WCW 2001: The Big Bang!

[Manurewa_Marlins]

History lesson...
March 26th. The day the wrestling industry died, right? Wrong. Despite their best efforts to palm their wrestling product off to their industry rivals, Eric Bischoff and a small consortium of investors, dubbed Fuscient Media Ventures managed to succeed with their eleventh hour purchase of the rights to WCW and all associated trademarks and the extensive video library it had accumulated over time, from Time Warner/AOL.

The media conglomerate, who had been desperately trying to rid its screens of anything wrestling-related, took a somewhat suprising U-turn in their attitude, perhaps in relation to the fact to the clause which stipulated that any wrestler who wished to work with WCW would have to be contracted to Fuscient, as opposed to Time Warner/AOL, which took the financial pressure off of their shoulders, and agreed to keep wrestling on its screen - on Monday nights only on TNT.

As a result of said contract clause, many talents were forced to choose whether they would return to work, or if they would sit out their Time Warner/AOL contracts at home, instead. Many of the bigger names chose the latter - with the likes of Kevin Nash, Sid and Goldberg choosing to man their couches as opposed to lace up the boots. Others, such as DDP, Booker T and WCW World Champion Scott Steiner chose to return to work, with the promise that backroom politics would not play a part in WCW under Bischoff. Rey Misterio Jr., Lance Storm and Mike Awesome all opted to stay put, wheras the futures of Ric Flair, Sting and Hulk Hogan were up in the air, with the three opting not to sign a contract with Fuscient after the Night of Champions episode of Nitro.

All talent were under strict orders not to reveal any of the above to media, not to mention the rival WWF, and all wrestlers who opted to sit their Time Warner/AOL contracts out, were also legally obliged to zip their lips on the deal, until after the Night of Champions broadcast. Join me, as I write the wrongs, push the unpushed, sign the up and comers, cull the dead weight and do what be the booker diaries do best - wonder what could have been.

WCW 2001 - The Big Bang​

 

[Tonearm Terrorwrist]

Bookmarked, this should be interesting

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

WCW Monday Nitro: Night of Champions
Monday 26th March 2001

In what has was dubbed the most monumental night in the modern era of professional wrestling, the March 26th edition of Monday Nitro opened with a montage detailing the vast history of WCW, from the NWA days, through the Jim Crockett days and finally the nWo/late 90s era, highlighting stars such as Ric Flair, Sting, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat, Hulk Hogan, the Outsiders and Goldberg. Following the montage, we are live from Panama City Beach, where a packed house are not sure whether to scream their lungs out or shed a tear for what has been speculated to be the last night of the once dominant wrestling company. Contrary to tradition, this week’s edition of Nitro got no introduction from the commentary team, instead we are fittingly joined by the ‘heart and soul of WCW,' 'The Nature Boy' Ric Flair. Flair was met with a lavish reaction from the crowd, as he made his way to ringside in an entrance perhaps for the first time ever free of any “styling and profiling”. Ric Flair, amongst a see of chants and applause, cut an incredibly emotional interview – thanking his family for their support over the years, the suits in Atlanta, the boys in the back, and last but not least, the fans. Flair talked about the fans being the ones who made him want to lace up his boots and wrestle 60 minute match after 60 minute match, night in, night out. He said it was the fans who took him to the limit with Dusty Rhodes, with Ricky Steamboat and with Harley Race. It was the fans who made him form the Horsemen and it was the fans who got him up when things seemed down and out against the nWo. Flair said all politics and bullshit aside, he is a 14 time World Champion in the greatest wrestling organisation in the world, and for that, he thanks you. Amidst huge “thank you Ric” chants, Ric turned his attention to the rumours surrounding WCW’s future, he said whatever happens, we beat those sonsabitches in Connecticut for 80-odd weeks straight, and I’d be damned if I head back to New York to do the job for a guy who wouldn’t know wrestling if it put him in a headlock and made him tap to three. Flair went on to say, whatever happens, with the future of WCW, tonight is their night. Tonight is the fans night. Tonight is our night. Ric followed that up by saying with that, if this truly is to be the last ever Nitro, he wants to be a part of it, not as a play by play guy, not as an on-screen character, but as a wrestler. The crowd popped as Flair ran off a list of names who he’s thought about going toe-to-toe with on this edition of Nitro, with the one man in his mind being the guy who he’s battled for the better part of a decade, in Sting. Ric capped off this emotional opening to Nitro, by saying that the Stinger will have one more opportunity, one more chance, to be the man. Woooooo!

Back from the break, Tony Schiavone and Scott Hudson welcomed fans back after the break, and began a common theme of the evening in speculating about the future of WCW. Schiavone declared that he hoped hell hadn’t frozen over as he doesn’t feel like heading up North this summer. With that, the first match scheduled to get underway in a night where all championship belts would be on the line. In tonight’s opening encounter, WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms defended his title against perennial lightweight contender, Chavo Guerrero, Jr. In what was a quick, yet even encounter, the champ was able to extend his reign, after slipping out of the Latino star’s brainbuster and knocking over the referee. This brought out Helms’ former stablemates, Evan Karagias and Shannon Moore, who feigned an attack on the dazed champ before nailing Guerrero with a series of stereo superkicks, rendering him unconscious. When the referee finally came to, it was Helms who was declared the victor, and it appeared that 3 Count were back together, with Helms unaware of the assistance he had received.

Backstage we got an interview with WCW United States champion Booker T, who spoke with ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund about what WCW means to him, as well as his match later on tonight with WCW World Heavyweight Champion, ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner. Booker called it both an honor and a privilege to have worked for WCW, and whatever happens, he will be a fighting champion. “Now can you dig that...suckkkkka!”

Shiavone and Hudson continued to speculate about the future of WCW, as in the second bout of the evening, The Filthy Animals team of Rey Misterio, Jr. and Billy Kidman did battle with Yang and Kaz Hayashi of the Jung Dragons, in a match to determine the number one contenders for the WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Championships, which would also be on the line later on tonight. In a super quick cruiserweight encounter, the Animals managed to pick up the win, with Misterio hitting Hayashi with the guillotine leg drop for the win.

In another backstage segment, WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms was celebrating with the reformed 3 Count stable, when Chavo Guerrero, Jr. busted through and declared that “this was not over, not by a long shot, holmes.” It took fellow cruiserweights Jamie Noble and the team of Air Raid (AJ Styles and Air Paris) to pull Guerrero away, who was clearly livid with the situation.

The third match of the evening saw Shawn Stasiak battle Bam Bam Bigelow, in a match where the loser would receive a tattoo. Stasiak, whose father was the legendary Stan Stasiak, was the victor of the match after his valet Stacey Kiebler distracted Bam Bam and allowed Stasiak to hit the neckbreaker for the win in a little over a minute. After the match, the familiar sirens hit the airwaves, as WCW World Champion ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner hit the ring as Stasiak was celebrating. Steiner made no qualms about what he was out there for, hitting Stasiak with a huge lariat, followed up by a belly-to-belly to ringside. Steiner licked his chops whilst eye-ing up the nervous Kiebler, who seemed somewhat uninterested with what had happened to Stasiak, and more interested in what the Champ had to say, before Stasiak ordered her up the aisle. Steiner made it short and sweet, calling this match the reason why this company was in the toilet, and the reason why people are switching the channel at home. He tells people not to fear, because “from here on in, it’s all about the in ring product, and for those that are still watching, you’re looking at the next US Champ, after Big Poppa Pump makes that bitch Booker T tap in about an hour’s time, holla, if you hear me!”

When we returned from the break, WCW World Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo, formerly of the Natural Born Thrillers, defended their belts against Lance Storm and Mike Awesome of Team Canada. In an incredibly quick encounter, Sean O’Haire hit Lance Storm with the Sean-ton Bomb for the win as the champs retained their titles. Hudson commented that whatever happens, O’Haire and Palumbo will be the dominant tag team heading into the new era.

Backstage, former WCW World Champion Diamond Dallas Page was talking with ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund about his WCW career, what it meant to him, his family, particularly his ex-wife Kimberly. He told Okerlund that he doesn’t regret being a part of WCW one bit, and that whatever happens, he’ll wear the WCW name on his sleeve next to his heart, as he always has.

In the third Championship encounter of the night, WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team champions ‘Primetime’ Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo did battle with the Filthy Animals, who won their number one contendership rights earlier on in the evening. This fast paced cruiserweight encounter featured plenty of action from both teams, however to the fans delight, it was the Filthy Animals who managed to secure the victory and their first ever Cruiserweight Tag Team title reign.

The sixth match of the evening was the one for all the marbles, as WCW World Heavyweight champion ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner went up against WCW United States champion, Booker T. In a unification bout, both men jostled for position, exchanging momentum with manoeuvres, combinations and counters. It was Booker T, however, who managed to turn his momentum into gold, after hitting Steiner with the Book End in ten minutes to be crowned both the United States and the World Heavyweight Champion. Booker T celebrated much to the delight of fans, as the announcers continued to speculate about the future of the company.

We then got a beautiful video package highlighting some of the more important WCW World Heavyweight champions from over the years including Ric Flair, The Giant, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Lex Lugar, Sting and even The Great Muta. After that, we were backstage once more with ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund, this time, with Sting. The former WCW champion declared his match tonight with the man who started it all, as one for the ages as he does battle with Flair once again. When talking about his future, the Stinger reminded ‘Mean’ Gene and the folks at home “that the only thing for sure about Sting, is that nothing is for sure...it’s shoooowtime!”

When we returned from the break, it was time for the main event as ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair battled arch nemesis ‘A Man Called’ Sting. In one for the ages, both man pulled out all the stops to deliver what was, to most WCW fans, the ultimate dream match, for one last time. It was the Stinger, however, who managed to secure the victory, locking Flair in the Scorpian deathlock in the seventh minute and forcing the ‘Nature Boy’ to submit, much to the fans’ delight. After the match, both Flair and Sting received a standing ovation as they shook hands and embraced. Hudson and Shiavone began to wish fans farewell, before the familiar music of Eric Bischoff hit the airwaves and the silver haired former President of the company quickly made his way to ringside much to the surprise of fans. Bischoff thanked both Sting and Flair for their contribution to the company, and asked them to stick around, because he had an announcement which was going to affect them and their futures. Bischoff then took some time to explain the situation regarding the future of WCW, and that he knows everyone has been waiting patiently to hear about its future. Bischoff first thanked everybody in the back for their efforts tonight, “it is for those guys efforts, and those guys efforts alone, that you people turn up week in week out, and it is for those guys efforts, for the Stings, the Flairs, the Booker Ts and the Scott Steiners of this world, that I...I have purchased WCW. So as you can see this is not the end of WCW, or the end of Nitro. No. This is the beginning, and at the beginning there was the Big Bang. As it was for the Earth, it shall be for WCW, you see this Sunday, there will be a Pay Per View event, a monumental event signalling the resurrection of the greatest wrestling organisation in the world. A rechristening. A rebirth. Sting will be there. Flair will be there. Booker T will be there. Scott Steiner will be there. This Sunday, join us as we bring to you the Big...Bang!”

The broadcast ended with a short promotional video for the Big Bang pay per view as the announce team were left stunned, with Schiavone declaring “WCW is not dead, it’s alive and kicking! See you Sunday folks!”

 

[Big Pete]

Interesting first show, a nice twist on what really happened.

I think my favourite segment was the Stasiak and Bigelow segment for being incredibly different than what I expected.

Was also happy to see you remedy the placing of the Steiner/Booker T match. It was my biggest pet peeve when it curtain jerked those many moons ago.

Just one error I picked up was in the DDP segment. I'm pretty sure him and Kim were still together at the time.

Otherwise good show and I'm hyped for The Big Bang.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

OOC: there's been a few errors in booking this already lol, I forgot that 3 Count had broken up, but nevertheless with the beauty of EWR's simpleness it means I can use my creativity to cover up my mistakes lol. Glad you liked the show, it was good that the matches were so shit in real life, it meant I didn't have to go too intense with the write up. I tried to keep it to a few angles which set me up for The Big Bang. I'll have it up in the next couple of days (standard Diary code for, when I can be f**ked lol). I will say this...expect some Attitudisms...that is, grey areas with booking. That is one thing which I loved with the era between 1996 and 1998, which I think was lost in the later years, those "what the f**k is gonna happen this week" and "why the hell is he out here" moments.

 

[Big Pete]

Yeah, I generally use DDT Digest when I want to gather some insight into WCW during the Monday Night war and they did a great job of covering the company at the time.

I like that you're covering 2001 and seeing how WCW could have recovered in terms of quality entertainment. I'm mostly looking forward to see who you're going to draft in and who you might get rid of.

 

[pennywisealfie]

very nice stuff man. Often, my problem with these diaries is they are usually filled with useless information but you cut to the point nearly all of the time which was easy to read. looking forward to this.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

The Harris Boys def. Air Raid in a dark match after Ron pinned Air Paris.

WCW The Big Bang
Sunday 1st April 2001​

The show begins with a montage detailing the history of the company from the Buddy Rogers’ and the Ric Flairs’ to the Harley Races and the Dusty Rhodes’. We get clips of the cruiserweights, the tag teams, the nWo invasion and Goldberg. We get clips of the more recent events as the montage begins to speed up to the point where we can’t see anything longer than a split second. The clip then cuts to a blackened screen before BANG! a pseudo-explosion takes place and we are liiiiive at WCW’s Big Bang pay per view. Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay are at ringside, who welcome us in to what may be the most defining moment in all of professional wrestling. They comment on how good it is to be back together as the voices of WCW once again before running down the action packed card they have in store. They note that ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms defending his Cruiserweight title against Chavo Guerrero, Jr.; there will be a Tag Team title unification bout between WCW Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo and WCW Cruiserweight Champions Rey Mysterio, Jr. And Billy Kidman of the Filthy Animals; and WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T will be defending his title against former champ, Diamond Dallas Page. Tenay also hyped up the fact that both Sting and ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair are here tonight to address fans, in what will be a very emotional night for World Championship Wrestling.

Three Way Tag Team Ladder Match For The Number One Contendership: The Jung Dragons vs 3 Count vs Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo

Without much notice, an eerie tune hit the PA system, as Kaz Hayashi and Yang, the Jung Dragons, made their way to the ring. We see that there are a number of ladders at ringside as the announcer Dave Penzer informs us that tonight’s opening contest will be a tag team three way ladder match, where the first team to retrieve the contract hanging above the ring, will earn a shot at the WCW World Tag Team Championships in the near future. The Dragons are then joined by Elix Skipper and Kid Romeo, the former WCW Cruiserweight Champions, Skipper heading straight for the ring whilst Romeo took some time to pose for a few *gulp* lucky females in attendance. The third and final tag team was none other than Evan Karagias and Shannon Moore of the newly reformed 3 Count. Their entrance was the most elaborate, however it was cut short when Elix Skipper and Kaz Hayashi performed simultaneous springboard somersault planchas on them as they posed at ringside.

The match was a fantastic display of cruiserweight wresting, filled by plenty of tandem offence and high risk moves. At one stage, Karagias, who had leapfrogged a ladder, was dangling from the wire suspending the contract above the ring, only to fall victim to a diving shining wizard from Yang, who performed the same leapfrog from a ladder positioned opposite. Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper mixed it up with the Dragons, using a ladder as a battering ram before leaping in the air and shuffling it under their legs as they performed a double leg drop. Karagias and Moore hit stereo superkicks on Hayashi and Skipper, before running up ramps created by ladders leaning on the top rope and performing suicide dives to Yang and Romeo who were fighting at ringside.

The ending came when Skipper, who had hit Hayashi off a 20 foot ladder pulled from under the ring, decided not to grab the contract opting instead to hit a huge shooting star press to the already unconscious Kaz Hayashi. This allowed both Romeo and Yang to scale the ladder, only for both members of 3 Count to climb a smaller ladder positioned next to it and begin laying into their opponents. Romeo, after being sprayed by green mist from Yang, fell from the ladder yet somehow managed to hit a flying head scissors on Evan Karagias who was standing on the smaller ladder, sending both to the mat below. Shannon Moore was then able to push the bigger ladder over, with Yang still clutching onto it, leaving him clear to grab the contract. However just before he could grab the contract, a wave of Italian music hit the airwaves and the duo of Big Vito and Johnny The Bull made their way to ringside holding baseball bats. Stamboli began nailing everyone insight, as Vito quickly climbed the ladder. Cameras zoomed in on Vito as he flicked his chin with his hand in trademark Sicilian fashion before nailing Moore with the bat, sending him flying from the ladder. Vito grabbed the contract and he and Johnny the Bull began celebrating as their music boomed through the arena once again. The Mamalukes had won...err...acquired the number one contendership to the WCW World Tag Team Championships!

Winners: Big Vito and Johnny The Bull, The Mamalukes.

After a highlight package we are introduced to a series of “WCW: Moments In History” video packages, the first of which being Dusty Rhodes’ maiden WCW World Title victory over then champion Harley Race. After which, we head backstage to where ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund is standing by with WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms. A confident Helms chews his gum smugly as Okerlund questions his integrity going into the match with the veteran Chavo Guerrero, Jr. Helms calls Guerrero well past his used-by-date, questioning why he even has to face him considering he beat him with ease last week. Before Okerlund could point out the assistance he received, Helms’ 3 Count stablemates Evan Karagias and Shannon Moore interrupt, holding their necks in agony as they scream that they were screwed out of their shot at the titles, and that they will make sure this doesn’t happen again tonight. Helms reassures them that he doesn’t need their help, but thanks them for offering, stating that he’ll see them or in two or three minutes with the belt in hand, depending on how many numbers he gets on the way back to the locker room.

WCW Cruiserweight Championship: 'Sugar' Shane Helms (c) vs Chavo Guerrero, Jr.

With that, we head back to ringside, where Helms’ opponent for the evening, Chavo Guerrero, Jr., was making his way down to ringside, receiving a fairly decent applause from the fans at ringside. A few ‘Eddie’ chants start up, before the WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘ Sugar’ Shane Helms enters the fray after the ‘Sugar Babies’ dance troupe had warmed the crowd up. Helms, sporting a more ‘Hip Hop’ look, compared to the boy band imagery adopted by his 3 Count stablemates, wastes no time in locking it up with Chavo. The match goes back and forth, each managing to get in plenty of offense without taking total control. Chavo attempted to ground Helms, utilising a high angled belly-to-back suplex, followed up by a drop kick and chin lock. Helms, on the other hand, took the match to the air, leapfrogging over Guerrero after being Irish whipped, scaling the turnbuckle and hitting a whisper in the wind for a two. The match itself ended when Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias limped down to ringside as Guerrero was hoisting Helms into the death valley driver. Guerrero, noticing the 3 Count invasions released Helms and berated them at ringside, only for Helms to hit the Vertebreaker and score the pinfall to retain the title. Helms, still dazed, was presented the belt by Shannon Moore as the three made wake heading back to the locker room with Guerrero visibly upset with the referee over the result.

Winner and STILL WCW Cruiserweight Champion: 'Sugar' Shane Helms

We then head to a video package highlighting our second “WCW: Moment In History” of the evening, featuring Ric Flair’s monumental victory over Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat at WrestleWar in 1989. Tenay and Schiavone wax lyrical over the match, saying they hope to see many more from the Nature Boy as WCW moves forward. With that we head back to ringside for the third bout of the evening where we are joined by none other than ‘The Chosen One’ Jeff Jarrett, holding his trademark guitar. A chorus of boos sound throughout the arena as Jarrett calls for a microphone. The boos grow louder and louder, and before he even gets the chance to speak, the deafening sound of sirens could be heard, signalling the arrival of ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner. Steiner, without Midajah this evening, made his way to the ring quickly, and as the lights came on, Jarrett smiled and approached Steiner to shake his stablemates hand, only for Steiner to lay the Chosen One out with a huge right fist, before he even had a chance to use the mic.

'The Chosen One' Jeff Jarrett vs 'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner

The referee called for the match to start as Scott Steiner, apparently upset he was not considered for the main event (according to Tenay), continued the demolition job, hitting an array of suplexes on the helpless former world champion. Though he got in some brief offence, it was Steiner who picked up the victory in brutal fashion, hitting the Steiner Screw Driver for the victory in under two minutes. Not content with his win, Steiner scooped Jarrett up and hit him with another SSD, before strapping in the Steiner Recliner, forcing the Chosen One unconscious. Fans erupted as EMTs hit ringside but were too scared to get into the ring, after what Steiner had done to EMTs in the past. He posed as his music hit the airwaves – a shuddering reminder as to what Scott Steiner was capable of in the ring.

Winner: 'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner

We then head backstage, to where ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was standing by with former WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Diamond Dallas Page, who later in the evening would challenge reigning champ, Booker T. Page had no qualms in praising Booker T as a true fighting champion, which is why it’s going to be such a shame to beat him tonight. Page talked about how he and Booker T were products of the same WCW system which had placed more obstacles in their path than Everest, yet they both managed to reach the peak of success. Page concluded by saying it was only fitting that Booker T defended his title tonight against him, and it will be even more fitting for the Fighting Champion to hand over the belt to its rightful owner, The Peoples’ Champion.

After the promo wraps up we head back to ringside, with both Tenay and Schiavone agreeing with Page about the similarities of both his and Booker T’s careers here in WCW, though they are not so sure about the result Page speaks of. With that, the music of Lance Storm boomed through the arena, and the first ever triple champion in WCW history made his way to the ring, sporting plain black wrestling tights – visibly free of any pro-Canadian sentiments. Schiavone spoke of Storm’s plans to focus more on his wrestling and less about the political agenda of the talent backstage to which Tenay commented could only be a good thing as Storm is one of the most talented pound-for-pound performers in the business today. Suddenly, the lights went out. And after a brief period of silence, a voice could be heard over the PA system, it was a somewhat familiar voice which began delivering a monologue...

“Forgive me father for I have sinned, it has been 6200 days since my last confession. I accuse myself of the following sins. For the past sixteen years I have lied, stolen and committed adultery. I have inflicted grievous bodily harm on my fellow man for nobody’s good but my own. I have put myself up on a pedestal on my own accord and in turn worshipped one’s self instead our Lord, our God, our Heavenly Father. I have dishonoured the best wishes bestowed upon me by my parents, and when I was just 16, it I was I who managed to bear false witness, as I lied to have my own brother incarcerated for a crime I had committed, not he. God hath given me so much here on Earth, to which I have given nothing in return. The only sin I have not committed is the act of murder, however I do you service in reminding you that I am only 29 years old, and the injuries I have inflicted upon others, particularly their skulls, done so in the name of greed and narcissism, may yet still cause mortality. Father I do not accompany these heinous acts with numerical counts, because I simply am not aware of how many I have committed in total. I respect tradition, however I feel the penance you will ask me to perform and the Act of Contrition are not punishment enough to see these sins corrected. As such father, I have taken it upon myself to dedicate the whole of the rest of my days to correct what I have done, and prevent those actions of others which may inhibit upon the Lord’s word. It starts tonight, and from this day forward, I will devote my life to the cleansing of the wrestling world of the filth and misdemeanour which has infected its soul, and I shall do so through ruthless vocation. From this day forward, I devote my life to Priesthood. From this day forward, Father, I too shall be known as Father...Father...Chris...Candido.”

With that, a rousing arrangement of Christian music begins to pump through the PA system, as the man who has now dubbed himself ‘Father’ Chris Candido appears on at the top of the entranceway, dressed in a long black robe with a purple cross on its back. Father Chris is joined on stage by his partner and valet, Tammy Lee Sytch, who seems to have adopted a similar personality, doing away with the revealing garments, opting instead for a long, plain black dress, and her hair single platted. They made their way to the ring, with Candido holding his hands up to the rafters and letting out a stirring prayer before the referee rings the bell for the match to begin.

Lance Storm vs 'Father' Chris Candido

The match itself is a scientific encounter, with neither man gaining any credible advantage. The commentators talked up the history between the two, with Candido and Storm wrestling as a tag team during their tenure together in ECW. Storm managed to pull off an array of technical offense, attempting to ground Candido for the Canadian Maple Leaf, with Candido utilising his fantastic agility and unique ability to avoid manoeuvres by the skin of his teeth. At one stage in the match, Storm looked to hit a superplex from the top rope, only for Candido to push him off the turnbuckle, hold his hand out in prayer and hit a diving hurricanranna...err...frankensteiner for a two count. Candido himself managed to hit a reverse piledriver, only for Storm to roll out of the pinfall attempt and attempt a sharpshooter, with Candido being able to break the count by grabbing the bottom rope. The match came to an end however, when Sytch, who was standing at ringside holding a chalice of liquid, began flicking it at Storm, chanting that he had sinned. This provided a long enough distraction for Candido to roll Storm up and use the tights for leverage as he stole the win. Both Candido and Sytch began holding their hands up in praise as the hightailed it back to the locker room, seemingly thanking a higher power for the victory tonight.

Winner: 'Father' Chris Candido

We then head backstage to where ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was in the interview pit with WCW World Heavyweight Champion, Booker T. Booker took little time in reiterating his stance as a fighting champion, and delivered an interview not all that different to Diamond Dallas Page’s. Booker said there was one thing he and Page didn’t agree on, however, and that was the result of their match tonight. Booker looked to deliver his catchphrase finale, only for him to be cut off by ‘Father’ Chris Candido and Tammy Lee Sytch, who he had by referred to as ‘Sister’ Tammy. Candido pushed Booker out of the road, crying out that the Lord has spoken, and his speech is Holy. Justice will be done and the reckoning of WCW has begun. He and ‘Sister’ Tammy scurried off, with a puzzled Booker T exclaiming to an equally puzzled Gene Okerlund, “Tell me, he didn’t just say that.”

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

We then get our third “WCW: Moment in History”, this time it’s from Starrcade 1997, when Sting managed to defeat Hollywood Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Schiavone talks about the mark Sting has left on this business, Tenay following him up by calling him the perfect mix of character and in ring ability. Next up, it’s the second title match of the evening, with WCW World Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire and Chuck Palumbo up against WCW Cruiserweight Champions Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio Jr., with the winning team unifying the titles. Out first it was O’Haire and Palumbo, who made little hesitation in heading straight for the ring. Tenay called them the personification of power, Schiavone suggesting that Tenay shouldn’t let them hear that. The Filthy Animals were out next, accompanied to the ring by their mentor, Konaan. K’Dawg, Rey and Kidman received a huge reaction from the crowd as they made their way to the ring with their unique swagger.

Tag Team Title Unification: WCW World Tag Team Champions Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo vs WCW Cruiserweight Champions Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio, Jr.

The match itself was a clash of styles as you would expect when you put a team of 6”4+ guys against two wrestlers who together weigh less than a wet boot, however for what they lacked in size, they made up for in speed, their agility proving frustrating for O’Haire and Palumbo early on as they struggled to use their power to an advantage. In fact it was a stiff lariat delivered on counter attack from Palumbo on Kidman that managed to bring things to a shuddering halt. The champs then began to use their size to their advantage, hitting a variety of moves including a huge double slingshot suplex on a helpless Kidman. When Kidman finally got the tag, however, it was another story as Rey Mysterio Jr., entered the fray, ducking clotheslines and big boot attempts, hitting low drop kicks and linking up with Kidman to deliver a springboard leg lariat on O’Haire after pouncing off of Billy’s back.

The two teams switched momentum several times in the match, and at one time it looked as if Rey was not going to be able to continue after he was planted with a huge powerbomb which seemingly snapped the former Cruiserweight champion into two. Kidman did his best, hitting a face buster on O’Haire which was followed up by a standing shooting star press, though only got the two count. Several near falls each later, the match finally came to a close, after O’Haire, who had been duelling verbally with Konaan at ringside all match, was distracted and finally came to blows with the lucha legend. This caught the attention of Rey Mysterio, Jr., who launched himself off of the top turnbuckle onto O’Haire with a corkscrew plancha. Kidman, who had been distracted by the goings on outside, was then easy pickings for Palumbo, hitting a jaw shattering super kick to pick up the win and unify the titles. As O’Haire joined him in the ring to celebrate, the Filthy Animals gathered in a huddle at ringside for a quick pep talk, before returning backstage to a reasonable applause from the crowd.

Winners and UNDISPUTED WCW World Tag Team Champions: Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo

After a highlight package we went to our fourth and final “WCW: Moment In History”, this time featuring Bill Goldberg’s defeat of Hollywood Hogan in the Georgia Dome, which Schiavone dubbed, the greatest moment of his commentary career. Returning back to ringside, Dave Penzer asked all fans to rise and welcome the 16 time Heavyweight Champion of the World, ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair. The arena erupted as the all too familiar ‘Dawn’ by Richard Strauss hit the airwaves and the former 16 time Heavyweight Champion of the World made his way to the ring, dressed in a charcoal suit and blue tie. Flair took his time, ‘stylin and profilin’ like only Flair can. Once in the ring, the Nature Boy called for a mic, only to be drowned out by the chorus of “Woooooo’s” from the thousands in attendance. Flair eventually got to speaking, saying that today was the dawn of a new era for not only WCW but for all of professional wrestling. He called the boys in the back the future of this business, highlighting Booker T in particular as proof that only a few make it in this business, and none have busted their ass more than Booker. Flair spoke of his matches with Steamboat, Rhodes, that yellow and red jackass from up North and Harley Race, but the one man who took him to the limit was the man that will join him in the ring right now, Sting.

With that the familiar tones of the Stinger’s theme hit, and a trench coat-less, bat-less, face paint-less Sting made his way to the ring, also dressed in a suit. Sting hugged Flair as he entered the ring, before letting out a huge “woooo!” of his own. Sting said it’s damn good to be in the ring with the man who gave him the courage to want to be the best in the world. The two called each other the greatest they’ve ever faced before they both announced their retirements to a shell shocked crowd who knew what was coming but didn’t want it to be so. “Well, well, well.” Before they could get the chance to say their last goodbyes, they were interrupted by a familiar voice, that of ‘The Franchise’ Shane Douglas. “I’ve been waiting for this moment for the better part of a decade, so much so that I can scarcely believe it’s true. Ric Flair...you are the sorriest excuse for a man I have ever come across. If Buddy Rogers could see you now he’d walk right up to you and slap you in the face with a right backhand for tarnishing the image of the true ‘Nature Boy’.”

The crowd erupted into boos as Douglas ran down both Flair and Sting in a dirt sheet seemingly a mile long. He talked about the politicking backstage, about how Steamboat had the professionalism and balls to put him over but Flair didn’t, and how Flair and Bischoff had their cronies rape ECW of their ideas and talent because they had reached the end of the road but were too selfish to pull over. Flair ordered Douglas to shut his mouth, which got a fantastic reaction from the crowd. He talked about how he put Benoit over (which Douglas held up a finger and responded with “gone”), he put Malenko over (“gone”) he gave Jericho his character (“gone”) and put shoes on everyone’s’ kids feet in the back right now. Sting followed up by saying that if Shane Douglas could draw a 10th of what he or Flair could, he’d “have wrestled Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental belt instead of being handed it because Michaels didn’t want to stoop to the level of a whiney, moaning, self-absorbed, delusional son of a bitch!”

Douglas responded by saying that if Flair and Sting truly were as popular as they were, this company wouldn’t have been on the brink of bankruptcy for the past twelve months. He called the so called changing of the guard happening in that ring a farce, saying that “if you ask the boys in the back, that ship sailed twelve months ago. The revolution has already taken place; you are the last two rundown buildings standing.” Flair ripped off his jacket and ordered Douglas to come down to the ring and start revolting, if he has the balls. Sting reiterated his challenge, to which Douglas accepted, as he began heading to the ring. “You want a fight, you want a fight, let’s do this then.” And with that, former ECW World Heavyweight Champion and member of Team Canada Mike Awesome leaped the barricade and slid into the ring, nailing the Stinger to the back of neck with a huge running lariat. Sting was next to cop a shot from Awesome as Douglas slid into the ring and the two began beating down on the two WCW legends.

After 30 seconds of assault, Douglas turned his attention to the crowd. “This is the future of this business; this is what will take this company to the next level. If you’re not with us, you’re against us, and you’re just another victim of the revolution. Out with the old and in with the new.” Douglas dropped the mic as Awesome planted both Flair and Sting with Awesome Bombs. Both Schiavone and Tenay were silent as security and EMTs flooded ringside and Awesome and Douglas headed backstage, victorious in their goal of delivering a bloody goodbye to the Stinger and Ric Flair.

After we get a minute or so of silent broadcast showing Flair and Sting being wheeled out on stretchers, Tenay asks the “guys in the truck” to cut to the promo package. We then cut to a video package hyping up tomorrow’s episode of Nitro, before heading into the promo for the main event. The video focussed on the careers of both the WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T, and Diamond Dallas Page, particularly their similarities. Once that concludes the remixed version of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” hits the airwaves as the former WCW World Heavyweight Champion Diamond Dallas Page made his way down to the ring, much to the delight of fans. Page, who was widely touted as being at the backend of his career, was in high spirits, leaping off the ropes as he geared himself up for the main event showdown. Next up, the arena was in chaos as the trademark Harlem Heat theme song hit the airwaves, and the champion Booker T made his way through the pyrotechnics with the belt around his waist.

WCW World Heavyweight Championship: Booker T (c) vs Diamond Dallas Page

Once both wresters were in the ring, and Michael Buffer had performed the introductions, it was time for the main event. Both wrestlers jostled for position early on, struggling to hit manoeuvres, opting instead to test each other out. Diamond Dallas Page slapped Booker T, which seemed to motivate Booker more, and he retaliated with a slap of his own. The two exchanged further open palms before Booker dropped Page with an uppercut. Booker then ran off the ropes and missed an elbow, the two rising to their feet at the same time, much to the delight of fans. It was Diamond Dallas Page who took advantage first though, hitting a belly-to-belly suplex, followed up by his trademark elbow drop. Booker T managed to even things out however, by hitting a high impact spine buster, followed up by with his trademark knee drop.

The two then exchanged advantage throughout the match, at one point DDP had Booker T tangled in the rope and was delivering shoulder thrusts into Booker T’s side, in an attempt to slow him down from using his side-stance innovation. DDP looked for the Diamond Cutter midway through the match, however was shutdown at the last second when Booker T blocked the move and hit a Russian Legsweep. On another occasion, Booker T had DDP primed for the Book End, only for Page to knee Booker T and hit a huge flowing DDT. The crowd were on edge, some cheering for Booker, others for Page as the two went back and forth in traditional WCW fashion, much to their delight.

The main event eventually came to a close however, after Diamond Dallas Page hit a Diamond Cutter from nowhere, only for Booker T to get his foot on the bottom rope at the last second during the count. Page, frustrated, scooped Booker T up and attempted to hit another, only for Booker to shove Page out of the way, and attempt a side crescent kick. Page, however, ducked the kick, and hit another Diamond Cutter, this time Booker managed a shoulder up at the last second. DDP punched the mat in frustration and began laying into Booker with closed fists, the referee having to pull him off. This caused Page to shove the referee who shoved him back to remind him who was in charge. In the meantime, Booker T had returned to his feet and hit a huge side kick to DDP, followed by a kick to the gut, and a his patented Scissor Kick, only for Page to kick out at 2.999999 of a three count. The two would rise to their feet at the same time and exchange blows. Booker went for the Book End, DDP reversed it into a Diamond Cutter, only for Booker to attempt a roll up and Page to kick out. The two rose to their feet once more, Page charging Booker who leapt, and on the return effort from Page he was hit with a huge spine buster, followed by a break-dance windmill. Booker T waited for Page to get to his feet, nailed him with a Book End and managed to pick up the three counts in a fifteen minute barnburner.

Winner and STILL WCW World Heavyweight Champion: Booker T

An upset but humble Diamond Dallas Page raised the arm of Booker T as the confetti fell from the rafters, and Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay thanked those at home for tuning in, reminding them all to tune in tomorrow night for the first Nitro in the new era of World Championship Wrestling.

Quick Results
The Mamalukes def. 3 Count, The Jung Dragons and Elix Skipper/Kid Romeo to become number one contenders
WCW Cruiserweight Champion 'Sugar' Shane Helms def. Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
'Big Poppa Pump' Scott Steiner def. 'The Chosen One' Jeff Jarrett
'Father' Chris Candido def. Lance Storm
WCW World Tag Team Champions Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo def. WCW Cruiserweight Champions Billy Kidman and Rey Mysterio, Jr. to unify the titles
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T def. Diamond Dallas Page

 

[Big Pete]

Finally got around to giving this the read it deserved and all up I'm glad I did.

This really brought me back to that 2000/01 time period where every so often there would be a WCW show that would actually satisfy me, this is one of those shows. You did a great job of capturing the authenticity of a WCW show whilst also booking a very solid show. It seems too often in an effort to draw more viewers writers will book these car wreck shows that don't allow for realism or pacing and as a result the BTB's suffer as a result but you've done a great job here.

Personally my favourite bit was the Father Chris Candido bit. That is just so 2000 and hopefully you can get the rest of the shows to us in the near future.

Just an aside, when you originally posted this BTB I was inspired for at least a week to do a WWF fed. where I'd book the show as if WCW hadn't gone out of business and the WWF didn't go down that botched Invasion storyline. While, it didn't get past the initial drafting stages I thought there was a lot of possibilities, especially in the mid-card with guys like Edge, Jeff Hardy, Test, William Regal, Raven and Rhino. In saying, 2001 is a really interesting time period to choose in more ways than one.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

WCW Monday Nitro
Monday 2nd April 2001

The first Nitro since the Big Bang! gave birth to the new era of World Championship Wrestling began with a highlights package, beginning first with Bischoff’s promo at the Night of Champions edition of Nitro, before highlighting the goings on at the pay per view, including the tag team ladder match, Scott Steiner’s win over Jeff Jarrett, the tag team unification bout, Shane Douglas and Mike Awesome’s demolition job on Sting and Flair and finally Booker T retaining his world title against Diamond Dallas Page. We then went to a brand new opening package before heading to ringside where Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay welcomed us to the new Monday Nitro.

The show kicked off with the familiar sirens of ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner’s theme song, with the Big Bad Booty Daddy taking no time in getting to the ring and calling for a *expletive* mic. Steiner, in front of a hot crowd, called out Booker T, claiming he deserved a rematch for the belt he lost to Booker T last week, and if Booker T had the balls he would live up to his moniker as a fighting champion, come out and accept his challenge.

The chchchchchchosen one

Unfortunately for Steiner, the music that hit the airwaves next was not that of the World Heavyweight Champion, rather that of ‘The Chosen One’ Jeff Jarrett, a former world champion himself. Jarrett, dressed read to wrestle and a pair of sunglasses headed to the ring with his trademark guitar, grabbing a mic from ringside and calling Steiner a punk and a phony. He accused Steiner of blindsiding him last night and acting unprofessionally. Jarrett claimed the match last night was a farce, which as of late, seems to have become the norm. He said the problem with WCW was not with Nash, with Hogan or with Russo, it was with people like Steiner who refused to wrestle by the rules. Steiner smirked, replying ‘screw the rules jackass, this binness is about kicking ass and taking names’. Jarrett replied by saying it would appear that way, which is why he wants a match with Steiner later on tonight, and just to make it clear, for all parties involved, there will be no rules. The crowd roared as Steiner asked Jarrett if he was serious, before accepting the challenge. However, before he could go any further, Jarrett clocked Steiner over the head with the guitar, telling him afterwards, “screw the business Scott, this is about stepping over everyone to the top” as he lay covered in splints.

After the first commercial break, we headed into the first match of the evening where reigning WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms would team with his 3 Count buddies, Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias, to face the trio of the Jung Dragons and Jamie Noble. The match as a fast [aced affair and exhibited the evolution of the Cruiserweight division into one of fast paced, quick fire offence as opposed to tradition technical-based junior heavyweight wrestling. The Dragons and Noble worked well together, however it was 3 Count who managed to pick up the victory, after the referee was distracted and Karagias and Moore hit stereo superkicks on Kaz Hayashi, with a dazed Helms hitting the Vertebreaker for the victory – unbeknownst of the events that had led to the win.

In the second match of the evening, the Harris Boys (Ron and Don) were already in the ring as the team of Air Raid, Paris and Styles, headed to the ring in matching red attire. Schiavone marvelled over the mismatch in size, with Tenay chiming in that what Air Raid lack in size, they make up for in heart and unique aerial offence. Before the match could get underway however, a familiar voice hit the airwaves, and it was that of ‘Father’ Chris Candido, after which his theme song hit the airwaves, and the reborn wrestler made his way down to ringside with ‘Sister’ Tammy in tow. ‘Father’ Chris and ‘Sister’ Tammy took a position next to Tenay and Schiavone, picking up headsets. The match was a clear mismatch in styles though both teams got in equal offence. Much of the focus, however was on the commentary delivered by Candido and Sytch, the two preaching a sermon down their headsets, claiming they are devoting their lives to the cleansing of the filth that is professional wrestling. They claimed that professional wrestling was the devil’s work, and it was up to them to bring salvation to those within Satan’s clutches. The Harris Boys got the victory when Ron pinned Paris after a backbreaking powerbomb. ‘Father’ Chris and ‘Sister’ Tammy then wandered around ringside with a mic in hand, flicking Holy Water on those fans at ringside as well as the Harris Boys, who looked more than a little confused.

Backstage after a commercial break, ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was standing by with Rey Misterio Jr., Billy Kidman and Konaan, the Filthy Animals. ‘Mean’ Gene questioned the Animals on their loss last night to the team of Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire, asking them what they plan to do to move forward. Konaan responded by saying they will move forward by proving themselves once again, as the best faction in all of professional wrestling, whether the man likes it or not. ‘Mean’ Gene then directed a question to Misterio, who would face Sean O’Haire tonight, asking him what is going through his mind. Misterio stared at Okerlund before switching his focus to the camera and muttering ‘redemption.’

In another backstage segment, Lance Storm was seen warming up in the locker room, when he was interrupted by The Cat. The Cat tried to show Storm some dance moves, only for Storm to reply that he should be shutting his mouth and stretching ahead of their match with Mamalukes tonight. The Cat responded by saying that he didn’t need to stretch, as he was a ‘bad man’ and questioned Storm why he needed to stretch anyway, as from what he could see, there wasn’t much muscle. Storm replied that he could snap The Cat’s leg in seconds and would happily make him tap like a bitch. The two then got in eachother’s faces before fading to a commercial.

In the third match of the evening, The Cat and Lance Storm teamed up to take on the number one contenders to the WCW World Tag Team Champions, Big Vito and Johnny The Bull of the Mamalukes. Schiavone said that usually he’d have Storm and the Cat as heavy favourites, but after their heated encounter just moments ago, he’s not so sure. The match was a mix of technical wresting, tag team brawling and a touch of comedy, as the Mamalukes did their best to halt the quick footed Cat and lighting technical prowess of Storm. The Mamalukes hit a number of double team manoeuvres, including a huge double bulldog, only for Storm and The Cat to respond with a superkick/spinning heel kick combination, followed up by the Canadian Maple Leaf by Storm, whereby the Cat hit a huge soccer kick to the skull of Johnny The Bull who was locked in. The match came to a confusing end, however, when The Cat refused to tag out despite taking an array of punishment from the Mamalukes. The Mamalukes hit a skylift slam for the victory, with Storm and The Cat arguing after the winners’ hands had been raised.

In this edition of Nitro, we were also subject to an odd promotional video, featuring static flashes and random numbers not all that dissimilar from the graphics featured in the film, The Matrix. The video lasted thirty or so seconds and left both Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay perplexed as to what the video footage was for.

The fourth match of the evening saw one half of the WCW World Tag Team Champions Sean O’Haire take on one of the men his team defeated the night previous, Rey Misterio, Jr. Both teams came to the ring without their respective team mates meaning the match would be a purely one-on-one contest. O’Haire dominated early proceedings, utilising his size and strength advantage perfectly to keep Rey at bay. He hit a huge side slam and followed it by scooping Misterio directly from the ground to his shoulders and throwing him with a release fireman’s carry. Misterio, kicked out however, and managed to make some gains of his own, evading a big boot from O’Haire and chop blocking him, followed up with a frankensteiner with O’Haire already on his knees. The two switched advantage numerous times throughout the match, however the match came to an end when Misterio, attempting to hit a springboard frankensteiner, was poleaxed wit a jacknife powerbomb. O’Haire then hit a high angle senton bomb to pick up the victory over the Latino superstar.

Following the bout, we received another hype video which stated that the reigning WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T would be at Nitro next week with big news regarding his title and what he plans to achieve as WCW’s top dog moving into the future. Footage was shown of Booker Ts career, ending with his win over Page at the Big Bang! and his trademark catchphrase, “can you dig that, suckkkkkka!”

The familiar tones of Deep Purple’s ‘Perfect Stranger’ hit the airwaves as ‘The Franchise’ Shane Douglas and his new ally Mike Awesome made their way down to ringside in this, the first edition of Nitro after The Big Bang! Awesome stood with a smug look on his face as Douglas invited viewers t check out what happened last night when he and Awesome decimated so called WCW legends Ric Flair and Sting. He said he’d been waiting for years to do that, and though he would have preferred to do so in a match, Flair and Sting would never have the balls to do so, so he did the next best thing. He called last night’s events a day of reckoning for not only WCW, but the entire wrestling business. He said that fans may not have liked what they heard and saw last night, but he doesn’t give a s*** because it was the truth, and the truth hurts. The Franchise says that he enjoyed putting Flair and Sting in parallel hospital beds last night, and he hopes they never walk again. If they do, they can hightail up to Papa Vince like Flair did last time, because he’s not welcome here where real wrestling is king. Douglas passed the mic to Mike Awesome, who closed the segment off by saying, “the revolution has begun, and it will as violent as needed”. The crowd was split during the promo, with Schiavone stating that love him or hate him, the Franchise is passionate about what he believes in, with Tenay following reiterating Douglas’ testament that there was a lot of truth to what he was saying.

The main event of this evening’s Nitro saw ‘Big Poppa Pump’ Scott Steiner do battle with ‘The Chosen One’ Jeff Jarrett. The match went for 15 minutes as the two former stablemates looked to beat the bejesus out of eachother in an attempt to prove to the world that they were the next in line to Booker T’s World title. Jarrett looked to capitalise on the guitar shot he dealed out earlier in the evening, hitting Steiner with an array of fists and elbows to the face, stomping Steiner’s head and nailing him with a DDT on a chair. Steiner fought back, utilising the chair himself as he ploughed Jarrett’s skull with a baseball like swing, before whipping the chosen one with the referee’s belt which he had managed to obtain. The two then took things to ringside, where Steiner attempted to hit a piledrive on the mats outside, only for Jarrett to escape, hit a low blow and begin choking Steiner with a cable. By this stage, both men had busted open and were bleeding profusely, their blonde hair stained with the crimson life liquid. Steiner, wearing black trunks with red Superman-style S graphics, managed to get back to his feet, and after trading fists outside, hit a huge atomic drop before driving Jarrett’s skull into the steel barricade. The two exchanged brutalities for a few minutes, before returning to the ring, where Jarrett hit Steiner with the steel chair and nailed him with ‘The Stroke’ on the chair, only for Steiner to kick out of the pin attempt. Jarrett then locked in the figure four, only for Steiner to grab the ropes forcing a break. Jarrett, running out of options, went for his guitar, only for Steiner to grab it from him, kick him in the gut and shatter the instrument over the Chosen One’s neck. The crowd roared as Steiner locked in the Steiner Recliner, the referee calling for the bell as it was clear Jarrett could not continue. Steiner raised his arm in victory, beating Jeff Jarrett for the second time in successive evenings.

His celebrations were short lived however, as a man wearing a business suit and a headset, holding a clipboard, sprinted toward ringside hollering “no no no no no, this won’t do, this won’t do at all!” Schiavone and Tenay identified the man as Don Callis, with Schiavone quipping “wasn’t he with that lot up in Philly for a while?”. Callis called for a mic screaming at the referee to drop Steiner’s hand in victory, as from what he could see this evening, this match was anything but that for WCW. He said that it was matches like this, violence, blood and a distinct lack of character and taste which is what put this company in the red in the first place. He called this main event the “epitome of poor taste” and not what the Network had expected from Fusient when they took over. Callis introduced himself as the Network’s representative, who will see to it that their objectives and bottom line are met when it comes to Nitro being broadcast live on air, and what the Network wants, the network gets. Callis signed off by saying that the era of meaningless violence is over, and the Network has taken control of WCW.

Quick Results:
3 Count def. Jung Dragons and Jamie Noble
The Harris Boys def. Air Raid
The Mamalukes def. Lance Storm and The Cat
Sean O'Haire def. Rey Misterio, Jr.
Scott Steiner def. Jeff Jarrett

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

The Dirt Sheet
Edition #1 - Where to for the extreme?

Extreme Championship Wrestling has officially closed its doors, as owner Paul Heyman filed for bankruptcy. The ECW roster is reportedly in a state of shock, with Heyman opting not to inform workers of the fragile financial position the company had been in, leaving many careers in limbo. The exodus already seems to have begun, with Don Callis who had been playing the part of Network Representative on ECW’s television show on TNN, showing up on WCW’s Monday Nitro last night, reprising the same role as a network figurehead. Callis, who also spent some time in the WWF as the Jackal, joins fellow ECW alumni Shane Douglas, Mike Awesome, Lance Storm and Rey Misterio, Jr., in the WCW ranks. Could more follow?

In other news, it appears the careers of Ric Flair and Sting are over – at least in a WCW ring. The beatdown they suffered at the hands of Shane Douglas and Mike Awesome is widely believed to be a passing of the torch, with both wrestlers’ contracts stipulating they could not wrestle if they wished to sit their contract out. They join Kevin Nash, Goldberg, Hulk Hogan and others on the benched list.

Morale is believed to be pretty high in the WWF locker room as their product continues to decimate its opposition. Sunday night marked the first time the two had run head to head Pay Per Views, leading many to question Bischoff’s motives when putting The Big Bang up against Wrestlemania X-Seven. As predicted early buyrate figures suggest WWF has squashed WCW, however not all are reaping the benefits, with Edge and Christian rumoured to be booked to lose the Tag Team titles they won at Wrestlemania this coming week on Smackdown. The loss will reflect the company’s desire to push Edge into the main event scene, with a cloud hanging over Christian’s future.

WCW has also officially announced its partnership with a number of independent promotions in the United States, and is looking to resurrect its working agreements with companies in Japan and Mexico. The move happens as a result of the WCW closing the doors on its Power Plant training facility, which gave birth to the likes of Bill Goldberg and Chuck Palumbo. A number of up and coming talents have already caught the eyes of WCW talent scouts, none more so than young upstart Phil Brooks, who has been playing the role of an anti-drugs and drinking crusader, rebelling against socially accepted norms.

WCW has begun promoting their next Pay Per View event, which will take place in six weeks time on 13th May. The event, Slamboree, features WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T on the promotional poster and will be the second since the Fusient purchase.

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

WCW Monday Nitro
Monday 9th April 2001

Can you dig it? Suuucccccka!

This week’s edition of Nitro kicked off when the familiar tones of the World Heavyweight Champion’s theme song hit the PA system, and Booker T made his way down to ringside, dressed in a suit, belt on shoulder, clearly not ready to wrestle tonight. The crowd was in form, popping as the champ grabbed a mic and began speaking about how good it was to be back on Nitro, apologising for not being here last week due to his son being sick. He said he did manage to catch the show last week however, and hear what Scott Steiner had to say. Booker T spoke once again of the similarities the two have had in their careers, and said despite Steiner questioning his guts as a champion, he knows he respects him – a feeling which is mutual. He said he came out here tonight specifically to address Scott Steiner and he has an answer for him regarding his challenge. Before he could deliver, however, he was interrupted.

“Wait just a darn minute Booker”

It was not the voice of Scott Steiner – rather that of the Network Representative, Don Callis. Callis, dressed in a business suit and trademark headset, pseudo-regretfully announced the Network’s decision to suspend Scott Steiner indefinitely after his actions last week, seriously injuring his opponent Jeff Jarrett, thus impacting on the ratings Nitro so desperately needs. The crowd booed upon hearing this, with Booker being equally confused and upset at the Network’s decision. Booker replied that he is a fighting champion, and needs an opponent, and that Scott Steiner is someone who deserves that shot. Callis reminded Booker, that although he is the champion, he does not call the shots around here, the Network does, and as the Network’s Representative, he has to respectfully take booker’s opinion, with a grain of salt. The crowd booed once more, as Callis informed Booker that he was glad he said he’s a fighting champion however, as tonight he’s going to be putting the title on the line, not against Scott Steiner, but against the Network’s newest employee, Director of Security, Mark Jindrak! With that the 6’6” Powerplant graduate emerged from the back wearing a matching suit and sunglasses. Callis told Booker to find some wrestling gear, and that he’ll see him later on tonight.

In the first match of the evening, the team of Lance Storm, The Cat and Jamie Noble, did battle with Shannon Moore, Evan Karagias and WCW Cruiserweight Champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms, known collectively as 3 Count. All six men had history with one another to some degree, and commentator Tony Schiavone took great pride in declaring this match a ticking time bomb waiting to blow at any stage. The match was all 3 Count early on, with The Cat and Lance Storm visibly upset with one another after last week’s happenings. Jamie Noble did his best to unify the two, but even he had a grudge with 3 Count, which upset his rhythm more than once in this encounter. He did manage to claw his way back, however, and both he and Lance Storm managed to get some quick offence in, The Cat chiming in with some brilliant Martial Arts striking. It was 3 Count, however, who took the victory as Lance Storm and The Cat resorted to arguing on the outside. Jamie noble, the man in the middle, attempted once again to keep them focussed on the match at hand, however after Karagias was able to distract the referee, Shannon Moore clocked Noble with a chair, allowing a dazed Shane Helms to get the cover and steal the win for 3 Count. Helms, again unaware of the tactics used by his 3 Count teammates, celebrated with his Cruiserweight title held high, with Storm and The Cat being separated by security and a semi-conscious Jamie Noble wondering what had happened

Backstage, ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was standing by with the WCW World Tag Team Champions Chuck Palumbo and Sean O’Haire, ahead of Palumbo’s match with Norman Smiley. Palumbo talked about he and O’Haire’s athletic prowess, calling themselves the most dominant force in all of professional wrestling, something Norman Smiley will find out first thing tonight. Before ‘Mean’ Gene could get another word in, however, he was interrupted by the arrival of Big Vito and Johnny The Bull, the Mamalukes. The number one contenders proceeded to stare down the Champs, with ‘Mean’ Gene caught in the middle. Vito pointed at the title over Palumbo’s shoulder before thumbing his own chest as if to say ‘that belt is mine’. Palumbo and O’Haire shook their heads with an ice stare, tapping the belts on their shoulders and thumbing their own chest, as if to say, ‘no, they are ours’. They stared for a further ten seconds before the scene faded out.

In the second match on this edition of Nitro, one half of the WCW World Tag Team Champions, Chuck Palumbo, faced off with Norman Smiley, always a crowd favourite. Palumbo, who had a run in with the Mamalukes just moments previous, looked to prove to the number one contenders why they were the champs, and made short work of Smiley, who barely got any offence in. Palumbo hit a huge overhead belly-to-belly suplex before knocking Smiley out cold with the Jungle Kick to pick up the victory.

‘Father’ Chris and ‘Sister’ Tammy were also present this week on Nitro, making their extensive entrance once again. The two, sporting Puritan-inspired attire entered the ring, with Tammy holding a chalice filled with what we can assume is Holy Water, and Candido holding a copy of the Holy Bible. The crowd booed as ‘Father’ Chris began addressing the crowd, delivering once again a sermon on the filth that has infected professional wrestling. Candido commented on the violence that took place in last week’s main event, saying that it exemplifies everything that is wrong with this world. He said that ‘Father’ Chris has come to bring salvation to professional wrestling.

Before he could continue he was interrupted by the guitar rifts signifying the arrival of the cruiserweight, Cash. Cash, who had spent time in ECW as Kid Kash, was set to wrestle ‘Father’ Chris tonight and took no time in getting to the ring, Candido and Tammy visibly upset at being interrupted. The referee called for the bell as ‘Father’ Chris removed his robe, sporting black wrestling trunks with a purple cross on the back. The match was fast paced, and though not clinical, was definitely a testament to WCW’s knack of having an undercard filled with wrestlers adopting similar styles. Cash was able to get some offence in, hitting a corkscrew shoulder tackle, followed up by a springboard senton, for a 2 count. Candido responded by upping the anti himself, hitting a belly to belly suplex, followed a swinging elbow drop. The two went back and forth, until Cash looked to have things wrapped up, heading to the top turn buckle. ‘Sister’ Tammy had other ideas however, dipping her fingers into the chalice and flicking Holy Water at Cash, distracting him for enough time to allow ‘Father’ Chris to rejuvenate and deliver a brainbuster from the top rope and pick up the victory. After the match the lights went dim as ‘Father’ Chris and ‘Sister’ Tammy, with mic in hand began praying over the wounded Cash, not unlike an Evangelist Priest would do in a sermon. Cash began convulsing and speaking in tongues, growing more intense as the scene progressed. Finally, Cash rose to his feet, with ‘Father’ Chris declaring that he had saved ‘Brother’ David, and that he had found ‘salvation’. The three then headed backstage as the scene cut to a commercial.

Backstage at this week’s Nitro was the Filthy Animals, fresh off Rey Misterio, Jr.’s loss to Sean O’Haire last week. As usual ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was in the middle, asking the hard questions. Konaan reassured Okerlund that the Animals still had it in them to take WCW by storm, it was just a matter of regrouping and adjusting their tact. When Okerlund asked Konaan what he meant by this, he invited ‘Mean’ Gene to watch this space and wait and see. Okerlund went to ask Kidman and Misterio a question, however the three stormed off before he could get a word in. Are the Filthy Animals in the right space?

The fourth match of the evening saw ‘The Dog Faced Gremlin' Ric Steiner do battle with Mike Awesome, with Shane Douglas at ringside. The match was an ugly affair, with Steiner really showing his age an inability to hit the spots he once could. Douglas berated the former Tag and TV Champ from ringside calling him an old man, passed it, and fodder for the Revolution. Mike Awesome made quick work of Steiner, planting him with two Awesome Bombs to take the victory, giving him a third after the bell for good measure. The scene went to a commercial with the two standing over Steiner’s motionless body.

When Nitro returned from the commercial break, ‘The Franchise’ Shane Douglas and Mike Awesome were still in the ring, Awesome planting Steiner with a fourth Awesome Bomb. Douglas grabbed a microphone, warning the guys in the truck not to cut him off, for the sake of Ric Steiner’s wellbeing. Steiner once again sent verbal shots the upper echelon of WCW wrestling, suggesting the Fusient group were sock puppets for Eric Bischoff’s real agenda, which was to bring the Hulk Hogans, the Ric Flairs and the Stings to the forefront once again and take all the credit for the hard work that the boys in the back put in. He called Booker T an illegitimate champion, considering he has never had a shot at the WCW belt. Finally he had words for Don Callis, the newly announced Network Representative, suggesting what Scott Steiner and Jeff Jarrett put each other through in last week’s main event as nothing compared to what The Revolution were willing to do in order to make change in this business. He then passed the mic to Mike Awesome who cut straight to the point ‘violence when necessary’ before we cut to another commercial.

We were also subject to another Matrix-esque video package, with the same number graphics as last weeks. However, unlike last week’s the graphics stopped on certain numbers, indicating some sort of message or code. The numbers were 5 1 3 0 1 with both Mike Tenay and Tony Schiavone baffled by what they could mean.

In tonight’s main event as announced earlier in the show, WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T would be defending his title against the Network’s Director of Security, Mark Jindrak. The 6’6” Jindrak was escorted to the ring by six security guards and the Network Representative Don Callis in tow. Callis, who was booed throughout the entrance, then sat himself next to Schiavone and Tenay, declaring himself the special guest commentator for tonight’s title match. The match was a standard TV main event, with both wrestlers getting in offence. Booker T, though giving away a little bit of size, made up for it with his experience and unique arsenal of moves, hitting Jindrak with a leaping leg lariat, followed up with a ‘Rock’-like elbow drop. Jindrak himself was able to display his versatility, hitting a running crossbody block whilst Booker T was in the corner, before hitting a springboard press from the outside apron. Callis waxed lyrical over Jindrak, saying he was exactly what the Network wanted, and was everything Booker T, or Shane Douglas for that matter, wasn’t. Callis spent much of the match talking about the faults of the last administration and how things were going to change. The match itself came to an end however, when Booker T wriggled his way out a back to back side slam, hitting a scissors kick, followed by the Spinaroonie, which infuriated Callis. Booker was then able to hit the Book End and retain the title, much to the dismay of the Network Representative. After the match Booker T celebrated, with Callis screaming down his headpiece to the guys in the truck to cut the broadcast, sending WCW into 1 minute of blanked out feed, though the audio was still coming through. Fans at home could hear Callis ordering Booker T out of the Network’s ring before firing the referee. Callis then could be heard warning Schiavone and Tenay to pick up their act or risk joining Scott Hudson in the unemployment line. The feed was then cut all together to round off a rather peculiar episode of Monday Nitro.

Quick Results
3 Count def. Jamie Noble, Lance Storm and The Cat
Chuck Palumbo def. Norman Smiley
'Father' Chris def. Cash
Mike Awesome def. Ric Steiner
WCW World Heavyweight Champion Booker T def. Mark Jindrak to retain the title

 

[Manurewa_Marlins]

The Dirt Sheet
Edition #2 - WCW still diamond crusted

As predicted last week on The Dirt Sheet, Edge and Christian dropped the WWF Tag Team Championships on Smackdown to the Undertaker and Kane, better known as the Brothers of Destruction. The move reflects the WWE’s push towards the King of the Ring, with many speculating that it could be Edge who will receive elevation from being booked to win the belt. Last night’s Raw confirmed this, after Edge speared his brother/friend Christian, ending a 3.5 year stint as a tag team.

Former WCW World Heavyweight Champion is reassuring fans that he is not done with wrestling. On his personal website, SelfHighFive.com, DDP posted that he was still with WCW and that watching Nitro over the past couple of weeks has him itching to return to the ring. Page did say he was nursing an elbow injury that he has had for a while, but he would be back sooner rather than later, asking fans ‘Slamboree sound good?’

The WCW Cruiserweight Division is set to undergo an overhaul, as they look to counter WWF’s recent push of WWF Light Heavyweight Champion Dean Malenko. The WCW division, currently led by champion ‘Sugar’ Shane Helms, seems to have lost momentum over the past couple of years, momentum that was kickstarted by the likes of Rey Misterio Jr., Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko and Juventud Guerrera. With that being said, many ideas are being banded around, including an all-cruiserweight Nitro or PPV event, a small show showcasing the division through its website WCW.com, specific cruiserweight tournaments or matches as well as hiring new talent, particularly from Mexico and Canada. Of course this is all speculation at this point.

The recent angle involving Chris Candido and Tammy Sytch seems to have caused a bit of a stir in religious circles. WCW’s mainstay, the Southern States, is also a reputable stronghold for the fundamentalist Christian movement. As such, many notable figures have commented on the issue, most of which has been negative toward the storyline. The latest event, which saw Cash (better known as Kid Kash in ECW) enter a religious trance and speak in tongues, is said to have upset a few, with one talkback caller calling it an ‘abomination’ and ‘deplorable act against God’. WCW have yet to comment on the issue.

 

[Big Pete]

Y'know every time I think 'Oh god what is Marlins thinking' you seem to pull it out of the fire and I like how things are progressing.

For instance, when Callis came in with the standards and practices gimmick, I just thought 'Oh man, how cliche', but you've done a great job of it so far and I've got some genuine excitement to see what happens next.

Very authentic presentation without feeling as if I'm watching a s**t edition of the product. Keep up the good work.