that instead of getting the push I had prepared for him, he preferred to smoke marijuana.
The Wall.
It's all his fault that instead of getting the push I had prepared for him, he preferred to smoke marijuana.
He was supposed to be part of the Dark Society, a new stable formed by Vampiro, and potentially get the biggest push of his career. But he was high as a giraffe's p*ssy in his first match after his return. So his push was stopped, and his WCW contract was terminated right away.
There were others who left.
Johnny the Bull.
And... KroniK. They made an impactful return but had two awful matches. There was nothing I could do but thank them and release them from WCW.
Anyway...
It's been two months since WCW reboot.
We've taken some bumps
But we're still on the road. |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 15, 2023 11:29:05 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #9 Last night: Goldberg made a thunderous return, spearing the new WCW World Heavyweight champion Booker T! (62) Booker T, the new World Heavyweight champion is here for an in-ring promo. He gave a very brief speech about the importance of this title to him and the fact that Booker is now a 5-time WCW Champion (5 time, 5 time, 5 time... you know it). Then he moved to another topic: Goldberg. Booker T has no idea what Goldberg needs or why he did what he did, but if he has a problem, Booker T offers to solve it right here and now. No one comes out. Booker T calls out to Goldberg a few more times, but he has to leave with nothing as Goldberg never shows up. (73) Time for a major announcement. Mike Tenay revealed that the WCW Executive Committee has brought back the Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles. And guess what? They'll be up for grabs in a three-way tag team match at the upcoming PPV, Red Alert. Qualifying matches will be held at Nitro.. Match 1, Qualifying for WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles match: Shannon Moore and Christopher Daniels (w/ Vampiro) vs Billy Kidman and Paul London. London is making his debut in WCW. Vampiro's new faction is called the Dark Society. Kidman was rightfully the most formidable weapon in this match, so Moore and Daniels tried to push him back. When they couldn't, they were actively assisted by Vampiro. In the end, Vampiro once again intervenes, pushing London off the apron. Moore performs Bottoms Up, and Daniels finishes London with Angel Wings to win. Kidman couldn’t make it to break a pinfall. (12:11, 45) After the match, the Dark Society attacks Kidman and beats him down to the mat. (23) Backstage, Gene Okerlund reports that Goldberg is not in the building, but he and a group of fans are waiting for him in the parking lot. Angry Chris Kanyon comes to the ring and immediately shows us the PPV video of him holding Jarrett for a good 5 seconds, but since the ref was unconscious, there was no one to count the win. Kanyon talks about the unfairness of Booker T's win. All his WCW career has been synonymous with the word "unfairness." Chris talks again about how WCW oppressed young wrestlers - and even gets the fans to cheer him for that. Kanyon ends his speech by saying that even now, Booker T became a champion not fairly and instead of that, what our most popular topic now? Goldberg. Good old Goldberg. Kanyon demands his rematch for the world title. (62) Last night: Kevin Nash was escorted out of the ring on Eric Bischoff's orders at Bash at the Beach. (56) Gene Okerlund keeps waiting for Goldberg, but instead of him, there is... Kevin Nash! Okerlund asks what the hell he wants here. Nash answers that it is not his business and he has every right to be here. (62) Match 2, WCW Cruiserweight Title: Jamie Noble vs Yang (w/ Kaz Hayashi). Despite Hayashi's interference, Noble caught Yang with a Gibson Bomb and scored the pinfall for his first title defense against the former partner! (12:33, 48) Kevin Nash is making his way through the crown right to the first row, showing security his ticket, giving him the right to be there. (58) Match 3: Enforcers (Steve Corino and Cal Anderson) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs Kings of Wresling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). Last week Corino and Anderson made their Nitro debut and tonight they already fight against another debutants - team of Hero and Castagnoli. While the debutant team of Hero and Castagnoli fought well, they were no match for the more experienced Enforcers. However, before the match could end, there was a ref bump, and Kevin Nash stormed into the ring. Nash hit a Big Boot on Hiro and destroyed him with Jacknife Powerbomb. Same Jacknife Powerbomb got Castagnoli. Enforcers then took advantage of the situation and recorded a win. (8:44, 37) Kevin Nash grabbed the microphone and did a promo strikingly reminiscent of Scott Hall's 1996 promo. "You know who I am, but you'll never understand why I'm here." Nash says they wreaked havoc in WCW once and may well do it again. Nash meant well. But if WCW and Bischoff want war, they'll get it. The guards show up to take Nash away, but he leaves on his own through the crowd. (62) Backstage, Eric Bischoff is furious, looking at Nash's performance on the monitor. Booker T comes to him and demands Goldberg. Bischoff replies that he has no idea where Goldberg is or what he wants. Eric knows exactly as much as Booker does, and the whole situation is a big surprise to him. Today, Bischoff has another situation that needs attention -- Chris Kanyon. Kanyon is right. Booker will have to prove his championship - tonight in the main event of Nitro against Chris Kanyon! (66) Bam Bam Bigelow is here for an in-ring interview with Gene Okerlund. Bigelow complains about being left on the sidelines after WCW reboot. Bigelow demands TV time. He promises to give back what the new WCW lacks -- true hardcore. (33) He is interrupted by... Mike Sanders! Sanders too hasn't appeared in the new WCW yet, but now he's here and he's trashing hardcore style. " Hardcore is by all means the average. Average wrestling for average people. And all these people in the crowd are to see "above average". You wanna see true future of WCW, Bigelow? Turn around!" Bigelow is immediately attacked by Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond, a team well known for performing in ECW and thus making their WCW debut! They beat Bigelow down to make Sanders happy. (29) Match 4, WCW United States Title: Chavo Guerrero vs Fit Finlay. It was a pretty good match in which Guerrero made a win after Frog Splash. (12:55, 55) Match 5: Diamond Dallas Paige and Hugh Morrus vs Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell) and Mark Jindrak (w/ Ted DiBiase). DiBiase and Mitchell actively interfered in the match. Jindrak accidentally superkicked Reign and got Diamond Cutter right after it. No Laughing Matter from Morrus... and Morrus and DDP recorded a win. (10:13, 51) Gene Okerlund is still waiting at parking lot... and Goldberg finally arrived! Goldberg pays absolutely no attention to Gene and walks right into the building. (63) Match 6, WCW World Heavyweight Title: Booker T vs Chris Kanyon. Kanyon once again showed himself to be a serious contender, breaking out of Booker's finishers time after time and kicking out of near-pinfalls. Nevertheless, at the end, Booker T did a BookEnd to get a clean win. (17:33, 62) After the match, Booker T is seriously exhausted from the match. He can barely stand, getting the championship belt. Goldberg rushes into the ring! Goldberg and Booker T look at each other, Goldberg smiles - and a fight ensues. Goldberg easily wins over tired Booker T. Booker T gets Spear and right after it... Jackhammer! Still, Goldberg say no word at all... and Nitro went off the air. (63) Overall: 58 |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 16, 2023 21:02:48 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #10 Last Week: Goldberg took down Booker T with a spear and a Jackhammer, leaving the World Champion unconscious. (77) Booker T opens the show, still reeling from the attack. He calls out Goldberg, demanding to know why he interfered in his match and what his problem is. Booker T can repeat once again: Goldberg can solve any problem with Booker right now, not when Booker is exhausted from a tough match. Again - no responde from Goldberg. (82). Instead of him, we get the WCW President Eric Bischoff, who has no idea about Goldberg’s reasons, but the fans want to see Booker T vs. Goldberg… then they’ll see it! At WCW Red Alert! As far as Eric knows, Goldberg is not in the building now. But Booker T has a match tonight. He will defend the WCW World Heavyweight Title against Black Reign! (76) Match 1, WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team TItles Qualifying: Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) vs CM Punk and Julio Dinero. Punk and Dinero are making their debut in WCW. The match exceeded the wildest expectations - Punk and Dinero performed well, although they lost to the slightly more experienced Styles and Paris (10:33, 57) After the match, Dark Society runs into the ring and beats up the winners. Billy Kidman saves them and chases Vampiro and company away. (38) Kevin Nash arrives at the building, showing security some paperwork that give him right to get inside. (79) Match 2: Bam Bam Bigelow vs Simon Diamond (w/ Mike Sanders and Johnny Swinger). Bigelow looked stronger, but as early as the 6th minute, Mike Sanders distracted the referee and Johnny Swinger hit Bigelow with the steel chain. Three count, and Simon Diamond wins his debut match. (5:58, 43) After the match, the three of them beat up Bigelow, but he gets help from... Crowbar, making his return to WCW! Crowbar chases Sanders' company away. (41) Lance Storm comes to the ring and gives a promo against Kevin Nash. Storm doesn't know how Nash managed to get into the building, but Lance knows he's here. Storm praises WCW and the talents that work here. Castagnoli and Hero, who Nash attacked last week, are the future of wrestling. They have already conquered the indie scene and will soon conquer the big league. Storm reports that Nash can't take it all down. Storm doesn't care if it's nWo or any other new entity, but Lance will be the first to be on the defense of WCW. (65) Kevin Nash shows up. Nash taunts Storm and says that WCW has always been a place where the "big guys" play. Lance challenges Nash to a match. Nash mocks Storm's challenge and gets slapped in the face. Kevin smiles and promises a "big surprise" next week. It's just like 1996 again. (60) Match 3, WCW Cruiserweight Title: Jamie Noble vs Kaz Hayashi (w/ Yang). Hayashi proved to be a much more serious opponent than Yang was last week. In a back and forth match Noble became close to winning, but Yang intervened and led the match to DQ. Noble still holds the title. (15:41, 69) Ric Flair is here for an in-ring promo. Flair talks about Goldberg and Booker T. In short, Flair doesn't understand why all the attention is on Goldberg, who doesn't deserve this. Right now Flair has been having great matches and essentially pulling WCW back to its heights. He demands to be the one to get the world title shot, not Goldberg. (70) Chris Kanyon answers, talking once again about the injustice that haunts him. He believes he should have been the champion back at Bash at the Beach, had it not been for the ref bump. He also should have won title last week, but was exhausted after a hard fight at PPV. So Kanyon challenges Flair to a rematch at WCW Red Alert, which Flair accepts. (78) Match 4, WCW United States Title: Chavo Guerrero vs Lance Storm. Chavo Guerrero defends the US title against Lance Storm in a rematch of their previous bout at Bash at the Beach. The wrestlers have great interaction with each other, and this fight was even better, more dramatic, and intense than the last one. Lance was very close to winning, but Kevin Nash intervened in the 19th minute. Chavo immediately took advantage and finished Storm off with a Frog Splash. A smiling Nash is escorted out of the arena by security, but it's too late - Chavo Guerrero retains the United States Championship. (18:52, 76) Match 5, WCW World Heavyweight Title: Booker T vs Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell). In an intense and interesting match - and with help of Mitchell - Reign dominated. Nevertheless, at the end Booker T wins cleanly again after Axe Kick and successfully defends the title again. (16:01, 79) As Booker T goes backstage with the world title, he is suddenly attacked by Goldberg! Goldberg pummels Booker T with punches that the champion is unable to handle, ending with a Spear through a glass wall! The broadcast goes silent, as it looked really brutal. Booker T is lying in the glass wreckage, covered in blood and not moving. The commentators are seriously worried about not just Booker T's health, but his life, and at this point, the show goes off the air. (76) Overall: 74 |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 18, 2023 10:16:33 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #11 We were shown a video of Goldberg's brutal attack on Booker T. The commentators reported that they had no information about Booker's health yet except that he was alive. They assured the audience of having information about the world champion's condition a little later. (81) WCW President Eric Bischoff opened the show in a bad mood and immediately called Goldberg into the ring. Goldberg appeared with the satisfied grin. Bischoff shouted that he would not let his world champion get hurt and wouldn't allow him to vacate the title again. Eric didn't know what was driving Goldberg, but he insisted that it didn't belong in his WCW. Bischoff suspended Goldberg and stripped him of his title match at Red Alert! (78) The smirk faded from Goldberg's face, and he grabbed Bischoff. Eric pleaded for mercy and screamed that he had overreacted. Goldberg forced Bischoff to retract his words. Eric left Goldberg with the title match, and as Goldberg was leaving, Eric added that since Bill remains an active wrestler, he should fight as an active challenger. He had a match tonight against Black Reign. Goldberg smirked again, but there was nothing good about that smirk. (82) Tonight: We will receive a health update on the WCW World Heavyweight champion Booker T (74) Tonight: There will be a four-man match tonight to determine the #1 contender for the WCW United States Title at the next Nitro - Rey Mysterio vs. Billy Kidman vs. Vampiro vs. Diamond Dallas Page. (55) Match 1, WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team TItles Qualifying: Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero) (w/ Paisley) vs Elix Skipper and Frankie Kazarian. After departure of Kid Romeo, Elix takes his chances with a new partner, rookie Frankie Kazarian. Although Kazarian looked weak in his first match. But Pitbulls really won the hearts of the WCW fans. Unfortunately, it didn't get them the win as Ricky Reyes was pinned after Moment of the Day from Skipper. (9:21, 50) Mike Sanders entered the ring with Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger. Their team was now called Above Average. Sanders once again mocked hardcore and ECW. Mike said that the only decent thing to take from ECW was Swinger and Diamond. (45) Match 2: Above Average (Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond) (w/ Mike Sanders) vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Crowbar. Bigelow and Lom looked surprisingly harmonious as a team. However, because of Sanders' interference, Diamond and Swinger celebrated the victory. (7:01, 55) Match 3: Mark Jindrak (w/ Ted DiBiasi) vs Fit Finlay. Finley proved to be a real brawler, but Jindrak's youth and power won out. Mark finished the match with a Superkick and a Gutbuster. (6:33, 56) After the match, Jindrak picked Finley up for another finisher, but Hugh Morrus ran out and saved his teammate. Lance Storm enters the ring and calls out Kevin Nash, knowing that Nash is hiding in a building somewhere. Storm blames Nash for him not being the U.S. Champion tonight and challenges him to a match. If Storm wins, Nash will go where he belongs - home, sitting on his pension from AOL Warner like other old egomaniacs. Kevin Nash comes out and mocks the challenge, saying he only fights against the "big guys." Nash is about to leave when he suddenly remembers his promise of a "big surprise" a week ago. A masked man, who is quite tall, attacks Storm from behind with a baseball bat and quickly leaves. (51) After a commercial break, Lance Storm gets help from half of the young WCW locker room, including the Havana Pitbulls, Chris Hero, Claudio Castagnoli, Kazarian, John Cena, and many others. Eric Bischoff finds Kevin Nash backstage and reprimands him for attacking Lance Storm and causing mayhem on Nitro. Bischoff sets up a match between Nash and Storm at Red Alert, whether Nash wants to or not. Nash notes that he needs to be an active WCW wrestler for the match, and since he is, he can be in the WCW building in any room. Eric agrees to the stipulation, and Nash agrees to the match. (66) Match 4, WCW Cruiserweight Title: Jamie Noble vs Shannon Moore (w/ Christopher Daniels and Vampiro). Noble defends his title again like every previous week. Now it’s against Moore, with Christopher Daniels and Vampiro actively interfering in the match. The referee orders them out of the backstage area in the 8th minute, and couple minutes later Noble performs some kind of Driver move. (10:15, 73) Gene Okerlund provides an update on the health of WCW Champion Booker T, reporting that he is alive but far from healthy, with several broken ribs, a sprained right shoulder, and a suspected spinal injury that could jeopardize his career. A world title match between Booker T and Goldberg at Red Alert is highly unlikely. Okerlund promises more details next week on Nitro, when fans will hear everything firsthand from Booker T. (77) Chris Kanyon delivers a great promo against Ric Flair, accusing Flair of all his sins and promising to retire "Nature Boy" and then pursue a world title. Kanyon also promises to become "Nature Boy" himself, but do it better. Flair responds with a promo of his own, fueling interest in their match at Red Alert. (78) Match 5, #1 Contendership for WCW United States Title: Rey Mysterio vs Diamond Dallas Page vs Billy Kidman vs Vampiro. US champion Chavo Guerrero joins the announcers to follow the match that determines his opponent next week. The match turned out to be quite interesting and dynamic. In the end, Vampiro and Kidman just started fighting out of the ring and went to the ramp. That's when Kidman was attacked by Shannon Moore and Christopher Daniels, but almost instantly he was saved by AJ. Stylesand Air Paris. The six of them started fighting all over the arena. Meanwhile, in the ring, Rey Mysterio tried to hold a Hurricanrana on DDP, but the Page counters with powerbomb. Diamond Cutter, three count, and DDP became #1 contender for US Title! (16:10, 71) Match 6: Goldberg vs Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell). Goldberg returns to the ring after nearly a year off, facing one of WCW's most promising newcomers, Black Reign. Goldberg's arsenal of moves has been updated to be more realistic and powerful, making him look more like a strong MMA wrestler. Black Reign with the help of his manager takes over several times, but Goldberg mostly dominates and wins with Spear and Jackhammer. (14:01, 76) Overall: 76 |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 19, 2023 12:53:27 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #12 The announcers, Mike Tenay, Tony Schiavone and Larry Zbysco have revealed there will be an interview with Booker T from his home tonight, providing first-hand information on the WCW World Heavyweight champion condition and whether he can defend the title against Goldberg at Red Alert. (74) Match 1, #1 Contendership for WCW World Tag Team Titles: The Enforcers (Steve Corino and Cal Anderson) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs, Bam Bam Bigelow and Crowbar vs Above Average (Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger) (w/ Mike Sanders). The match was hectic, with Bigelow and Crowbar focusing on taking down Diamond and Swinger. The four of them ended up fighting all over the arena, and the Enforcers managed to win by countout. (8:01, 58) Kevin Nash arrives at the building and meets Chris Kanyon. Kanyon says he doesn't have a problem with Nash, even though he might be building ten new nWo's here. (770 Match 2: Havana Pitbulls (Ricky Reyes and Rocky Romero) (w/ Paisley) vs Kings of Wrestling (Chris Hero and Claudio Castagnoli). That match had literally zero audience reaction. It was short and to the point and ended with a undisputed win for Hero and Castagnoli. (5:01, 18) Match 3, #1 Contendership for WCW Cruiserweight Title: Kaz Hayashi vs Yang vs Paul London vs CM Punk. In a chaotic and eventful match. There was need for a second referee as first one got bump. In the end Hayashi pinned London for three, but at the last moment his foot went to the ropes, which the referee overlooked. At the same time, Punk hit Yang with a chair and was disqualified. Two referees argued over who won, Hayashi or Yang. Wait… Is there DQ in 4-way matches? Nevermind, welcome to WCW. (10:33, 51) After the commercial, the commentators made the announcement that as Enforcers’s victory wasn’t decisive, by decision of WCW office Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire would defend WCW World Tag Team Titles against the all three teams that fought for contendership earlier. Noble, on the other hand, will defend the title in a triple threat against Kaz Hayashi and Yang. At Red Alert! Kevin Nash comes to the ring and delivers a short promo about how great it is to be back in WCW. Nash is pretty sure that the good old days will come back. Suddenly, he's interrupted by Ric Flair, who in a classic promo runs over nWo and all that Nash did to WCW with his buddies Hall and Hogan. Flair challenges Nash to a match tonight, and Kevin suggests making it a team match where everyone chooses a partner. Flair picks Lance Storm, and Kevin promises to announce his partner right before the match. Will Nash's "big surprise" be revealed tonight? (79) Match 4: Mark Jindrak (w/ Ted DiBiase) and Black Reign (w/ James Mitchell) vs Hugh Morrus and Fit Finlay. Ted DiBiasi distracted the ref. CM Punk and Julio Dinero run out into the ring! They attacked Finlay, and all Jindrak had to do was finish him off and record the win. (6:31, 64) After the fight, Ted DiBiase welcomes CM Punk and Julio Dinero to his group! (44) Match 5: Billy Kidman and Air Reid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) (w/ Torrie Wilson) vs Dark Society (Vampiro, Christopher Daniels and Shannon Moore). It was a quick and intense match. Vampiro was close to bringing victory to himself and his protégés, but Kidman knocked him out of the ring. Meanwhile, AJ Styles caught Christopher Daniels in Styles Clash and made a pin. (11:22, 69) Match 6, WCW United States Title: Chavo Guerrero vs Diamond Dallas Page. Chavo proved himself a worthy champion, but DDP was the most serious challenger he had so fat. At the end of the match, Page was extremely close to winning, but Rey Mysterio intervened and brought the match to a disqualification. (15:39, 74) Match 7: Ric Flair and Lance Storm vs Kevin Nash and mystery partner. Mystery partner turned out to be… Chris Kanyon! The commentators speculated throughout the match if Kanyon was masked man. But all questions were answered the 14th minute when the real masked man appeared in the arena and struck Storm in the back with a baseball bat. Kanyon finished Storm off with a Flatliner and secured the victory for his team. (14:55, 73) Booker T gave a terrific promo from his home in New York. He spoke about how important wrestling is to him and how it had saved his life in the past. Despite serious injuries, Booker cannot imagine his life without wrestling. He plans to appear on Red Alert and show Goldberg a new side of Booker T. Goldberg's attack had taken something from Booker T, but if Goldberg wants the title, he'll have to defeat all of Booker. (90) Goldberg enters the ring and grins at the titantron, signaling the end of the show. (89) Overall: 75 |
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Post by Dimos on Mar 21, 2023 9:04:58 GMT 1
WCW Monday Nitro Episode #13 Tonight: WCW World Heavyweight champion Booker T will finally return to Nitro and face Goldberg at a contract signing for a match that will take place in just six days at Red Alert! (77) Match 1: Hugh Morrus and Fit Finlay vs CM Punk and Julio Dinero (w/ Ted DiBiase). Punk and Dinero were admittedly raw to perform in front of such a wide audience, yet their talent allowed for some interesting moves. Ted DiBiase tried to intervene in the match but found himself knocked off the apron by Hugh’s clothesline. Only Mark Jindrak's intervention saved Punk and Dinero, and the match was stopped due to DQ. (7:44, 55) The camera quickly takes us backstage, where Kevin Nash and his mystery partner are beating the young WCW wrestlers with baseball bats! John Cena and Chris Hero are already lying on the floor. Nash throws a few more punches at Hero. (50) After the commercial break, Hero’s teammate Claudio Castagnoli and the other wrestlers are outraged by Nash's behavior. Gene Okerlund is here for some comments. Castagnoli yells into his mic that he's challenging Nash to a match tonight! There's also Lance Storm, who pats Claudio on the shoulder in approval. (43) Match 2, WCW World Tag Team Titles: Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Crowbar. Bigelow had several chances to bring his team the win, but the tag team champions were a little more experienced as a team. It ended with a Senton Bomb on Bigelow by O’Haire. Palumbo and O’Haire retained the titles. (11:48, 64) After the match, Bigelow and Crowbar were attacked by Above Average, led by Mike Sanders. (41) An outraged Lance Storm gets in the ring and delivers another good promo about how all of the WCW locker room is ready to stand up to Kevin Nash and the rabble he's pulling for the company again. Storm doesn't care who's hiding under the mask, whether it's Scott Hall, Hogan, or any of the other privileged pieces of garbage. Storm intends to come to Red Alert for a match and send Kevin Nash to the trash can, where he belongs. (62) The promo is answered by Chris Kanyon. Kanyon reminds us that as recently as last week, everyone thought Chris was the one hiding under the mask. He was not. But speaking of Storm, maybe he's just a crybaby looking for excuses for his defeats. For example Kanyon needs no excuses. Lance challenges Canyon to a match tonight, and Chris accepts the challenge. (75) Match 3: AJ Styles vs Christopher Daniels vs Elix Skipper. There are three participants of 3-way tag team match at Red Alert, that will determine the new WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team champions. In a quick and intense match Daniels wins by surprise roll up on Styles. (11:33, 66). Match 4: Kevin Nash vs Claudio Castagnoli. Claudio Castagnoli had the biggest match so far. Nash's experience was evident, but Castagnoli also surprised his opponent several times with his techniques, leaving Kevin worried about the outcome of the match. Nevertheless, more experienced Kevin manages to catch Claudio with a Jackknife Powerbomb in the end and win. (7:11, 52) After the match, Nash lifts Claudio up again for the second Jackknife Powerbomb. Lance Storm runs to save him, but immediately gets hit from behind by a baseball bat from the masked man! Storm takes a few more hits to the ribs and a Jackknife Powerbomb from Nash. (50) Match 5: Diamond Dallas Page vs Rey Mysterio. DDP seeks revenge on Rey Mysterio for denying him the chance to be the U.S. champion last week. It was a great match, the best in all of Nitro's new WCW, thanks to Mysterio. Both wrestlers had chances to win, but at the end, it was DDP who catched Rey into Diamond Cutter to win. (16:08, 82) Match 6: Lance Storm vs Chris Kanyon. In the main event of the evening Storm and Kanyon also made a match that was worthy of being called the best match in new Nitro history. Are we seeing the cornerstone stars for the company? Storm would have had a much better chance of winning had it not been for the injuries from the beating earlier in the show. Kanyon took advantage of his damaged ribs and finished the match with a Flatliner. (17:55, 82) Now it’s time for a contract signing between Goldberg and Booker T. There was visible tension between future opponents. Booker T uttered another promo about how Goldberg would need to destroy him to take the world title. Goldberg only smirked, indicating he was unlikely to be stopped. No words from him through. Eventually Booker T went wild and shoved Goldberg, wiping the smirk off Bill's face and causing him to approach Booker. Still no words. Only a dangerous look from Goldberg. Eric Bischoff intervened before anything could happen, and Goldberg silently signed the contract. "You're next," Goldberg said with only his lips, the first words we've heard from him since his return, and the last on this Nitro. (75) Overall: 77 ====================================================== WCW Red Alert 2001 Final Card
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles Air Raid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) (w/ Torrie Wilson) vs Dark Society (Shannon Moore and Christopher Daniels) vs Elix Skipper and Frankie Kazarian
WCW Cruiserweight Title Jamie Noble vs Kaz Hayashi vs Yang
Full Mayhem Match Hugh Morrus vs Mark Jindrak (w/ Ted DiBiase)
Billy Kidman vs Vampiro
Kevin Nash vs Lance Storm
WCW World Tag Team Titles Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire vs The Enforcers (CW Anderson and “King of Old School” Steve Corino) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Crowbar vs Above Average (Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond) (w/ Mike Sanders)
WCW United States Heavyweight Title Chavo Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio vs Diamond Dallas Page
“Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs Chris Kanyon
WCW World Heavyweight Title Booker T vs Goldberg |
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Post by Asaemon on Mar 21, 2023 21:10:43 GMT 1
WCW Red Alert 2001
Final Card
WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles
Air Raid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) (w/ Torrie Wilson) vs Dark Society (Shannon Moore and Christopher Daniels) vs Elix Skipper and Frankie Kazarian
WCW Cruiserweight Title
Jamie Noble vs Kaz Hayashi vs Yang
Full Mayhem Match
Hugh Morrus vs Mark Jindrak (w/ Ted DiBiase)
Billy Kidman vs Vampiro
Kevin Nash vs Lance Storm
WCW World Tag Team Titles
Chuck Palumbo & Sean O’Haire vs The Enforcers (CW Anderson and “King of Old School” Steve Corino) (w/ Arn Anderson) vs Bam Bam Bigelow and Crowbar vs Above Average (Johnny Swinger and Simon Diamond) (w/ Mike Sanders)
WCW United States Heavyweight Title
Chavo Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio vs Diamond Dallas Page
“Nature Boy” Ric Flair vs Chris Kanyon
WCW World Heavyweight Title
Booker T vs Goldberg
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