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Post by bookerman on Mar 27, 2023 6:31:27 GMT 1
WWF: Mania Days
January 1985
We are nearly nine months into the WWF World Title reign of Hulk Hogan. Seven months since “Black Saturday.” And as of today, January 24, 1985, we are about to usher in a new age of professional wrestling. Vince McMahon Jr. has agreed to produce a pay-per-view supercard event in two months called WrestleMania. I am his booker, and my job is to help make that night unforgettable.
Well … and then I need to keep going after that.
But let’s start here. January 1985. We’re about to put on a house show at Madison Square Garden, the biggest event of the month. Weeks before the event, and after my hiring, I spoke with WWF owner Vincent K. McMahon Jr. about the creative direction. He told me I have the runway to do what I’d like, though he does have the last word.
I’ll catch you up. In July ‘84, Vince bought Georgia Championship Wrestling from Gerald and Jack Brisco, and he also received their TV time slots on WTBS. That allowed Vince to put WWF product on a competitor’s network, in an attempt to expand the company nationwide. Days later, challenger Wendi Richter - managed by pop star Cyndi Lauper - defeated WWF Women’s champion The Fabulous Moolah - managed by Lauper’s video co-star Lou Albano - at the July MSG house show. That match was part of a hot angle called Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.
The angle started back in April ‘84, when Albano took verbal shots at Lauper. One month later, Lauper responded to those shots on “Rowdy” Roddy Piper’s “Piper’s Pit” and attacked Albano. That set up the women’s title match at the July MSG house show. The match was broadcast live on MTV and did big numbers for the WWF.
Meanwhile, the WWF champion since January ‘84, Hulk Hogan slashed the competition throughout the year. But he was pulled into the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling angle at the December MSG house show, when Piper attacked Lauper and the newly face-turned Albano. Hogan hurried out to stop the attack, causing Piper and bodyguard Bob Orton Jr. to scatter.
Other feuds at the time involved Andre The Giant and Bobby Heenan’s stable including Big John Studd, Tito Santana and WWF Intercontinental Champion Greg Valentine, and the newly named U.S. Express team of Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo, also the WWF Tag Team Champions, and the team of The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. Plus, Hogan had been training newcomer Hillbilly Jim, a large-bodied fan turned wrestler, and two-time Intercontinental champion Don Muraco was on the way back, wanting to challenge Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship.
I step in the night of the January MSG house show. Next month, at our MSG show, we have another major MTV event called The War to Settle the Score. Then, in March, we have a massive supercard planned. It’s called WrestleMania, and it’s set for MSG as well.
Getting to WrestleMania is a whole different story. Vince had that Saturday time slot on WTBS after purchasing GCW, but after putting his own WWF workers on display, ratings fell. It got so bad that Vince decided to sell the time slot, if only to get something from his deal. Jim Crockett Promotions bought the time slot for $1 million. That money was what Vince needed to buy out the Garden for a March supercard, which he was now calling WrestleMania. Essentially, this is his big shot. If he fails, he … we … probably fall to Crockett. But if we succeed …
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Post by bookerman on Mar 27, 2023 6:35:58 GMT 1
The Climate
Our WWF has become the leading force in what Vince Jr. is calling “sports entertainment.” This is primarily because of Hulk Hogan, a charismatic, muscular babyface who won the World Heavyweight Championship in early 1984. Over the year he has defended the belt on the house show circuit, shown face on our top television program Championship Wrestling, and been a perfect spokesperson for the company.
Hogan is by far the most popular worker in America. Other top draws simply don’t have the physique, charm, and packaged intensity of who we’re calling The Hulkster. He has allowed us to more easily expand the company into previously unreachable regions of the country, including the West Coast and Midwest.
The era of territory wrestling is nearly dead, thanks to Vince Jr. and his expansion dreams and Hogan and his ability to draw in fresh areas. A few challengers to WWF remain, and they’re each trying to expand in their own way.
Jim Crockett Promotions, led by Jim Crockett Jr., is the chief competition. They’re the ones who bought the WTBS time slot from Vince and run the South, as a result. Big names at JCP include charismatic Ric Flair, blue-collar hero Dusty Rhodes and tag rock stars The Fabulous Freebirds.
Then there’s the American Wrestling Association, run by Verne Gagne. Their roster had been decimated by Vince over the past year, as numerous workers - led by Hogan - fled for greener pastures, so to speak. Today AWA is far more regional than national, led by the still very solid Larry Zbyszko and a tag team called the Road Warriors. AWA also works alongside ICW and CWA, which have Randy Savage and Jerry Lawler as top draws, respectively.
Outside of America is World Wrestling Council in Mexico, and both New Japan Pro Wrestling and All Japan Pro Wrestling over in Japan. All can put on good matches, but none has the sparkling star power or media heft of the WWF. |
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Post by bookerman on Mar 27, 2023 6:49:45 GMT 1
WWF Roster
Main Event
Hulk Hogan [1F] [WWF World Heavyweight Champion] Andre The Giant [2F]
Roddy Piper [1H]
I will focus plenty of energies on these three. Hogan is face of the company, Andre should never lose clean, and Piper has to stir crap up all the time. His “Piper’s Pit” show is the key to our TV broadcasts, as every feud seems to run through him at some point.
Upper Midcard
Junkyard Dog [3F] Rocky Johnson [4F] Barry Windham [5F] S.D. Jones [6F] Jimmy Snuka [7F] Blackjack Mulligan [8F]
The Iron Sheik [2H] Paul Orndorff [3H] Big John Studd [4H] Don Muraco [5H] Adrian Adonis [6H] King Kong Bundy [7H] Greg Valentine [8H] [WWF Intercontinental Champion]
For now, Junkyard Dog is the gatekeeper to Hogan. If you beat him, you can get to The Hulkster. Snuka is over and reliable in big matches. On the heel side, we've been waiting for Studd to make a leap, while Adonis and Bundy seem to be stars in the making. Valentine is fine as IC champ, if not very memorable.
Lower Midcard
George Steele [9F] Mike Rotundo [10F] Tony Atlas [11F] Chief Jay Strongbow [12F] Tito Santana [13F] David Sammartino [14F] Hillbilly Jim [15F] Jim Brunzell [16F] B. Brian Blair [17F] Rick McGraw [18F] Villano III [19F] [WWF Light Heavyweight Champion]
Nikolai Volkoff [9H] Luke Graham [10H] Bob Orton Jr [11H] Rene Goulet [12H] Kim Duk [13H] Ivan Putski [14H]
Jim Neidhart [15H] Bret Hart [16H] Brutus Beefcake [17H] Paul Roma [18H] Swede Hanson [19H] Matt Borne [20H] The Missing Link [21H] Terry Gibbs [22H] The Executioner [23H]
A real mix of guys we want to push and guys who will be jobbing for the rest of their days. Santana is a utility knife if there ever was one. Villano III isn't really here, as he defends his belt in Mexico (though we may think about bringing him back for the occasional special bout). Orton should get a push to the upper midcard. Hart and Neidhart are up and comers, as is Beefcake.
Jobber
Jose Luis Rivera [F] Jules Strongbow [F] Salvatore Bellomo [F] Tony Garea [F] Steve Lombardi [F]
Fishman [H] Charlie Fulton [H] Dennis Stamp [H]
Most of these guys have been around for a minute and have hit their peak.
Women’s Division
Wendi Richter [1F] [WWF Women’s Champion] Donna Christanello [2F] Velvet McIntyre [3F] Desiree Petersen [4F]
Leilani Kai [1H] Judy Martin [2H] Peggy Lee Leather [3H] Mad Maxine [4H]
Richter is pretty over, and Kai is the closest thing we have to a legitimate challenger. Otherwise we need to work on getting the women over. We'll see if our fans want more women's matches before we make any drastic moves.
Tag Teams
The Briscos (Gerald Brisco, Jack Brisco) [1F] [limited appearances] The U.S. Express (Barry Windham, Mike Rotunda) [2F] [WWF World Tag Team Champions] The Killer Bees (Jim Brunzell, B. Brian Blair) [3F] The Strongbows (Chief Jay Strongbow, Jules Strongbow) [4F]
The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff [1H] Rene Goulet and Terry Gibbs [2H]
The Express isn't the best choice for champs, seeing as they're pretty new and not extremely over, outside of the obvious USA gimmick. Sheik and Volkoff are tried and true heels. We'll look to add plenty more to this division over the next several months.
Womens Tag Teams
Velvet McIntyre and Desiree Petersen [1F] [WWF Women’s World Tag Team Champions]
The Glamour Girls (Leilani Kai, Judy Martin) [1H]
The Richter vs Kai feud will dominate women's wrestling on WWF programming through WrestleMania. After that, we'll probably focus on the tag ranks if we think the fans want more women's contests.
Managers
Bobby Heenan (Big John Studd, Adrian Adonis, Ken Patera, The Missing Link) Cyndi Lauper (Wendi Richter) Bruno Sammartino (David Sammartino) Jimmy Hart (Greg Valentine, King Kong Bundy) Mr. Fuji (George Steele) The Fabulous Moolah (Leilani Kai) Lou Albano (Barry Windham, Mike Rotundo) Freddie Blassie (The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff) Johnny Valiant (Brutus Beefcake)
Lauper is a celebrity manager, so she'll be here once in a while. Bruno is a not a manager as much as a doting dad. Otherwise, Heenan, Hart and Albano are our prized talkers.
By Appearance
Jack Brisco [F] Gerald Brisco [F] Mr. Wrestling II [F] Johnny Rodz [H]
These guys are here to do some jobs and collect their checks.
Injured List
Ken Patera Dynamite Kid Davey Boy Smith Gerald Brisco Jack Brisco
We expect nearly everyone to be back within a few months. Patera is on the shelf for a long time.
Overall: The main event scene is small but potent with Hogan, the all-world attraction Andre The Giant, and the superstar heel Roddy Piper. Behind them is a gaggle of both veteran workers on the way out and younger guns looking to be the next big thing. I have a lot to work with.
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Post by bookerman on Mar 27, 2023 6:55:36 GMT 1
Writer’s Notes
- I'm playing with Journey of Wrestling. Still don't have TEW (waiting for a new computer for that), so I figured I'd go nuts on JoW and see how it stacks up. It's fun!
- As with all of my sims, I typically keep things close to reality for the first little bit, then I slowly change things up. All that said, I keep everything grounded in reality. For instance, Mick Foley becomes available for me to sign in early '85, but he doesn't fit with that era's WWF (although Foley *did* work several enhancement matches during that time as [insert name here] Foley.) Point is, don't expect me to run deathmatches in 1985 WWF.
- Like with my previous diary, I'm writing as the booker taking you behind the day-to-day work.
- I have a much more intense diary planned for posting soon. Until then, this doesn't take long to write up, so I figured to give y'all something to read. Enjoy!
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Post by bookerman on Mar 28, 2023 4:09:02 GMT 1
Week 4 January 1985
I arrive at MSG for our house show, and Vince and I arrange my first WWF card. As we piece it together, he has some goals for me. Mostly, he wants a match of the year. Sure. He also wants two events scoring a 4.75 or greater overall. And he wants a tag team of Kim Duk and Luke Graham, who ascend to upper midcarders. Okay then.
As for the card, while Hogan is beginning to transition into the Piper feud, we decide to give him one last match against the Sheik. We also further Andre’s feud with Heenan’s team by having him face The Missing Link before getting physical with Studd. And we keep a few champs warm while continuing our hot Women’s Title “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” feud.
WWF on MSG 65
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
1. Tito Santana d. Paul Roma via submission (8:23) [3.75] 2. Junkyard Dog d. Matt Borne via pinfall (3:52) [3.25] 3. Greg Valentine [c] d. Jimmy Snuka via pinfall (cheating, 10:10) [IC] [3.5]
>>> Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper talk about the terrible events of last month’s house show when Leilani Kai ambushes them and beats down Richter! [4.75]
4. Don Muraco d. Tony Atlas via pinfall (7:50) [3.25] 5. The U.S. Express [c] d. Rene Goulet, Terry Gibbs via pinfall (8:17) [3.5] 6. Andre The Giant d. The Missing Link via pinfall (6:01) [4.0]
>>> Big John Studd gets in the ring and goes toe to toe with Andre! No punches thrown. [3.75]
7. Hulk Hogan [c] d. The Iron Sheik via pinfall (13:32) [WH] [3.75] >>> Roddy Piper comes out of the crowd and jaws at Hogan! Hulk stands his ground! [3.75]
349K buys, down 1,900 from expected
A decent showing but not our best effort. Vince doesn’t worry and says the big money will come.
The idea here is to establish a floor and see what our roster gives us with minimal planning and build. Here are my booking notes:
Hogan vs Sheik has been done, and it won’t set the world afire, but it will have one-night heat. Going forward, Sheik and Volkoff will continue their feud with the upstart U.S. Express, while Hogan will go after Piper and his gang of goons. Leaning Hogan vs Piper at WrestleMania, as I favor the one-on-one match. Not sure what the endgame is for Andre. Will he face Studd at Mania one-on-one? Maybe it’s a tag bout? A segment? We’re a ways out still and this feud needs to have legs. Happy with the Women’s Title business. I hope this can carry out to Mania with Richter retaining, no hot-shotting needed in between. After Mania, I want to build out the Women’s division and have a showcase match at each event, especially as Richter is over. I’m slating Valentine and Santana to run through to Mania. Not sure who wins that yet, but Santana is weirdly lower on the pole than I thought he’d be. That may affect my decision.
I find out that The Briscos are ready to return immediately. Elsewhere, Jim Crockett Productions, our top rival nationally, has a big night with their Japan Supershow. It’s headlined by Ric Flair disposing of Austin Idol in a 5-star match. Also, Dusty Rhodes wins a six-man scramble to retain his NWA Television Title. |
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Post by sonny912 on Mar 28, 2023 14:03:59 GMT 1
Do you mind if I my some suggestions here?
Cause you should totally sign the road warriors and have them retire the Brisco Brothers in a big match so they'll get over as big heels, and sign gino hernandez to feud with tito Santana after he gets the belt off Greg Valentine and speaking of make him the 3rd or 4th depending on when dino bravo debuts of the dream team.
And instead of having buddy rose being the executioner let him be his playboy self when he fights Junkyard Dog and build it around how they were the top guys in their respective territories before signing with mcmahon, portland for rose and mid south for jyd.
and maybe create a new television title for jyd to have and feud with Terry Funk with when he gets here.
And on the subject of missing link maybe sign Kamala and put them up as a tag team with general skandor akbar as devastation Inc from wccw. And sign jerry Blackwell to work with Ken patera like they did in awa.
What do you think?
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Post by bookerman on Mar 28, 2023 17:27:52 GMT 1
Do you mind if I my some suggestions here? Cause you should totally sign the road warriors and have them retire the Brisco Brothers in a big match so they'll get over as big heels, and sign gino hernandez to feud with tito Santana after he gets the belt off Greg Valentine and speaking of make him the 3rd or 4th depending on when dino bravo debuts of the dream team. And instead of having buddy rose being the executioner let him be his playboy self when he fights Junkyard Dog and build it around how they were the top guys in their respective territories before signing with mcmahon, portland for rose and mid south for jyd. and maybe create a new television title for jyd to have and feud with Terry Funk with when he gets here. And on the subject of missing link maybe sign Kamala and put them up as a tag team with general skandor akbar as devastation Inc from wccw. And sign jerry Blackwell to work with Ken patera like they did in awa. What do you think? I love these suggestions! I especially like the idea of another title, especially for JYD, who is in a tough spot between the IC and Hogan. I'm hoping by '86 to start putting on more violent matches for him. And The Briscos are on a rolling limited contract. I have something planned for '85, but maybe for '86 I entertain your Road Warriors idea. Thanks! |
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Post by sonny912 on Mar 29, 2023 16:36:17 GMT 1
Do you mind if I my some suggestions here? Cause you should totally sign the road warriors and have them retire the Brisco Brothers in a big match so they'll get over as big heels, and sign gino hernandez to feud with tito Santana after he gets the belt off Greg Valentine and speaking of make him the 3rd or 4th depending on when dino bravo debuts of the dream team. And instead of having buddy rose being the executioner let him be his playboy self when he fights Junkyard Dog and build it around how they were the top guys in their respective territories before signing with mcmahon, portland for rose and mid south for jyd. and maybe create a new television title for jyd to have and feud with Terry Funk with when he gets here. And on the subject of missing link maybe sign Kamala and put them up as a tag team with general skandor akbar as devastation Inc from wccw. And sign jerry Blackwell to work with Ken patera like they did in awa. What do you think? I love these suggestions! I especially like the idea of another title, especially for JYD, who is in a tough spot between the IC and Hogan. I'm hoping by '86 to start putting on more violent matches for him. And The Briscos are on a rolling limited contract. I have something planned for '85, but maybe for '86 I entertain your Road Warriors idea. Thanks! Your welcome! Tag to snag the freebirds around 86 okay? Hayes, Garvin, Roberts and Gordy would be big for the tag division. AND speaking of divisions, you may want to scrap the women's tag team belts sense their aren't enough women on your roster to warrant it. I mean how many teams can you form with only eight wrestlers with 4 faces and heels on both sides?? You could bolster the women's division with girls like Sherri Martel, luna Vachon, Joyce grable who was actually a tag team partner for wendi Richter for a long time, despina momtagas, misty blue simmes, Debbie combs, candi Devine, and be sure to keep a eye out for GLOW in this universe for new recruits. |
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Post by bookerman on Mar 31, 2023 18:17:24 GMT 1
Week 1 February 1985
Our MSG house show at the end of the month will be partially simulcast live by the MTV network. We’re dubbing it “The War to Settle the Score,” and we’re in talks with a major celebrity to help us headline the event.
But first, we start booking our Championship Wrestling tapings, filming over one day in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Here’s how the first show shakes out:
WWF Championship Wrestling
Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Dark: Rocky Johnson d. Matt Borne Dark: Terry Gibbs, Rene Goulet d. Salvatore Bellomo, Steve Lombardi Dark: Blackjack Mulligan d. The Executioner Dark: Bob Orton Jr d. Tony Garea Adrian Adonis d. S.D. Jones via pinfall (4:17) [2.75] >>> Don Muraco calls out Hulk Hogan, but Hillbilly Jim answers for his friend. [3.5] Big John Studd d. Tony Garea via pinfall (3:38) [2.75] >>> Piper’s Pit: Greg Valentine puts down the “weak” Tito Santana. [4] The U.S. Express [c] d. The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff via DQ (6:09) | WWF World Tag Team Championship [3.25] >>> Hulk Hogan talks to Gene Okerlund about the terrible Roddy Piper. [4.25]
3.53 rating, 4.19M viewers, down 4,900 from expected
Again, not what we want. Crockett had the top show this week, putting Ric Flair vs Dusty Rhodes on free TV. We’re not going that far. Still, in the past, WWF booked Championship Wrestling with nothing but squashes. I wanted to change that a little and give the fans some star vs star possibilities. Here are my booking notes:
Decent start so far to Hogan vs Piper. I like Hillbilly Jim as an obstacle for heels outside of Piper’s orbit who want to get a shot at Hogan. An OK tag team title match to get that feud hotter, but the problem is the feud didn’t get any hotter. I’m wondering if the Express are too green to have the straps right away. Most of the folks in the dark matches won’t be featured during this quarter and will instead take card-filler roles.
No matches yet planned for The War to Settle the Score, but we’re probably going with Greg Valentine vs Tito Santana, round one; some configuration of Hogan vs Piper without having them go one-on-one; some configuration of Andre The Giant vs Big John Studd; and maybe a Hillbilly Jim vs Don Muraco bout. Also, possibly … probably round two of The U.S. Express vs The Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. |
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Post by bookerman on Apr 3, 2023 23:52:26 GMT 1
Week 2 February 1985
Vince tells me that we’ve locked in a contract with one of the biggest stars in television, Mr. T. He’ll obviously work with Hogan and Piper, as we don’t want to waste such a huge draw down card. And I think I now have my War to Settle the Score main event. I can’t fit him into this block of tapings, so he'll be a mystery guest.
Here’s this week’s card:
WWF Championship Wrestling
Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Dark: The U.S. Express d. The Executioner, Charlie Fulton Dark: Ivan Putski d. David Sammartino Dark: Tony Atlas d. Paul Roma Dark: The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff d. Tony Garea, Jose Luis Rivera Leilani Kai d. Velvet McIntyre via pinfall (5:05) [3] >>> Wendi Richter saves McIntyre from a post-match beatdown. [4.25] Paul Orndorff d. Salvatore Bellomo via pinfall (2:44) [2.75] >>> Don Muraco goads Hillbilly Jim into a bodybuilding contest, which goes awry. [3.25] Roddy Piper d. Tito Santana via pinfall (distraction, 10:11) [3.5] >>> Greg Valentine attacks Santana after the bout! [1.75]
3.23 rating, 4.04M viewers, down 12,000 from expected
Yikes. So that Intercontinental Title feud is off to a bad start. The women’s title feud is doing very well, though. My booking notes:
The idea for the main event was to have Valentine distract Santana and the referee, allowing Piper to get the illegal hit for the win. I’m already starting to wonder whether the Valentine vs Santana feud has the legs to get to WrestleMania. It’d better, or I’ll have to go much higher up the card (Jimmy Snuka, Junkyard Dog) for Valentine at Mania, and I don’t want a screwy finish. Richter is over, which is great because any time she or Kai fight it’s not so hot. I may just keep this feud confined to segments. Plenty of charisma between these two, along with Cyndi Lauper. I wanted Orndorff to get an easy win to establish him as a true challenger, but I probably should’ve gone up the card to someone like S.D. Jones, not a pure jobber like Bellomo. Hillbilly Jim will mostly stay out of the ring during this period. Just building him based on his massive charisma and overness.
After the show, David Sammartino asks me if he can change up his gimmick. Currently it’s “Son of Bruno Sammartino,” which I think is hilarious, so no, I don’t let him. I do let him get a promo spot on Championship this month, which is probably a bad idea. He thanks me.
The War to Settle the Score Week 4 February 1985 Tentative Card
Hulk Hogan, Mr. T vs Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff
Greg Valentine [c] vs Tito Santana | WWF Intercontinental Championship
The U.S. Express [c] vs The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff | WWF World Tag Team Championship
Hillbilly Jim vs Don Muraco
Andre The Giant vs Big John Studd |
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