WCW 2000: The Millionaires Club vs. The New Blood

[TGC]

They say that fact can be stranger than fiction.

In October of 1999 Vince Russo and Ed Ferrara, undoubtedly two men who played an important and vital role in the success of the WWF's Attitude Era, accepted an offer from WCW to try and turn the failing company around. Eric Bischoff's time in charge and control of the company was coming to a close. His one good idea, the nWo, had run its course and WCW was a rudderless ship sailing aimlessly across the vast ocean of professional wrestling. Every bold move Bischoff had made to ensure that WCW would defeat the WWF in the ratings war had ultimately come back to bite him. In the end he was a victim of his own success. Or perhaps better said, his own failings.

At Halloween Havoc 1999 Bischoff was gone and Russo and Ferrara made their first impact on the company. All eyes were on the promotions annual PPV to see what direction the company would take under this new guidance.

Perhaps Scott Keith put it best:

The Bottom Line: Let’s see…Blood, scantily clad women, swearing, sexual innuendo, bad wrestling…hey, it’s RAW! While Tony Schiavone might preach "cutting-edge", it’s really just WCW playing catch-up to where ECW and the WWF already were in 1997, and as Bart Simpson once said…

"We’re supposed to catch up with the other class by going SLOWER? Cuckoo…"

Welcome to the Russo era. Peak match: **1/2. I guess wrestlers need not apply.

Thumbs down.

Thus began Crash TV for WCW.

WCW loyalists proclaimed the end had come for the one wrestling promotion in the United States that felt wrestling was more important than television drama and shock for shocks sake. A small minority proclaimed that WCW would outdo the WWF because the man that spearheaded the Attitude Era was now in charge. Besides, where was the wrestling during the nWo days?

The answer was simple. In the under card of course.

Eric Bischoff understood two things that Vince Russo did not. The loyal WCW fans would buy Hulk Hogan, The Giant, Goldberg, and Randy Savage in the Main Event so long as Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, and the other WCW stalwarts provided the wrestling. Vince Russo was more interested in turning every "wrestler" into a "character" or a "gimmick" than he was in providing the fans with the wrestling portion of the show. In the end Russo was undone by his own ideas. What had worked in the WWF under the watchful eye of Vince McMahon to tone down Russo's natural tendencies to go too far didn't work in WCW, where the only true captain of the ship was whomever had the book. Russo was on his own, and his ideas indeed went too far on more than one occasion. The final occasion was in January of 2000.

Bret Hart was injured at the hands of Bill Goldberg, who was also injured shortly thereafter. The biggest problem here was that they were top Heel and Face respectively for WCW, and Hart held the WCW World Title. Enter Russo, already looking less than fantastic to his new bosses a few short months after starting, with the perfectly logical idea to book Tank Abbott to win the title on PPV. Exit Vince Russo with the help of a contingent of WCW old guard bookers and backstage employees who wanted control for themselves.

The coming months saw Kevin Sullivan, Ed Ferrara, JJ Dillon, Kevin Nash, and Terry Taylor in creative control of WCW, and all semblance of The Russo Era quickly faded away. Crash TV had come to WCW and failed, and the old guard attempted to return the company to its roots, wrestling. The only problem was that those aforementioned stalwarts that Eric Bischoff knew he could count on were all in the WWF by this time. What followed was three months of poor booking, poor angles, poor stories, and poor wrestling. The old guard let the old wrestlers back in, something that Vince Russo had done right when he took the spotlight off the Hogans and Flairs and gave it to the Benoits and Jarretts, and the same old same old returned to WCW, and it looked a lot like this.

With the removal of Vince Russo in the days leading up to WCW Souled Out 2000, as well as the loss of Bret Hart, Jeff Jarrett, and Goldberg among others, the old guard had quite a job ahead of them.  They had to COMPLETELY restructure a PPV in a manner of days that had been built around things like Hart and Goldberg for the WCW World Heavyweight Title and Jeff Jarrett vs. Chris Benoit in a Triple Theater Match.  The pre-show attempted to explain the injuries and set up reasons for the new matches, but in the end the PPV came off as a last minute ditch effort to put ANYTHING on TV that people wouldn't feel cheated for having spent $30 on.

WCW Souled Out 1999

-Kidman vs. Dean Malenko in the first match of the Triple Threat Theater 

The rules were simple, the first man to be pinned, submit, or touch the floor loses.  So about two minutes in Malenko rolls to the floor for a breather, and the match ends.

Winner: Billy Kidman

-Vampiro vs. David Flair vs. Crowbar in a Triple Threat Match

This was SUPPOSED to be Crowbar vs. Vampiro, but the pre-show changed that as well.  Flair and Crowbar are the WCW World Tag Team Champions, but that doesn't stop Vampiro from Powerbombing Flair to get the win.

Winner: Vampiro

-The Harris Boys vs. Big Vito and Johnny the Bull with Disco Inferno

The Harris Boys HAD been Gerald and Patrick of Creative Control, but tonight they revert to Ron and Don the bikers.  Disco is with Vito and The Bull against his will, and his attempts to screw them over actually leads them to winning.

Winners: The Mamalukes

-Oklahoma w/ the BBQ sauce vs. Madusa w/ Spice for the World Cruiserweight Championship

Madusa defeated Evan Karagias at Starrcade to become the Cruiserweight Champion.  She is defeated by Oklahoma tonight.

Winner: Oklahoma

-Brian Knobbs vs. "Screamin" Norman Smiley vs. Fit Finlay vs. Meng for the World Hardcore Title

Knobbs retains his title by nailing "Screamin" Norman Smiley with a trash can lid.

WINNER: Brian Knobbs

-Kidman vs. Saturn in the second match of Triple Threat Theater

This match was a Bunkhouse Brawl Match.  Kidman goes up 2-0 here when he reverses a Powerbomb into a Bulldog.

Winner: Billy Kidman

-Stevie Ray vs. Booker T w/ Midnight

This is about Stevie Ray being jealous of Midnight and saying that Booker T has forgotten that he comes from The Hood.  Booker T seems to have the match won, until Big T runs down and attacks him and gives the win to Stevie Ray.  Stevie Ray announces that there is a NEW Harlem Heat now.

Winner: Stevie Ray

-Tank Abbott vs. Jerry Flynn in a "shoot fighting rules" match

Abbott nails Flynn behind the ear with a left and it is over.

Winner: Tank Abbott

-Diamond Dallas Page vs. Buff Bagwell in a no-rules, no referee, last man standing match

The man who can't answer the 10-Count loses.  DDP wins when Kimberly comes out.  This had something to do with Buff hitting on Kim.

Winner: DDP

-Kidman vs. The Wall in the final match of Triple Threat Theater

Shane Douglas announces that The Wall is the newest member of The Revolution.  This match is a Cage Match, although it's similar to a Hell In A Cell type cage.  It's called Caged Heat.  Kidman is downed with a Chokeslam and loses.

Winner: The Wall

-Terry Funk vs. Kevin Nash for the control of WCW

The Commissioner of WCW vs. the leader of the nWo here in a Hardcore Match.  Nash pulls out the win.

Winner: Kevin Nash

-Sid Vicious vs. Chris Benoit for the vacant WCW World Heavyweight Championship w/Special Guest Referee Arn Anderson

The match that was decided to headline the PPV, pitting two guys who had been working together against the nWo for months, was a Cage Match as well.  In the end Benoit made Sid tap out with The Crippler Crossface, even though Sid's foot was under the ropes.  Chris Benoit holds the title high and cries, having won his first WCW World Heavyweight Title

Winner: Chris Benoit

Of course that lasted only ONE night, as Benoit, Malenko, Saturn, Guerrero, Douglas, Rey Misterio Jr., Konnan, and Shane Douglas all asked to be released in an attempt to head over to the WWF.  In the end it was only Benoit, Saturn, Malenko, and Guerrero who went.

The next night on Nitro the old guard attempted to make things work despite their losses, but it was a weak attempt to say the least.  Kidman, who had just been featured in three matches was back to opening the show against Psychosis, although he got a win.  Arn Anderson announced that he made a mistake the night before, and because of that Benoit has been stripped of the belt.  Furthermore, Jarrett was stripped of the US Title due to not being able to defend it last night.  Thus, the WCW Title picture looks like this:

World Title: Vacant

US Title: Vacant

World Tag Titles: David Flair & Crowbar

Cruiserweight Title: Oklahoma

Hardcore Title: Brian Knobbs

TV Title: In a trashcan

Of course some of that changed the same night, as Nash re-awards the US Title back to Jarrett.  He also makes DDP vs. Buff for the Main Event, with Kimberly as the ref.  DDP wins, but Kimberly isn't happy about making the three count, leading to speculation that she and Buff are having an affair.

Thunder is up next, and the opening match is for the WCW Tag Team Titles.  The Mamalukes defeat David Flair and Crowbar, thus winning the titles.  Kidman's de-push continues, as he wrestles The Artist (Formerly Known As Prince Iaukea).  Kidman wins.  A match is set for the vacant World Title to be Sid vs. Nash at some future point, but ONLY if Sid can get past JJ.  However, the match with JJ never occurs, as instead Sid teams with The Total Package to take on Big T and Booker T.  Package racks Booker and causes him to submit.

On the next Nitro Scott Hall returns to WCW ONE MORE TIME.  A WCW Cruiserweight Title Tournament takes place since Oklahoma vacated the title.  Since it is now said that Jarrett can't wrestle tonight due to his injury, Sid is forced to wrestle The Harris Boys, who are NOW nWo along with Nash, Steiner, Hall, and Jarrett.  He wins.  The odd story of Kidman continues, as this time he wrestles and defeats Vampiro.  Booker T blacks out from a flapjack attack from Big T and a Rack from Luger, as Sting returns to point his bat at Luger.  Vampiro respects Kidman, and wants a rematch.  The World Title Match occurs, and in a match where Nash outlaws The Powerbomb he and Sid wrestle.  Sid uses Jarrett's guitar to take Nash out and win the title.

HOWEVER, on the next Thunder Nash strips Sid of the belt because he used a Powerbomb against Don Harris, and awards it to himself.  The end of this is that Sid will face Nash and Ron Harris in a Caged Heat Match, and if Sid can PIN Nash he will win the title back.  The KISS Demon returns to WCW to scare "Screamin" Norman into losing a match to The Maestro, then loses to Terry Funk.  Kidman and Vampiro have their rematch and this time Vampiro comes out on top.  In the Main Event Caged Heat Match, Sid regains the title by applying The Crippler Crossface and forcing Nash to tap out.

In the last Nitro of January, Mark Madden replaces Bobby Heenan on Color Commentary.  Nash is out, so Jarrett is acting Commissioner, and makes himself and Sid at SuperBrawl for the World Title.  The Mamalukes retain their titles against David Flair and Crowbar.  Booker T is basically stripped of his identity by Mr. Biggs, the lawyer for Harlem Heat 2000, right down to being unable to us the "T".  "Screamin" Norman is attacked by The Demon's casket. Smiley is now The Demon, and is chased by cops and Dale Torburg, the FORMER Demon.  Kidman pins The Wall with help from Vampiro.  Ric Flair returns to WCW and begins a feud with Terry Funk. In the Main Event, JJ and The Harris Boys take on Sid, Ric Flair, and Terry Funk.  JJ pins Sid after Funk and Flair explode.

With the month of January out of the way, the defections to the WWF, the title picture finally resolved, and Russo still out of power, the month of February was a chance for the old guard to take the show and the stories in the direction they had envisioned upon "taking" the power from Russo.

First up for February was Thunder, which started off with the nWo coming to the ring to talk.  Jarrett states that Sid will not defend the title again until Super Brawl. Jarrett states that Sid will participate in a Triple Threat Theater. First up is Mike Rotunda Vs. Sid, second will be Rick Steiner Vs. Sid in a hard core rules match and the third will be Sid Vs. The Harris Boys in a handicap caged heat match.  Jarrett bribes a referee to act as the ref for SuperBrawl.  The Demon strips Smiley out of The Demon costume, but Smiley wins the match.  Sid defeats Mike Rotunda in the first match.  Hulk Hogan returns to WCW.  He and Luger fight.  Vampiro loses to The Wall in a match that also featured Kidman.  Sid defeats Rick Steiner in the second match.  Funk says Arn has to choose him or Flair, because Flair cares about nobody but Flair, not even his son.  In the Main Event Sid defeats The Harris Boys then gets laid out by the nWo.

The next week on Nitro Smiley defeats Evan Karagias, then challenges 3 Count to a match at the PPV.  Jarrett forces Hall to wrestle Sid tonight.  Booker loses to The Wall when J Biggs has Booker arrested for assault.  Tank Abbott continues his undefeated streak by pinning The Barbarian.  The WCW Executive Committee makes Sid and Hall a title match.  Jarrett is mad and Hall is amused.  Funk loses an I Quit Match to David Flair when Ric refuses to come out and save his son.  Funk quits rather than kill the kid.  AA says he's sick now, and is leaving the whole situation.  Bam Bam Bigelow defeats Brian Knobbs to become the new World Hardcore Champion.  Kidman defeats The Demon, but Crowbar worships him.  Luger breaks Jimmy Hart's arm.  In the Main Event Sid pins Hall when Jarrett turns on him.  He then tells the nWo that they either side with him or with Hall.

Two days later on Thunder Nash returned via the screen, where he took the power from Jarrett and made a match between Jarrett and Hall to determine the Number One Contender to Sid's title.  Bam Bam defeated The Demon, while Crowbar listened to a KISS CD.  Nash put Hall in charge now.  Kidman defeated Crowbar as his slide from nothing to nothing continued.  Flair and Luger made a coalition, calling themselves Team Package.  The Mamalukes defeated 2XS, Lenny and Idol, to retain their belts.  Flair and Dustin Rhodes met in a match, where Luger helped Flair defeat Dustin.  Funk made the save.  Hall and Jarrett wrestled to a No Contest.

On Nitro Nash returns with a cast and in a wheelchair and makes it Sid vs. Jarrett vs. Hall for the PPV.  Vampiro walks out on Kidman in their Tag Team Match, giving a win to La Parka and The Artist.  Funk wins by DQ when Luger beats him with a chair.  AA makes the save taking the chair.  Dustin Rhodes defeats Champagne Chris Kanyon.  Booker defeats The Demon.  Hogan has his arm broken by Luger, as many others have also of late.  Jarrett defeats Sid in a match for the US Title.

Moving to Thunder, Vampiro AGAIN left Kidman in a match, this time with The Harris Boys.  Nash is losing his mind from the pressure of being The Commissioner of WCW.  He is also attacked and drilled over the head with the guitar by Jarrett.  Dustin and Funk lose to Team Package.

On WCW Saturday Night Duggan resurrects the TV Title from the trash he found it in several months ago, and defends it against Robert Gibson.  Lord Steven Regal challenges him for it, saying if he loses he'll retire from WCW and never be seen as Lord Steven Regal again.

SuperBraw IX

-Match 1: Cruiserweight Title Tournament Finals - The Artist (w/Paisley) vs. Lash LeRoux

The Artist defeats Lash to become the new Cruiserweight Champion.

Winner: The Artist

-Match 2: Hardcore Title - Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Brian Knobbs (w/Fit Finley)

Knobbs was one of the many to have his arm broken by Luger, as was Finley, and Knobbs uses the cast to regain the belt.

Winner: Brian Knobbs

-Match 3: 3 Count vs. Norman Smiley

Norman taps out to 3 Count who use Submission Holds and high flying to gain the win.

Winners: 3 Count

-Match 4: The Demon vs. The Wall

Winner: The Wall

-Match 5: Skins Match - Tank Abbott vs. Big Al

Tank Abbott gets his jacket off a pole to defeat his former bodyguard and remain undefeated.

Winner: Tank Abbott

-Match 6: Big T (w/Stevie Ray & J. Biggs) vs. Booker

The lights go out which SHOULD signal a run in by Midnight, but instead some big black guy is on the apron.  Big T defeats Booker, and J Biggs introduces Harlem Heat Inc.

Winner: Big T

-Match 7: Billy Kidman (w/Torrie Wilson) vs. Vampiro

Kidman gets the win here, ending the feud that made no sense for poor Kidman.  And for Vampiro.

Winner: Kidman

-Match 8: World Tag Titles Stretcher Match - The Mamalukes vs. David Flair & Crowbar (w/Daffney)

Flair is taped to a stretcher and wheeled out, and it's two on one on Crowbar, who is soon also stretchered out.

The Mamalukes

-Match 9: Ernest Miller vs. The Maestro (w/Symphony)

James Brown comes out and dances.

Winner: ???

-Match 10: Texas Death Match - Terry Funk vs. Ric Flair

Winner: Ric Flair

-Match 11: The Total Package (w/Liz) vs. Hulk Hogan

Team Package attempt to cheat Hogan, but The Stinger makes the save here. 

Winner: Hulk Hogan

-Match 12: WCW World Title, No DQ - Sid Vicious vs. Jeff Jarrett vs. Scott Hall

A ton of refs get bumped, four in fact, leading to Mark Johnson, the paid for ref, to be in the ring.  However Piper comes down as ref number six and Sid pins JJ.

Winner: Sid

The repercussions to this show were felt the next night on Nitro.  Such as The Harris Boys attacking Kidman and Lash in their match.  Such as Booker taking on The Mamalukes and Disco only to get attacked by The Harris Boys.  Madusa is upset that she's not wrestling tonight, and goes to talk to La Parka.  She pretends to be La Parka so the real La Parka can attack Oklahoma, who is now in charge of a Women's Division.  Stevie Ray introduces the new guy as Cassius.  Funk wins by DQ against The Harris Boys when his partner, Dustin Rhodes, attacks him.  The Wall is suddenly unbeatable, and he defeats Bam Bam.  In the Main Event, Hogan is beaten down by Team Package in a steel cage.

Moving on to Thunder, it actually gets worse.  Nash is now back, but TOTALLY crazy from the guitar shot he took last week.  Ralphus is Commissioner Gordon and Nash is trying to get a hold of Batman.  The Voice speaks for La Parka before he beats Berlyn.  Tank Abbot is STILL undefeated.  Team Package cost Vampiro a loss to Ric Flair.  Dustin mocks his time as Goldust then says he will kill Funk.  Kidman and Booker lay down for The Harris Boys.  Sid vs. Luger is a DQ win for Sid when Team Package attacks. 

On WCW Saturday Night Duggan retains his meaningless TV Title against Steven Regal, who is now gone from WCW. 

Nitro brings someone running around using the stolen Kid-Cam taping everyone.  It upsets Team Package.  They rant on Minnesota, Sting, and Hogan.  Curt Hennig shows up and challenges Flair.  Booker blames Kidman for their loss, so the two will wrestle tonight, while Kidman and Torrie are upset over the stolen Kid-Cam.  Booker and Kidman is a no contest when The Harris Boys attack.  Knobbs loses his World Hardcore Title to all three members of 3 Count.  Dustin Rhodes defeats Smiley.  JJ defeats Vampiro retaining his US Title.  Vampiro and Finley then brawl.  The Maestro defeats The Cat.  Flair defeats Hennig, then whips him with a belt.  Tank Abbott challenges for Sid's World Title, but taps out to The Crossface.  Tank Abbot's streak is over.

The final Thunder of February rolls around next.  Chavo wins by DQ against The Artist, then in an interview says he is back, but he is penniless.  He then steals Mean Gene's watch.  Dustin and Funk brawl.  3 Count are beaten by the trio of The Dog Al Greene, Fit Finley, and Brian Knobbs. La Parka's Voice speaks for him then he defeats The Demon.  Luger and Flair cheat so Luger can make Vampiro submit.  Then his arm is broken.  Vampiro refuses help, then gets attacked by Finley.  Nobody knows why.  The Wall gets DQed and gives a win to Crowbar when he Chokeslams him through the announce table.  Flair defeats Bagwell, whom he blames for the whole stolen Kid-Cam thing.  All that's left of the nWo defeats the trio of Sid, Booker, and Kidman, when Kidman accidentally hits a Missile Dropkick on Booker as opposed to a Harris Boy.  Jarrett pins Sid then as it's 3 on 1.

As March rolled around the old guard was firmly in control of things.  They had taken the last remnants of The Russo Era, and either discarded them or changed them to fit their own plans.  Not that this was a good thing. 

While Nitro and Thunder remained constant with the main storylines, Saturday Night was off in its own little world, doing it's own thing, and for the most part not paying attention in the least to anything else.  Of course, Saturday Night was being booked by Jimmy Hart, who had been told to do whatever he wanted, so long as it didn't interfere with any other booking plans for the big shows.  Thus, SN aired shows that looked a lot like

-Kid Romeo beat Elix Skipper with the Romeo Relaxer

-Shark Boy beat Silver King after Silver King missed his double springboard Moonsault

-Brian Knobbs & The Dog beat Adrian Byrd & Dave Burkhead in a "hardcore match"

-Hugh Morrus squashed Matt Anderson

-Yung Dragons (Kaz Hayashi, Yun Yang, & Jamie "Jamie-san" Howard) beat Jeremy Lopez & Los Dos Villanos when Hayashi pinned Lopez after his slingshot DDT

-The Wall squashed Rick Fuller

-Lash LeRoux beat Rick Cornell with the Whiplash 2000

-Hail (Emory Hale) squashed Chad Hart

-Tag Team Champions Mamalukes beat Chuck Palumbo & Sonny Siaki

-TV Champion Jim Duggan beat Fidel Sierra

that.  Nothing wrong with them, but they ultimately served no purpose outside of their own telecasts.

The first Nitro of March 2000 came, and it continued the old guards plans.  Vampiro and Finley kick off the show by brawling backstage, and it has now been revealed that it is about respect.  Kaz Hayashi defeats Psychosis.  Now Finley is fighting backstage with Hennig.  The Harris Boys get arrested for shoving a cop.  The Wall puts Flair through a table in their match, and while it was illegal when he did it to Crowbar, this time it rates a count out victory for The Wall.  The Dog pins Evan Karagias.  Sid and Vampiro now argue about the Main Event tonight.  In a rematch from last week, Curt Hennig now pins Flair with the HennigPlex.  Hennig gets his arm broke by Luger, until AA makes the save.  Lane and Idol weld The Demon's casket shut, until he tries to stop them.  They beat him up.  Smiley pins Lane, then he gets beaten down by both Idol and Lane, until The Demon makes the save.  Tank Abbot squashes La Parka.  He still tapped out last week.  Harlem Heat Inc defeats Booker and Kidman.  The Wall and Jeff Jarrett defeat Sid and Vampiro by cheating.

Thunder opens with The Artist defeating Psychosis to retain his Cruiserweight Title.  Flair promises to Luger that AA will join Team Package tonight.  The Demon defeats Idol due to a kiss from Miss Hancock.  The Demon is beat down after and saved by Smiley.  Then he is beat down by Lane and Idol both.  The Wall lays out Bam Bam Bigelow, his mentor, David Flair, and Crowbar.  This time The Cat defeats The Maestro.  AA tells Flair and Luger to kiss his ass and walks off.  Abbott busts up a match between Finley and Meng.  In a Four Corners Elimination Match for the WCW Tag Team Titles,  The Mamalukes retain over Booker and Kidman, The Harris Boys, and Harlem Heat Inc.  Vampiro gets beaten and spray painted by Jarrett after Jarrett retains his US title.

Nitro offers up AA again telling Flair to kiss his ass.  He also brings in Hogan, who beats on Flair until Luger makes the save.  Team Package rules.  3 Count defeat The Yung Dragons in a match.  Not for any titles, just in a match.  Despite them holding the World Hardcore Title.  Silver King and El Dandy offer to "excite" Miss Hancock's "groin".  She storms off.  The Wall destroys Bigelow, David Flair, and Crowbar.  Again.  Booker and Kidman pin Lane and Rave.  Not Idol, Rave.  Same guy, new name.  Hogan saves Hennig from Team Package.  Smiley defeats The Dog.  Funk defeats Brian Knobbs.  Finley is now wrestling Vampiro on PPV in a falls count anywhere match.  Sid and Vampiro defeat The Harris Boys.  Who have a Tag Team Title shot on PPV.  In six days.  Yet they JUST lost to a make shift team.  Team Package gets a DQ win over Hogan and Curt Hennig. 

On Thunder it was all about PPV hype.  La Parka and Chavo defeat "America's Most Desirable Men, Los Fabulosous", otherwise known as El Dandy and Silver King.  Tank Abbott defeats Buzzkill.  The Wall destroys David Flair, but Bam Bam Bigelow makes the save.  The Wall is then arrested.  The Harris Boys help JJ defeat Booker to retain his US Title. Vampiro defeats Hugh Morrus.  Lane and Rave attack The Demon and Smiley to cost them a match with Brian Knobbs and The Dog.  Lane and Rave are now XS instead of 2XS.  Dustin defeats Kidman.  Hulk Hogan beats up Team Package in a Handicap Match that never had a real ending. 

On Saturday Night Los Fabulosous defeat The Villanos in a contest to determine who is the greatest Tag Team from south of the border. 

Uncensored 2000

-MATCH #1: WCW World Cruiserweight Title Match -- The Artist w/Paisley v Psychosis w/Juventud Guerrera

Hard Knox Chris Candido makes his debut in WCW, and he talks about internet rumors as the match takes place. 

Winner: The Artist

-MATCH TWO: The Demon & "Screamin" Norman Smiley v XS

Miss Hancock dances with The Demon and Smiley.

Winner: The Demon and Smiley

-MATCH THREE: Bam Bam Bigelow v The Wall

The Wall is soon attacked by David Flair and Crowbar, and he sends Crowbar off the stage to the floor.  The fighting just ends after that.

Winner: No Contest

-MATCH FOUR: WCW Hardcore Title Match -- Three Count v Brian Knobbs

Knobbs has to pin all three members here.  He does.

Winner: Brian Knobbs

-MATCH FIVE: Booker & Kidman w/Torrie v Stevie Ray & Big T w/Cash and J Biggs

Cassius is now Cash. 

Winners:  Booker and Kidman

-MATCH SIX: Fit Finlay v Vampiro

This is a Falls Count Anywhere Match, so they wind up in the bathroom, circa 1996.  Vampiro gets a pinfall in the fans in the second tier.

Winner: Vampiro

-MATCH SEVEN: WCW World Tag Team Title Match -- The Mamalukes w/Disco v The Harris Boys

Lots of hitting and kicking.

Winners: The Harris Boys

-MATCH EIGHT: Dustin Rhodes v Terry Funk

Dustin DDT's Funk on a cowbell.

Winner: Dustin Rhodes

-MATCH NINE: Lumberjack Match-The Total Package w/Miss Elizabeth v Sting

One set of Lumberjacks are Heels.  The other half are all the guys, minus Hogan, who had their arms broken by Luger.  All the Lumberjacks brawl to the back, except for Vampiro, who nails Luger in the legs with a bat so Sting can get the win.  Sting and Vampiro face off, talk, and hug.

Winner: Sting

-MATCH TEN: WCW World Heavyweight Title Match -- Sid Vicious v Jeff Jarrett

The Harris brothers and the evil Mark Johnson try to screw Sid, until Hogan comes down with a strap and runs them off.  He then calls Flair out.

Winner:  No Contest

-MATCH ELEVEN: Strap Match-Hulk Hogan v Ric Flair

Luger and Jimmy Hart get involved, but in the end Hogan pins Flair.

Winner: Hulk Hogan

This leads to Nitro.  Steiner returns after being censored by WCW, or so says the tape over his mouth, and he and Jarrett will face Hogan and Sid.  If Jarrett's team wins Jarrett gets ANOTHER title shot.  If they lose, Jarrett defends his US Title on a regular basis.  Chavo steals Mean Gene's wallet after saying he needs the money that being a Cruiserweight Champion gets.  Chris Candido defeats Lash LeRoux.  Miss Hancock tells XS that she is bringing Los Fabulosous to Thunder.  Fit Finley defeats La Parka.  Vampiro rips off his cast even though his arm isn't healed so he can deal with Luger.  The Harris Boys defend their titles against Booker and Kidman, then get DQed to retain.  Vampiro submits to The Torture Rack, despite having a not healed arm that would have made more sense to work on.  In a "press conference" following the PPV Hogan interrupts Sid putting over his win.  Sid is upset by this and glares.  Glares.  Hugh defeats Smiley.  Dustin removes Henning’s cast in their match, and gets DQed for it.  Tank Abbott defeats The Barbarian.  Sting makes Flair submit in their match.  In the Main Event, Sid attacks Hogan and celebrates with the nWo afterwards.  ???

Thunder opens with Sid being a heel.  He and Hogan fight in the back.  In the ring, Tank Abbott brawls with Fit Finley and Meng.  After that Sid interrupts a Mean Gene interview with Fit, and says he wants Hogan.  Hogan says anywhere anytime.  3 Count defeats The Yung Dragons again.  The Artist causes Chris Candido a match with Chavo.  Los Fabulosous defeat XS, then dance with Miss Hancock.  Chuck Palumbo jobs to Scott Steiner.  Vampiro defeats Disco, who has been fired by The Mamalukes.  The Cat defeats The Dog.  Knobbs then whips The Dog, who later chews on his shoes, and hangs his head out the window as they drive off.  Knobbs then drives The Dog to the desert and leaves him there.  Hugh Morrus defeats The Demon.  The Kid-Cam returns and Buff is making comments about Sid that are unkind.  Buff wins via DQ in a US Title Match with Jarrett after Steiner and The Harris Boys get involved.  Curt Hennig makes the save and gets his cast ripped off again.  Hulk Hogan defeats Dustin Rhodes. 

Then it happened. The old guard, who had essentially usurped Vince Russo's power earlier in the year, had their own power usurped by Eric Bischoff. He was back, he was in charge, and he promised bold new ideas and bold new stories to bring WCW back into contention with the WWF, who had simply taken off and left the old ship that was WCW alone in the water. However Eric Bischoff proved that fact is indeed stranger than fiction as he brought back the one man that WCW loyalists never wanted to see.

Saturday Night opens with Scott Hudson announcing that Russo and Bischoff are back in WCW.

Spring Breakout 2000 at South Padre Island marks the last Nitro before the return of Bischoff and Russo.  Kimberly and DDP return.  Apparently DDP was gone due to a back injury.  DDP hawks his book and Ready To Rumble until JJ walks out and they argue about who should be the next WCW World Heavyweight Champion.  Jimmy Hart will be wrestling Mancow on PPV. Schiavone says that the truth about Russo and Bischoff will be known by the end of the show, despite what Hudson said.  Michael Modest pins The Artist in a non title match.  JJ costs Booker a match with Ron Harris.  Hogan is told by Vampiro that Sid has a bounty on his head.  The Jung Dragons defeat the Mamalukes and Disco, who now has his job back apparently.  Afterwards The Harris Boys destroy The Yung Dragons, and Schiavone says that Russo and Bischoff ARE back in WCW.  Sting and Vampiro defeat Team Package in a Texas Tornado Match.  Meng defeats La Parka.  Buff is on the Kid-Cam hitting on Steiner's women.  Morrus gets a DQ win over Funk when Dustin attacks him with a chair.  Hennig submits to Steiner in a Tag Match also featuring Buff and JJ.  Hogan and The Wall no-sell for each other, so Vampiro runs down to get a No Contest. 

The last Thunder prior to the relaunch by Bischoff and Russo.  Michael Modest helps Chris Candido get a win over Chavo.  Duggan retains his TV Title over The Barbarian.  Los Fabulosous defeat Shannon Moore and Shane Helms.  They dance with Miss Hancock afterwards.  Tank Abbott defeats Disco.  The Harris Boys allow Booker to get a DQ win over JJ.  The Mamalukes defeat Harlem Heat 2000, who have gone back to their OLD name.  Don Harris causes a DQ win for Kidman over Ron Harris.  The Dog loses to Brian Knobbs in this Hardcore Title Match.  The La Parka Voice cuts a killer promo on Buff, while La Parka holds a sign that says he is sorry and not saying this.  He then loses to Buff.  The Wall gets a DQ win over Vampiro when he uses a chair. 

And thus the old guard are no longer in any form of control, as Thunder, Nitro, and WCW Saturday Night take a two week break.

Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo were now officially in charge on WCW together.

This is their story.

[Michael]

Holy. Fuck.

That backstory was unbelieveable. Very clear and descriptive, and it gave me, as a reader, all the information that I needed to know leading into this new era (again) of WCW. I really like the way in which all of the internal complications and goings-on were also explained as the on-screen results went on, as that showed the influence and differences that had been going on booking wise, rather than just giving me a mass chunk of results that would have made no sense to me otherwise.

This time period also was my favourite. Yes, I was indeed, one of the very few fans of Bischoff and Russo's reign of terror on WCW. Although I know it was rather chaotic at times, I personally, as a wrestling fan, love the Crash TV that Russo and Bischoff would give me,with twists and turns every which-way, making, for me, the WCW product at the time unmissable, each and every week.

So, to conclude, a great writer, and one of my favourite time periods and promotions in all of wrestling history, coupled with a killer start, well, my expectations really couldn't be that much higher.

I wish you good luck, and you can bet your bottom dollar that I WILL be reading, and that I most certainly WILL be responding with my thoughts on this, as time goes by.

[Guest scully16]

A great backstory you put some great effort into it.

This period in WCW was also my favorite. I will be reading this. Goodluck this is going to be great!

[Guest Mike Awesome Fan]

Holy Sh*t, this is amazing, this time is my favourit WCW 2000 bacause its where I started watching wrestling.

I have seen a couple of WCW 2000 diaries starting from april, this might be the best

good luck, I will be reading

[jayden]

Unlike the others this isn't my favourite period in WCW at all. In fact it's one of my least favourite. Not just because it was poor in terms of on screen product but largely because the whole angle itself and what they tried to do had so much potential, yet due to their bad booking of the whole thing it stank.

That said, TGC's WCW2000 I have every faith in being genuinly good and him not making the same booking errors that they did.

The backstory was great and really set the scene. As a bit of a WCW purist it was great to see the way you really captured the state the company was in, and how it got there. Uncensored 2000 has to be one of the worst WCW PPV's I've ever seen and it'll be great to see how you try and turn it all around.

I seem to remember you starting this diary, or something like it a long time ago and it being really good while it lasted. I could be wrong and getting you confused with someone else, but I'm sure I caught glimpse of it.

Really looking forward to this one from probably my favourite writer on the boards.

Edited March 27, 2005 by jayden

[Your Mom]

Read all the nice feedback? Happy? Ok good well here goes... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Good backstory or not (which it in fact is) I put alot of time into reading SSW and liked it alot and now it's gone. You'll most likely have me as a reader of this too. Just a very very bitter reader.

[Styk]

Like ACS, I was really into your SSW diary. However, since this is being reposted(?) and SSW appears to be gone at least I will be able to read this from the beginning, instead of trying to catch up on it.

[Essa]

I loved this diary the first time around, as you could probably tell by the way I obsessed about it to you on AIM all the time, and I'm sure it's going to be just as good reading it this time around.

For those of you that haven't seen this diary before, this is not something you want to miss.

Heh. Gene Okerlund's stuck outside and he's fucking cold.

[wrestlingsuicide]

Alright Tim, let's see if you can turn the wrestling toilet bowl that was WCW in 2000 around. It's going to be bloody, it's going to be hard, and a lot of bodies are going to be left in the wake of your history-changing path. But who cares? It's a TGC diary for chirssake!

[TGC]

New Blood Rising: Week One Part One

On April 10th The Bischoff/Russo era officially began with Monday Nitro. The entire wrestling world, whether they care to admit it or not, was intrigued and curious as to what this night and this union of different styles would bring to WCW, and it’s safe to say that, whether they liked it or not, it brought radical changes to the company in the guise of a complete reboot and perhaps the biggest overhaul of a wrestling promotion in ever.

What did the first week’s worth of shows bring to the table? Well, as reported by DDT Digest it looked like this:

-Opening montage, same as before.

-And we are live from Denver, Colorado

The logo is the same, the entryway is more like a PPV set.

Plus, they put in one screen in the middle above the entryway.

Usual pyro to start.

And we go to the ring, filled with wrestlers.

Well, those who aren't important.

Wall, Scott Steiner, Vampiro, Booker, The Cat, Kidman, Van Hammer and Jeff Jarrett come out to join the people in the ring.

Jarrett grabs a mic.

He talks about when he came to WCW about 6 months ago, he was the chosen one.

He said Russo was responsible for turning the WWF around.

Single handedly, didn't you know that?

No wrestlers needed, only good old Vince Russo.

Jarrett says when they got to WCW, they had a master plan, but it got de-railed along the way.

The "Good Ol' Boys Network" couldn't handle it.

He introduces the man who "once was Vince McMahon's best kept secret, Vince Russo."

Russo walks out to "Iron Man". Minus the lyrics.

Another "fabulous" Jimmy Hart knock off.

It took Russo about 13 seconds to say "World Wrestling Federation".

He says he was there 6 years, then came to WCW just to beat Vince McMahon at his own game.

Within a few weeks, the New Blood in WCW not only got back in the game, they changed the game.

The Good Ol' Boys Network was afraid of change, only worrying about their jobs.

He said he found out about the change in direction and he knew it sucked.

But Xavier got some great additions to his WCW Hall of Shame.

Who can forget a classic wrestler like the Dog?

He said he wasn't the only one who knew it sucked.

Benoit, Saturn, Guerrero, Malenko and Douglas all knew it sucked and they left.

Scott Steiner thought it sucked and they tried to fire him.

But that's all over with.

Russo is in charge again.

He tells the wrestlers it is their opportunity and to seize it.

Bischoff "Are you done yet?"

And the Bisch comes down the entryway ramp.

Russo and Bischoff embrace.

Bischoff says Russo and him were both screwed by the Good Ol' Boys Network.

Bischoff says those days are over.

He said he's had time to reflect on everything good he's done.

And all the mistakes.

Mistakes like Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Sid, DDP, Sting and Lex Luger.

But the worst was Hulk Hogan.

He said everyone warned him, but he didn't believe them that Hogan would use him.

Backstage, Luger, Sid, DDP, Kimberly, Sting and Elizabeth watch on a monitor.

Bisch continues on, as they come out.

Bischoff "What's the matter Sid? No softball game?"

Bischoff says they actually look like they showed up to work today.

DDP grabs a mic and tells the Bisch to step off.

Bisch tells DDP that if it wasn't for him, DDP would be working in a bar still.

Bisch says he's the one who re-built Sid's career.

He was the one who gave Luger too much money when Vince McMahon wanted no part of him.

Bisch says he made them, he can break them.

Russo says he wants to say something that's personal.

He says Ric Flair is a piece of shit off his shoe.

He's going to scrape off that piece of shit and flush it.

Russo then tells Jarrett he's going to have to trust him.

He says he wants to vacate all the WCW Titles and he wants Jarrett to hand over the US Title.

Jarrett hesitates a bit, then hands it over.

The Harris Twins do the same for the Tag Titles.

As does Brian Knobbs.

All the belts are collected except one.

Two by my count. I never saw Duggan hand over the TV Title.

Sid tells Bisch to come get the belt if he wants it.

Bisch walks up to Sid, insulting him.

He says Sid has 2 options: lay him out or hand it over.

He says if Sid beats him, he'll heal, but Sid will be fired.

While Sid debates, Bisch taunts him.

Bischoff: "What's the matter Sid, can't find your scissors?"

Sid finally hands it over.

Bisch says we'll decide the champion on Sunday at Spring Stampede.

First segment was a bit lengthy, but it was necessary.

OR: 77

-The announcers (Tony Schiavone, Mark Madden and Scott Hudson) talk about what just happened.

They speculate on what Hogan and Flair are going to do when they arrive.

Speak of the Great Orange Goblin and ye shall receive.

Hogan arrives backstage.

-DDP's book commercial.

-Recap of what just happened.

Sting tells Hogan what just happened.

Hogan says he going to take care of it.

-Match 1: Diamond Dallas Page (W/ Kimberly) Vs. The Total Package (W/Elizabeth)

DDP comes out, but doesn't get his usual pyro.

Then his music cuts.

This is match 1 in a mini-tournament.

DDP vs. TP, Sting vs. Sid

Winner #1 vs. Winner #2 later tonight

The winner there faces Jarrett at Spring Stampede for the WCW World Title.

Luger's music kills as well.

Luger complains, then gets in the ring.

The house lights turn on as he starts to pose.

Luger complains to the ref, who rings the bell to start the match.

The lock up and trade reversals.

DDP whips Luger into the ropes, then attempts a hip-toss.

Luger blocks and goes for a hip toss, DDP counters in a swinging Neck Breaker.

Luger kicks DDP low, then kicks DDP in the back a couple times.

Luger stomps DDP in the corner, then chokes him with his foot.

DDP gets up while Luger poses, then throws Luger in the corner and punches him.

DDP charges Luger, who kicks DDP in the face.

Luger clotheslines DDP.

Luger picks DDP up and drops DDP's ribs on his knee a couple times.

All of a sudden, Buff Bagwell's music plays and he comes out.

Complete with pyro and idiotic dancing.

Luger gets distracted and DDP hits him low from behind.

Buff comes out and hits on Kimberly.

DDP gets distracted, Luger takes advantage.

Kim points at Liz, so Buff goes over to hit on her.

Liz isn't interested.

Luger gets distracted again.

DDP turns him around, Diamond Cutter.

1, 2, 3. DDP wins.

Your Winner: Diamond Dallas Page via pinfall

Um, that sucked.

OR: 67

-Hogan is wandering around backstage trying to find the Bisch.

-Hennig stops Russo to talk to him.

He wants to know why Jarrett gets World Title shot and not him.

Russo says he can face Jarrett for the shot tonight.

-Hogan is still looking for Bischoff.

-Tank Abbott comes out while the announcers discuss this.

Abbott says he's a shoot fighter, not a wrassler.

He says he came here to job to face Goldberg.

He's going to beat up innocent people until Goldberg faces him.

He wanders a bit, then goes over to the announcers booth.

There's a sign held by a guy painted green in the crowd: "Only One Hulk"

He grabs Madden and pulls him over the booth, punching and kicking him.

He tears off Madden's shirt.

Sick.

Bill, do the readers a favor and don't put up a JPG of this.

Abbott throws Madden into the ring and plays jelly belly with him (Slaps his stomach).

I'd come up with some humorous joke, but there is nothing funny about a shirtless Mark Madden.

-Jarrett complains to Russo about having to face Hennig tonight.

-Torrie tries to talk Kidman out of something, but he insists.

-Hogan asks Terry Taylor where Bischoff is, Terry tells him.

-Hogan finds Bischoff and wants to know what's going on.

Bischoff starts to try to claim he didn't say any of that.

-Match 2: Billy Kidman vs. Hulk Hogan

Kidman brings up Hogan's recent comments.

Kidman says he has two things Hogan will never have: heart and talent.

He calls Hogan out.

Hogan leaves Bischoff's locker room, then walks past a monitor and see this.

He goes to the ring.

Hogan asks Kidman what his problem is.

He says he's tired of hearing Kidman whine.

Kidman say Hogan's run is over.

Hogan says if Kidman wasn't so "p-whipped and in love with that girl..."

Kidman sucker punches Hogan.

Kidman stomps and pounds on Hogan.

Kidman pushes Hogan outside, then jumps after him, but Hogan moves.

Kidman lands on the guard rail.

Hogan slams Kidman into the ring post, then brings Kidman back into the ring.

Hogan punches Kidman while the Bisch makes his way to the ring, carrying a chair.

Bischoff tells Hogan to hit Kidman again, then he nails Hogan in the face with the chair when he turns around.

Hogan's busted open.

Bischoff tells Kidman to pin Hogan, so he does.

Bischoff counts the pin, Kidman wins.

Your Winner: Billy Kidman via pinfall

Not an official match no doubt, but nice to see Hogan finally get in the ring with Kidman.

OR: 71

-Ric Flair arrives outside.

-Replay of what just happened.

-And Hogan is on a rampage backstage looking for Bischoff and Kidman.

-Backstage, Flair watches what went down in the opening interview.

-And Flair comes down to the ring.

Flair thanks Russo and Bischoff for letting him say whatever he wants to right now.

He says he didn't get old, he got great.

He says wrestling is the only sport that you get kicked for getting old.

He said Bischoff at least had the guts to face Vicious, Russo has no guts.

He calls Russo out.

The old Steiner Brother's theme music plays and Scott comes out.

Scott says Flair is a boring old bastard.

He said last time he did an interview, Flair and his old bastard friends tried to get him fired.

He said if you look at the WWF, all but one of their champions came from WCW.

Um, Edge? Christian? Crash Holly? That's 3 by my count.

Rephrase that as all but one of the four who just left are champions and you have a bingo.

He said Flair drove them out and the only reason he's a 14-time champion is because his old bastard friends drove everybody out.

Steiner does a pretty good impression.

"Mean, Whoo, Gene! I'm a limo riding, jet flying, backstabbing son of a bitch."

Steiner continues and I miss what he says. (He had fake teeth in, pretty hard to understand what he said.)

While Flair is looking at Steiner, Shane Douglas comes out of the crowd and attacks Flair.

Steiner continues to taunt Flair saying being a 14 time World Champion don't mean shit.

Yeah, when you have the Rock and Triple H winning the WWF World Title 3 times in roughly 4 months.

OR: 82

-Backstage, Kevin Nash comes in on crutches.

-And Bret Hart is seen in the stands watching the show.

-Recap of Douglas attacking Flair.

-Backstage, Flair is looking for Shane Douglas.

-Gene interviews Shane Douglas.

Gene says he got his release, he shouldn't be there.

Douglas says he'll do what he wants and he hates Flair.

-Match 3: Sting vs. Sid Vicious

Sting and Sid both get their intro music.

Hello? Continuity? You there???

Sid brawls to start.

Sid misses an elbow in the corner.

Sting kicks Sid in the corner.

Sting hits a Stinger Splash.

Sting clotheslines Sid outside.

They brawl outside.

Sid takes Sting back in, more brawling.

Sting goes for a splash on the ground, Sid gets his knees up.

This is sooooooo boring.

Sid brawls more, Sid hooks a cobra clutch.

Sting elbows Sid in the gut, Sid slams him down and goes for a pin, only getting 2.

Sting chops his way out, they both clothesline each other.

Wall comes out with a table.

The ref gets bumped, Sting goes for a Stinger Splash, but Sid moves.

Sid Powerbombs Sting, but Wall comes in and attacks Sid with a chair.

Wall takes Sid outside, Wall Chokeslams Sid through the table.

The ref gets up and counts Sid out.

Your Winner: Sting via count out

And that one sucked as well.

OR: 74

-While Tony says he doesn't know what's going to happen next, Flair gets in the ring and challenges Douglas for tonight.

-Backstage, Hogan continues to throw stuff around looking for Bischoff.

-Jeff Jarrett T-Shirt commercial.

-Backstage, Hogan asks Shane Helms and Shannon Moore where Bischoff is, then throws them into garage door.

-Recap of the Ready to Rumble premiere.

-Match 4: Jeff Jarrett vs. Curt Hennig.

Jarrett meets Hennig in the aisle.

What a surprise, more brawling.

They fight over to the announce table.

Too much damn punching, this one gets the patented Dan "Long Story Short" Coverage.

A lot of punching and kicking, no clear person with control.

To continue the over booking tonight, Hennig's old music (Mr. Perfect's I believe) plays and Shawn Stasiak (Meat in the WWF) comes out to distracts Hennig. Jarrett takes advantage and uses the Stroke to put Hennig away.

Your Winner: Jeff Jarrett via pinfall

Anyone plan to wrestle tonight?

OR: 78

-Hogan continues the search for Bischoff.

-And Flair is heading to the ring to brawl with Douglas.

-Road Report

-WCW MasterCard

-Nash is backstage on the phone.

-Match 5: Ric Flair vs. Shane Douglas

Grudge match means glorified brawl.

Nothing but punches and chops.

Toss in some eye rakes and eye pokes and you have a bored me.

Russo brings a bat down and hits Flair with it, results in a DQ.

Douglas takes the bat and beats down Flair.

Your Winner: Ric Flair via disqualification

That about 5 minutes long for those curious.

OR: 79

-Nash is heading to the ring.

-Nash comes out and I flip over to watch the Vanilla Midgets on Raw.

Same old Nash.

He wonders what happened to the old show they were doing, then mentions the Dog.

Al Greene could be heard backstage saying he'd rather be the Dog than carry your lazy ass in a tag match, Nash.

He says he talked to Hall, Hall's sober and in a bad mood.

WTF? They didn't fire Hall?

I want that job. Goof off, come in loaded and not get fired.

Nash rattles on about how him and Hall made WCW.

Who hasn't claimed to have made WCW lately?

ECW World Champion Mike Awesome runs in from behind and attacks Nash, beating him down with a crutch.

Awesome says when he heard Bischoff and Russo where back in charge, he had to be there.

Not too mention a large payoff.

At least he didn't bring the ECW World Title belt on the show.

Schiavone would never shut up about that one.

OR: 65

-Hogan is in his limo talking to someone, saying he wants Bischoff's ass.

Hogan yells at the camera man, then slams the door.

A white Hummer slams into the limo repeatedly.

It stops and Bischoff gets out with Kidman.

OR: 70

-Replay of what just happened.

Hogan is getting loaded into an ambulance.

Kidman goes over to him and spray paints "N B" on him.

New Blood you know.

The paramedics just kinda' work around Kidman and Bischoff.

-Match 6: Diamond Dallas Page (W/Kimberly) vs. Sting

These two can usually put on a watchable match together.

Jarrett comes out to do color commentary.

They lock up and DDP goes for the shoulder thrusts immediately.

DDP goes for a Diamond Cutter, but Sting throws him off to the outside.

DDP goes back inside.

DDP grabs Sting in a headlock.

Sting whips DDP into the ropes.

DDP knocks Sting down with a shoulder block.

Sting regains control and throws DDP into the corner, where he lands a Stinger Splash.

Then a second one.

DDP falls down, Sting goes for the Scorpion Deathlock, but DDP grabs the ropes.

Inside, they talk trash to each other, than swap punches.

DDP goes for a cover, only getting 2.

Jarrett leaves the announcers booth to talk to Kim, telling her he's the chosen one no doubt.

DDP sucker punches Jarrett from behind.

While DDP and Jarrett fight outside, Vampiro comes out and hit Sting with the Nail in the Coffin.

DDP gets in the ring, hits Sting with a Diamond Cutter and gets the win.

Your Winner: DDP via pinfall

DDP vs. Jarrett for the WCW Title at Spring Stampede.

Post match, Kim gets in the ring to celebrate with DDP.

Jarrett tries to hit DDP with his guitar, but he ducks, so he hits Kimberly instead.

OR: 79

-Replay of what just happened.

-Bischoff and Russo tell Jarrett the crowd is calling for him, so he goes out to the ring.

Jarrett reminds us it'll be 6 days until he wins the World Title.

Jarrett tells DDP to bring his wife, there'll be a real man to show her wood.

DDP runs down and we get a fight.

Steiner comes to help Jarrett, Luger comes to help DDP.

Sting, Vampiro, Bagwell, Booker and the Cat all join the fight.

The "New Blood" outnumber the "Millionaires Club", so they take the advantage in the fight.

Russo and Bischoff come out to watch the fight and shake hands.

From behind them, Bret Hart walks out and just looks at them as we fade.

OR: 68

Nitro OR: 69

This was followed on Wednesday April 12, 2000 with Thunder. Again, the DDT Digest reported it as follows:

-WCW Logo.

-We see some clips from WCW Monday Nitro v4.0.

-Earlier today, Bischoff and Russo pull into the arena in a black Porsche.

-The usual Thunder opening segment.

-We have a re-designed Thunder set, similar to the Nitro one in that a large screen monitor lies on the entryway.

-Oh yeah, we're in Colorado Springs, CO. David Arquette is in attendance tonight. Whee. Your announcers are Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Bobby Heenan.

-Eric Bischoff makes his way out along with Russo and some of the "New Blood."

Bischoff proclaims his love for the audience.

Bischoff: "Oh, was it a night last night or what?" Geez, you're a head booker and you can't even remember Thunder is on WEDNESDAY?

Bischoff uses some smart jargon then turns it over to Kidman.

Kidman says that he's ended Hogan's career and says it's Flea Market Champions 3, Hogan 0.

Kidman does some heel mic work, mainly "Shut up" and mocks the notion of wrestling matches.

Russo says this crowd reminds him of New York but that this town sucks.

Russo runs down Colorado Springs and the late John Denver.

Russo says that he is the bat man and that New York has respect for no one.

Russo calls Ric Flair his New York bitch.

Shane Douglas says he's called Flair's ass out for seven years and that Flair took the bait.

Douglas plans to retire Flair.

Bischoff reiterates all new champions on Sunday.

Bischoff is giving Jeff Jarrett the night off in preparation of his title match at Spring Stampede.

Bischoff wants to give Diamond Dallas Page the night off, but wants Kimberly to wrestle Madusa.

Bischoff reminds us of Kimberly's Playboy shoot.

For once, the production crew isn't muting the "asshole" chants.

"Self High Five" brings out DDP.

DDP says that if Bischoff has a problem with him, he doesn't have a problem with it.

DDP tells Bischoff to leave his wife out of it.

DDP wants to give these people what they'd really like to see -- Bischoff in the ring vs. DDP.

Bischoff tells DDP he hasn't earned that spot and that he wants to see what stripper outfit Kim will wear tonight.

DDP says he's going to the ring to kick Bischoff's teeth down his throat.

Bam Bam Bigelow jumps DDP from behind and sends him into the ring, where a mud hole stomp erupts.

The Millionaire's Club then hits the ring and it's a huge schmozz.

Bischoff and Russo retreat to the outside as crack security tries to break up the melee.

OR: 84

-We go to the three-shot as Three Count's music plays.

The Cruiserweight Title Match will be decided in a Suicide Six match.

The Tag Team Champions will be crowned in a four-team tournament.

Ric Flair faces Buff Bagwell tonight, and The Total Package goes against Shane Douglas.

Sting and Sid Vicious will wrestle qualifying matches for the U. S. Title Tournament.

-Match #1: "Hard Knox" Chris Candido, Juventud Guerrera and The Artist (w/ Paisley) vs. Shannon Moore, Crowbar (w/ Daffney) and Lash LeRoux  

Candido gets the first televised entrance.

Juvi comes out next.

Candido and Juvi have words outside the ring.

The Artist gets the final entrance.

Lash and Crowbar beat on Artist to start.

Artist gets whipped into a body drop.

Moore with a missile dropkick.

Candido and LeRoux lock up as a beach ball hits the ring.

After a series of runs off the ropes, Candido nails LeRoux with a Powerbomb.

David Flair macs on Paisley until Daffney drags him away by the balls and slaps him. Cute.

Juvi and Moore are in the ring now.

Juvi with ten punches in the corner.

Juvi whips Moore, but he reverses into a kick into the gut and a Fame-asser.

Tag to Crowbar.

Crowbar drops on the mat a couple times before Juvi fires away with chops.

Juvi flips out of a backdrop.

Crowbar hits a Northern Lights Suplex for two.

Crowbar chops away at the ropes.

Crowbar whips Juvi, who Head Scissors Crowbar out of the ring.

David Flair helps Crowbar up... and Crowbar decks his partner!

Candido nails Crowbar with a Plancha from the top ring post.

Candido and Artist fight outside until Crowbar interrupts with a somersault dive.

LeRoux then follows with a dive of his own.

Juvi and Moore fight in the ring until Moore ends up on the apron.

Juvi goes off the ropes and tries a Crossbody, but nails the guys on the outside when Moore ducks.

Moore hits a Moonsault on everyone!

Back in, Moore nails Crowbar with a reverse DDT.

Shane Helms goes up top but Daffney nails him with a Frankensteiner! Oh, my God!

Juvi and Crowbar duke it out, but Juvi hits the Juvidriver for one when Candido saves.

Candido tosses Juvi out of the ring.

Crowbar hits a jawbreaker on Candido but The Artist breaks it up.

Double DDT by Crowbar.

As Charles Robinson yaks with Artist, Candido hits a diving Headbutt from the top.

Artist hits his jumping DDT on Candido.

Crowbar applies a gourd buster on Candido for the win! Whew!

YOUR WINNERS: Shannon Moore, Crowbar and Lash LeRoux via gourd buster in 6:30.

Spotty, but still an awesome match. See, you can have your sports entertainment AND wrestling at the same time!

Of course, immediately after that, we have to head to an interview.

OR: 68

      

-Mean Gene interviews Diamond Dallas Page.

-Bischoff and Russo interrupt a Harlem Heat planning session and present an opportunity to beat Sid Vicious.

-Some words about Ready To Rumble.

-1-800-Something-Or-Another.

-Nitrogirls.com Promo.

-Shawn Stasiak hits on a make-up lady. Curt Hennig then hits on him, literally. Security pulls them apart.

Apparently, Stasiak calls himself "The Perfect One."

-Match #2: Sid Vicious vs. Harlem Heat in a no-DQ Handicap Match.

So much for that Sid heel turn.

Sid must win this handicap match to go on to the U. S. Title tournament.

Sid tears apart Big T and Stevie Ray to start.

Cash comes in, misses a clothesline and eats a big boot.

Sid grabs J. Biggs and brings him to the ring.

Sid then gets massacred by Harlem Heat.

Sid eats a double clothesline, then a double front kick.

Meanwhile, Cash just stands there. Wow, he's earning his paycheck.

Big T and Stevie give Sid a double Spinebuster.

Cash hits a splash for two.

Biggs has words for Nick Patrick.

As Big T and Stevie rough up Sid, Booker runs in and cleans house of the Heat.

Booker lands the 110th Street Slam on Big T, followed by a uranage on Stevie.

Sid Powerbombs Stevie for the win.

YOUR WINNER: Sid Vicious via Powerbomb in 2:42.

Post-match, The Wall chairs a meeting with Sid.

Bischoff and Russo talk about Booker's run-in.

Bischoff hits the ring and makes an executive decision.

Due to outside interference, Sid is disqualified and Harlem Heat wins.

So I guess this means...

YOUR WINNERS: Harlem Heat via screw job.

Bischoff says that Sid can go back to West Memphis.

OR: 60

-Jimmy Hart is looking for Eric Bischoff.

-Bischoff yells at Booker in the locker room.

-Match #3: "The Franchise" Shane Douglas vs. The Total Package (w/ Liz)

Shane, please put a shirt on.

From Nitro: Douglas blindsides Ric Flair.

TP makes his way out.

The announcers play up the Flair/Douglas feud.

TP goes to pose and then hammers Douglas in the corner.

TP rakes Douglas' face on the top rope.

TP whips Douglas into the corner and clotheslines him.

DDP faces Bigelow later tonight.

TP with a series of running clotheslines and the forearm to the head for two.

TP whips Douglas to the corner but eats a boot.

Douglas lands a running clothesline.

It's laughable to hear about the New Blood when Douglas is approaching 40.

Douglas goes up top but comes down the hard way.

They go outside and TP whips Douglas into the rail.

Another clothesline.

TP sends Douglas into the ring.

Douglas begs off, to no avail.

TP whips Douglas but gets kicked and clothesline.

Douglas tries a forearm but hits the Billy Silverman.

TP comes from behind but gets mule kicked.

Ric Flair runs in and chops Douglas in the corner.

Flair whips Douglas into the corner and nails the Great Equalizer.

TP puts Douglas in the Torture Rack as Liz wakes Silverman up.

Douglas submits.

YOUR WINNER: The Total Package via Torture Rack in 3:44.

OR: 66

-Bischoff ducks Jimmy Hart's questioning of chairing Hulk Hogan.

-We see a replay of what just transpired.

-According to the announcers, Russo is irate over Flair's interference. When Buff Bagwell faces Ric Flair, TP must not interfere or Team Package is suspended for six months, says Russo.

-We see a limos-eye view of the Hummer attack. Schiavone says Hogan has head trauma, cracked ribs and internal bleeding and will be hospitalized for two weeks.

-Jimmy Hart makes his way to ringside.

And the fans go mild...

Hart calls out Bischoff for some answers.

Hart talks about how he made the negotiations for Hogan's WCW arrival.

Bischoff (sigh) and Kidman make their way out.

Kidman rushes the ring as Bischoff stays put.

Kidman works over Hart and pulls his shirt up.

Kidman sprays "NB" on Hart's back.

-DDP tries to get Kim to back out of her match against Madusa, but Kim has none of it. Kim brings up how DDP has worked hurt and tells him to be supportive.

-Thunder Ringside Release: Some Star Wars Episode I Game.

We were doing fine up to this point, but these non-wrestling related skits kill the flow.

-Match #4: Booker vs. The Wall (w/ table) vs. The Cat vs. Scott Steiner vs. Kidman (w/ Torrie Wilson) vs. Vampiro in a Colorado Collision Match

This is a Colorado Collision match, aka a Royal Rumble with one-minute intervals.

Booker and Wall (w/table) enter first.

Booker wails away on Wall to start.

Wall fires back with punches and stomps.

Wall whips Booker into the corner but runs into a boot.

Harlem Sidekick follows.

Booker ducks a clothesline and hits a uranage.

Booker with the axe kick and break-dance.

With 5 seconds to go, Booker clotheslines Wall out of the ring and out of the match.

Cat comes in and side kicks Booker out of the ring. Two down.

Wall Chokeslams Booker on the table.

Cat does his spiel on the mic to cover for the "dead air."

Cat then dances to his music as Scott Steiner walks out.

Cat continues to dance but gets clotheslined from behind.

Steiner takes off the RUBY RED SLIPPERS OF DOOM and chops him in the corner.

Steiner whips Cat to the ropes but Cat comes back with a side kick.

The next entrance occurs at ~3:40. So much for one-minute intervals.

Kidman walks slowly to the ring as Steiner wails on Cat.

As Steiner poses on the top turnbuckle, Kidman runs in and pins Cat. Three down.

Steiner press slams Kidman.

Steiner finishes off Kidman with a belly-to-belly Suplex.

Vampiro makes his way out at ~4:50.

As Vamp enters the ring, Sting sneaks up from behind and hits the Scorpion Deathdrop.

Steiner then puts Vamp in the Steiner Recliner for the win.

YOUR WINNER: Scott Steiner via Steiner Recliner in 5:32.

Weak match. The wrestling ended once The Cat came in. Plus, aren't all these guys supposed to be aligned with each other?

OR: 71

-Gene Okerlund interviews Team Package.

OR: 75

-Match #5: Madusa vs. Kimberly

Oh, this is going to be painful.

But, Kim looks quite attractive here.

Charles Robinson is the "third man in the ring."

Madusa tells Kim to hit the bricks and gets shoved.

Madusa shoves Kim into the corner.

DDP watches from backstage.

Here comes the hair-pulling and face-mashing.

DDP runs in and pulls Madusa off.

Madusa with some kicks on DDP.

DDP applies a front chancery and hits a Diamond Cutter! Yes!

YOUR WINNER: Madusa via DQ in 1:25.

Kim walks away disgusted, and DDP follows behind.

Suck match, but seeing Madusa on the receiving end of a Diamond Cutter was worth something.

-WCW Motor Sports segment. See my comments about the Thunder Ringside Release, as it pertains to this.

-WCW MasterCard Promo.

-Match #6: Brian Knobbs and Fit Finlay vs. Meng and Hugh Morrus vs. Terry Funk and Norman Smiley in a Hardcore Match

The winning team of this hardcore match will face off at Spring Stampede for the hardcore belt.

Funk and Smiley get entrances, everyone else doesn't.

Finlay and Morrus brawl as Funk and Smiley enter the ring.

Meng and Knobbs take it to the stands.

Smiley covers Finlay (with Funk helping out) for two.

Morrus beats on Smiley outside. Smiley screams, of course.

Meng and Knobbs battle up the stairs.

Morrus sets up a table near the TurnerTron.

Funk and Finlay go at it in the ring.

Morrus sets up Smiley on the table.

Morrus goes on the top of the entryway, charges at Smiley but misses the Elbow Drop, breaking the table.

Knobbs and Meng are now in the concessions area.

Knobbs takes a swig of Budweiser then throws the cup at Meng.

Meng throws Knobbs into a table and kicks away.

Meng points at a Goldberg cut-out and spears it! Ha!

Knobbs tries a fire extinguisher but sprays the cut-out.

Meng and Knobbs head outside.

Knobbs charges at Meng but misses and falls off the balcony. Sigh. This was done "better" at Halloween Havoc '95.

Meanwhile, Smiley sends Morrus into some plunder but gets slammed into a trashcan.

Morrus and Smiley battle next to a big Tiger prop.

Smiley accidentally gores himself in the nuts on one of the "teeth."

Back in the ring, Finlay drops Funk on the concrete and pulls out a table.

Said table gets set up in the corner and Finlay gets whipped into it.

Funk Piledrives Finlay on the broken table.

As Funk sandwiches the table on Finlay, Dustin Rhodes runs in and hits the Shattered Dreams.

Rhodes chairs Funk and rams his head into the chair.

Smiley hits the ring, looks around and covers Funk for the win!

YOUR WINNERS: Terry Funk and Norman Smiley via pinfall in 7:19.

Since Smiley got the pin, he and Funk go on to Spring Stampede.

Post-match, Smiley runs to the back. This was much better than I expected.

OR: 57

    

-Bischoff and Russo tell three Villanos to beat Sting to a bloody pulp.

-DDP promos Ready To Rumble.

-We see a clip of a Villano hitting Sting with a guitar. He unmasked himself as Jeff Jarrett. In reality, this segment aired later in tonight's broadcast, which is just sloppy production if you ask me.

-Gene Okerlund interviews Jeff Jarrett.

-We take a look at David Arquette's ugly face. If he had one eye and sixty pounds, he could be a dead ringer for Robert Gibson.

-Match #7: Buff Bagwell vs. Ric Flair

Tenay talks about Arquette hitting Jarrett with a guitar at the Ready to Rumble movie premiere.

Tenay also says that Arquette got the biggest pop at the premiere. You don't want to admit that, Tenay.

Flair is in street clothes, by the way.

Buff poses for the fans.

Flair then does the Fargo Strut.

Lock-up, Flair blocks a punch in the corner and lands a chop.

Flair gets whipped to the corner and Back Body Dropped.

Buff with a pair of running clotheslines.

Buff hammers away on Flair.

We see a blurred out sign in the audience.

Punches in the corner by Buff.

Buff rams Flair into the turnbuckle.

Flair mounts a brief offensive before Buff takes over.

Buff stalls some more.

Flair hits the Great Equalizer.

Flair drops an elbow.

Flair with some punches in the corner.

Flair brings Buff outside and rams him into the rail.

Someone in a Sting mask hits Flair with the bat.

As the masked man is revealed to be Vince Russo, the bell rings for the DQ.

YOUR WINNER: Ric Flair via DQ in 3:10.

Douglas runs in and chokes out Flair as Russo swings away.

TP runs in and wails away on Douglas.

Buff nails TP from behind with the bat.

Russo chokes Flair with the bat and gives him crotch chops.

Douglas punishes Flair some more.

The beat down was acceptable, but didn't Russo say he'd stay off camera when he first came to WCW?

OR: 78

Jeff Jarrett T-Shirt Promo.

-Match #8: Sting vs. Los Tres Villanos

Schiavone offers condolences to Scott Hudson due to a death in his family.

If you've been watching since the hardcore match, you know what's going to happen.

A couple things about the Villanos:

Villano III was unmasked by Atlantis in Mexico.

One of the Villanos has a much lighter skin tone than the other two, which would tell you something even if WCW didn't show this match out of order.

The Villanos beat up Sting.

Sting powers up and gets a brief comeback.

Sting clotheslines two Villanos.

Sting hits the Scorpion Deathlock on two of the Villanos and pins him, leaving one left.

Villano hits Sting from behind, who collides with the ref.

Sting hits an atomic drop and a pair of clotheslines.

Villano nails Sting down low and reaches under the ring for a guitar.

Sting gets the El-Kabong and the Villano reveals himself as Jeff Jarrett, to the surprise of no one watching at home.

DDP rushes the ring and nails Jarrett with the Diamond Cutter.

Sting covers and gets three.

YOUR WINNER: Sting via pinfall in 3:16.

During this match, we saw the Sting imposter that interfered in the Flair match, which is another indication that this segment was taped earlier in the night. Just bad.

OR: 44

-We see Flair get beat down from earlier.

-Match #9: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Diamond Dallas Page (w/ Kimberly)

Bigelow comes out first.

Kimberly enters and DDP follows.

DDP unloads on Bigelow in the corner to start.

Bigelow blocks a kick, spins DDP around and eats a discus lariat.

DDP goes up top and nails a flying clothesline for two.

DDP whips Bigelow, who reverses into a Samoan Drop for two.

Bigelow drops a pair of Headbutts on DDP's back.

Bigelow with a Chinlock.

Bigelow splashes on DDP's back.

Bigelow goes up top and nails the diving Headbutt on the back for two.

Bigelow sets up for a Powerbomb, but DDP lands on him for two.

DDP with a swinging Neck Breaker for two.

DDP tries a Diamond Cutter but gets shoved into the referee.

Bigelow with a belly-to-belly Suplex.

Bigelow goes up top but misses the Headbutt this time.

Bigelow blocks the Cutter, pushes him to the ropes and tries the Greetings.

DDP blocks the Greetings and hits the Cutter.

Eric Bischoff runs in, counts two, and stops.

DDP gets up and shoves Bischoff into the corner.

Jeff Jarrett runs in and nails DDP with a guitar.

David Arquette jumps in the ring and attacks Bischoff.

Jarrett throws Arquette out of the ring. Serves the pissant right.

Jarrett slams Arquette on the rail and brings him inside.

Jarrett applies The Stroke.

Kanyon comes in and beats down Jarrett.

Kanyon with a Neck Breaker.

Bischoff returns to the ring with a chair and hammers Kanyon with it.

Some of the New Blood hit the ring for some spray painting and Arquette beating.

Wall Chokeslams Kanyon as we fade at 6:16...

It's been said before, and I'll say it again. Every time a celebrity jumps the rail, it only entices some of the idiot fans out there to do the same. After all, if David Arquette can get away with it, why can't they, right?

No rating due to the mismashed ending.

OR: 74

Thunder OR: 66

End Part One

Edited November 6, 2006 by The New Blood TGC

[TGC]

New Blood Rising Week One: Part Two

On Sunday April 16 2000 the first PPV of the Bischoff/Russo Era, Spring Stampede, came live from Chicago. Again, all eyes were on this show to see what they would do and where they would go after the first two shows. Again, the fine folks at DDT Digest sum it all up:

We start with a montage of the events of the past week. Basically, everything without the words being bleeped. So we get to hear Russo call Flair a piece of s-t. We go live backstage, where Bischoff is ranting to Kidman, Torrie, and Russo about Hogan checking himself out of the hospital. I see a damn Hogan run-in coming. Crap.

We are live from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

Tony Schiavone, Scott Hudson, and Mark Madden (sporting a nice black eye) commentating. Wow, new PPV announce team.

Vampiro did a really good interview in the pre-show that no one probably got to see about Sting, and other things. No face paint, either

Tony states that Bischoff and Russo have asked the referees to relax the disqualification rule. That is, not throw a match out so quick.

We go to the first match in the tag team tournament

-The Marmalukes w/ Disco Inferno vs. Team Package w/ Miss Elizabeth

Backstage with Flair and Luger. Flair is still wrestling in street clothes, apparently.

Team Package comes out to separate entrance themes. Luger's entrance takes like ten frigging minutes.

Some jabrone is wearing a Flair robe with a sign that says, "Finally Ric Flair has come back to Chicago!"

Both teams are in the ring. More entrance music. It's Russo. Russo calls Luger "Very Small Package." Russo says it's not even because the Marmalukes are rookies against two veterans, it's not an even playing field. Out come the Harris Boys. So it's four on two here.

Well, basically the Marmalukes start beating the crap out of Flair and the Hairless Boys start in on Luger.

Finally, Team Package starts to clear the ring. Luger and the Harris’s go outside, and Flair gets the upper hand on the Marmalukes and puts a Figure Four on Johnny the Bull. Big Vito comes back with a BIG kick to Flair's chops.

Looks like they are going to try to make it a tag team match. Flair is getting beat on by the Harris’s and kicks out of a couple of pin attempts. Nice Flair flop thrown in too.

Flair hits an elbow and goes up to, but of course, he gets thrown off by a Harris.

They've got the old ref didn't see the tag thing going' with Flair and Luger. Disco works over Luger outside, while Flair is getting quadruple-teamed inside.

Two anonymous guys take Disco Inferno to the back. They looked like mob guys.

Fast-paced, good match so far.

All of the men are outside now except for Johnny the Bull and the Package. Johnny the Bull comes off the top while Luger stands there waiting for him for like ten seconds. Bad spot.

Flair is getting beat on outside. Meanwhile, Luger puts Johnny the Bull in the Torture Rack. It's all over!! Luger and Flair win!

WHEW! Great first match! That one surprised me.

-Backstage interview with the eighth man in the US Title tournament....Mike Awesome!!! He is ranting, when Bam Bam Bigelow comes back and calls out Awesome. Awesome attacks Bigelow!

-Replay of the Jimmy Hart/Mancow situation. Yuck. I guess Eric couldn't get out of this match.

-Jimmy Hart w/ a huge dude who Tony calls "Hail" vs. Mancow w/ his entourage (Al Roker Jr., the Whipping Boy, and Turd) and about four hotties!

Mancow has some great entrance music!

Jimmy Hart is wearing a Howard Stern t-shirt

Mancow calls Jimmy Hart a piece of s-t. He's pretty damn funny, and good at giving a promo.

Mancow attacks Jimmy Hart. Hale, who is HUGE, comes up on the apron and Mancow flips him off. Hart gets a nutter on Mancow. The crowd is popping HUGE for Mancow.

Hart comes off the top rope, but Mancow pulls the referee in the way.

Hale comes in and gorilla press slams Mancow onto the Whipping Boy, Al Roker, Jr. and Turd. Madden yells "He wiped out Turd."

The ref is still down, and Mancow brains Jimmy Hart with the chair. 1-2-3!! Mancow wins it a pretty damn entertaining match. That didn't suck at all like I thought it would.

Here comes Kidman, who hits the ring and attacks Jimmy Hart!

-Backstage, Russo is livid with the Marmalukes and the Hairlesses.

-The Wall vs. Scott Steiner in the first match of the US Title Tournament

The Wall has great entrance music. He looks a lot more like a wrestler since he stopped wearing that stupid suit.

This match should suck too.

And it is pretty slow. Steiner does nail a nice belly to belly Suplex.

At least this match gives me time to eat.

They're outside, and the Wall pulls a table out. Steiner tries a Suplex, but the Wall fights him off. Steiner pokes the Wall in the eyes and the Wall ends up putting the referee through the table.

Another referee comes out and DQ's the Wall.

I hate to see Steiner win. He is actually breathing hard, though. Looks like he worked a little.

-Scheme Gene is interviewing the Cat who will face Mike Awesome. Bam Bam Bigelow Pearl Harbors the Cat!

-Mike Awesome vs. Bam Bam Bigelow in the U.S. Title Tournament

Bigelow attacks Awesome coming to the ring, and I guess Bigelow is in the tournament now!

Short "ECW" chant by the crowd.

Awesome puts Bigelow outside and flies over the ropes onto Bigelow!

Awesome puts Bigelow over the guard rail and flies over the guardrail onto Bigelow!!!!

Back in the ring, Awesome goes up top. Flying lariat! Two count.

Awesome is showing himself well. Bigelow gets the upper hand and slams Awesome. Bigelow up top now, with a flying Headbutt.

Bigelow goes for Greetings from Asbury Park, but the Cat comes in and super kicks Bigelow!

The Cat says he's gonna dance as Awesome and Bigelow are down. The match is still going on. Awesome gets to his feet and hits a running clothesline. He goes up top and hits a Frog Splash. Awesome wins!!!

Awesome looked tremendous! An unbelievably stellar PPV so far.

-We go backstage, and Bischoff is still worrying about Hogan. Russo and Kidman are telling him not to worry.

-Interview with Douglas and Buff. Douglas gives a great interview as usual.

-Buff Bagwell and "the Franchise" Shane Douglas vs. Harlem Heat 2000 w/ J. Biggs and Cash in the World Tag Team title Tournament

Separate entrance themes for the New Blood.

All four men hit the ring at the same time!

Buff is in against Big T. Nice flying elbow by Buff. Double hot tag, and Douglas is hammering both men, as Cash works over Buff outside.

Douglas hits a version of the Pittsburgh plunge on Stevie Ray. It's over!

Harlem Heat are having words in the ring. Douglas and Buff will face Team Package for the titles.

-Interview with Booker.

-Booker vs. Sting in the US Title Tournament

Sting's got great new music too!. The production is tons better tonight. The crowd is popping huge for Sting.

You know, it looks like they're setting up Booker to have a feud with Bischoff's group, but not be associated with the Millionaires' Club. I think there is a reason they booked him against Sting in the first round. Everyone knows Sting will be in the finals or there won't be any of the Millionaires' Club in the finals.

Outside the ring, Booker is getting wiped out by Sting. Booker comes back and puts Sting into the announcers' table.

Back in the ring, Booker hits an elbow and gets a two count on Sting.

Booker has Sting in a sleeper, but Sting powers out. Booker comes back with the axe kick.

Cover attempt by Booker, but Sting kicks out at two. Booker with a nice slam. Spinarooni! Booker goes for the Harlem Sidekick and misses. DDT by Sting. Two count!

Stinger Splash. Goes for another, but Booker catches Sting with a Harlem Sidekick.

Sting reverses a Suplex and hits the Scorpion Death Drop. It's over! Sting wins.

Another tremendous, well-worked match. Booker bows up to Sting as they are leaving the ring. Both men go back into the ring. Booker offers Sting his hand and Sting takes it. Here comes Booker's push, hopefully. Based on that match alone, he deserved it.

OR: 81

-Mean Gene with Torrie Wilson, Billy Kidman, and Bischoff. Bischoff keeps looking over his shoulder for Hogan, who they keep stressing has checked out of the hospital. Great promo.

-Vampiro vs. Billy Kidman w/ Torrie Wilson in the U.S. Title Tournament

You know, this show is so much more fast paced than anything WCW has done in a long time. It's hard to keep up for me trying to type. I like it though.

Vampiro working over Kidman. They're really playing up the fact that Kidman is getting distracted by Torrie.

Vampiro with a great toss power bomb on Kidman!

Kidman comes back on Vampiro. Guillotine leg drop by Kidman. Madden: "We could have been seeing matches like this years ago if the Millionaires' Club would have gotten out of the way." He speaks the truth, man.

Hard vertical Suplex by Vampiro. Vampiro hits the one hand Chokeslam (Rock Bottom for WWF fans). Vampiro goes for the Nail in the Coffin, but Kidman reverses.

Kidman throws Vampiro out. Vampiro back in with a spinning front kick on Kidman.

Kidman comes back with a couple of elbows. They cut to the back and a sweet blue Dodge Charger pulls in and Hogan gets out. Here he comes to the ring.

Madden says Hogan's here to collect his Pay Per View Bonus.

Hogan hits the ring and attacks Kidman while Vampiro sits back and watches.

Schiavone said ass! Schiavone said ass! He said this isn't the Real American Hulk Hogan, this isn't the nWo Hulk Hogan. This is Hulk Hogan coming out to kick somebody's ass!

Hogan is a madman on the outside, working over Kidman. Holy s-t!!!! Hogan double handed Chokeslammed Kidman off the ring steps (which were pulled toward the table) onto the announcers table, but the table didn't break! Now Hogan body slams Kidman through the table, and it breaks!!

Hogan throws Kidman into the ring and tells Vampiro to pin him. Vampiro pins him.

Hogan: "Bischoff, I hope you're watching you son of a b---h! I'm coming to kick your ass next."

Cut to the back and Bischoff is wetting himself. Cut to Hogan, who is cussing like a freaking sailor. He gets a jab in about "dragging Bischoff around Chicago behind his car until he stinks like Rodman!" Nice.

Bill, I hate to say it, but Hogan is great like this! Hogan finds Bischoff and is coming after him Russo brings back about six cops! Holy s-t! Those (fake?) cops pulled guns on Hogan. Hogan gets cuffed and stuffed. This frigging rules!

As Hogan gets led off, Terry Taylor walks by with Terry Funk and directs the Funker to catering to find Smiley. Smiley's in the restroom screaming and hiding!

-Terry Funk vs. Norman Smiley in the Catering Room (and everywhere else) for the Hardcore Title.

Funk pulls Smiley out of the crapper and the bell rings!! Funk uses the fire extinguisher back in the catering room.

Funk empties the Coke machine onto Smiley! And then puts him into the coffee! They're in the damn kitchen now.

Norman hits Funk with a trash can, a table, and a cookie sheet! Smiley of course in full catcher's gear and a Cubs jersey.

Smiley puts Funk upside down into the trash can.

Funk is smashing a laptop computer onto Smiley! Smiley goes onto a ladder, which Funk takes away. Smiley is hanging on the plumbing in the ceiling. Funk puts a table underneath and brains Smiley with a chair who promptly falls into the table.

They're in the hall somewhere, and Smiley takes the chair to Funk. They're out toward the ring now back by the Internet location. Smiley is waffling Funk with the chair all the way to the ring.

Smiley is doing the Wiggle as both men are in the ring now.

Smiley gets behind Funk and is dancing. Funk picks up the chair and smashes Smiley.

Funk goes under the ring for......a ladder!!!!

Funk sets it up under the ropes. Here comes Dustin Rhodes! The Jr. Dream takes Funk in the ring and pile drives Funk into the chair. The ladder point is sticking into the ring. Rhodes comes off the rope with the chair, but Funk kicks him into the ladder point!!

Funk hits Smiley, who is on the floor, with the ladder from the ring! Funk wins.

Funk's best match in WCW, easily.

OR: 57

-Russo is berating Booker backstage. Russo says he'll give Booker another chance if he does him "a favor."

-Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner in the US Title Tournament.

Can Awesome carry Big Poppa Pump to a good match?

Steiner with a stiff, stiff clothesline on Awesome.

Awesome gets thrown out. Awesome on the apron and a flying shoulder block on Steiner!! Awesome goes up top with a flying lariat. Two count.

Belly to belly by Steiner. Awesome comes back after being thrown into the turnbuckle with a back elbow.

Awesome goes up top. Here comes Kevin Nash, who pops Awesome with his crutch!!!

Steiner puts Awesome in the Steiner Recliner. It's over.

I guess Steiner is in the finals.

OR: 58

-Russo is in the back, and fires Dustin Rhodes for letting Funk win! Russo said he made Dustin Rhodes as Golddust. Booker says something to Dustin. Hmmmm.

OR: 74

-Sting vs. Vampiro in the semi-finals of the US Heavyweight Title Tournament

Vampiro attacks Sting as Sting comes into the ring.

Both men are outside, and Sting has the upper hand.

They come back in, and Sting goes up top for the big splash! Two count.

Back outside, Sting goes for the Stinger Splash, but misses and hits the railing.

Vampiro has the upper hand as the men come back in the ring. Vampiro is up top, but comes down. Vampiro hits a shoulder block and then a leg drop. Two count.

I have to say, Schiavone, Madden, and Hudson are doing an excellent job of focusing on the action tonight instead of other things. Schiavone actually sounds good. They're selling matches very well.

Vampiro comes off the top rope with a Hurricanrana attempt, but Sting swats him away.

Scorpion Death Drop by Sting. Now he puts Vampiro into the Scorpion Death Lock. It's over! It'll be Sting and Steiner in the finals.

Pretty good match.

-Cut to the back with DDP and Kimberly. I know this is hard to believe, but Kim looks better than usual. Page says Kim is going to get her shot at revenge at Jarrett. Madden calls him "DD-Me"

-Three Count is out. They are dancing. Just Shannon and Shane are out. They cut to the crowd, and people are just laughing at them. Nice. What was a fast-paced show just got shot down. Hudson asks if we're running short or something. Schiavone wishes aloud that Three Count would have been in the middle of a Funk chair shot. That's pretty good. At least their not trying to sell these guys.

-Crowbar w/ Daffney, Shannon Moore w/ Shane Helms, Juventud Guerrera, Chris Candido, Lash LeRoux, and The Artist in a suicide match for the Cruiserweight Title

Crowbar, Iaukea, and Lash hit the ring and take out Three Count.

Candido and Crowbar are in the ring. Apparently anyone can tag anyone, but there can only be two men in the ring at once.

Lash LeRoux with a slam on Crowbar. Now Air Juvi is in the ring

Juvi hits a Juvi Driver on Lash, but the Artist breaks it up

Daffney is up top and accidentally hits a Frankensteiner on Crowbar!

Juvi pops Daffney and knocks her into Crowbar on the outside. Lash comes over the ropes onto Crowbar and Daffney. Now here comes the Artist to knock out Lash and Crowbar! Juvi gets a shot in!

David Flair comes in and attacks Three Count, and everyone except the Artist and Candido are fighting outside.

The Artist and Candido are up top. Candido throws the Artist off and misses the diving Headbutt. Great Samoan Drop by the Artist! The Artist goes up top and has a chair down below! Here comes Tammy Sytch!!! It's freaking Tammy (Sunny) Sytch!!!!!!!!!! She looks tremendous! She's wearing a see-through robe and a thong bikini!

The Artist is distracted and Candido slams him off the top rope and gets the three count!!! Candido is the Cruiserweight Champ.

Paisley confronts Tammy in the ring. Paisley and Tammy Sytch are going at it now!! Three Count pulls Tammy off, and she grips Shannon's cohones like a vice. Ouch!!! Paisley and Tammy go back at it. Finally, Paisley escapes, and Candido and Tammy embrace and celebrate.

OR: 67

In the back with Jarrett and Mean Gene. Jarrett again threatens to "slap the liver spots" off Mean Gene's head.

OR: 88

-Team Package vs. Buff Bagwell and "the Franchise" Shane Douglas w/ Vince Russo for the World Tag Team Championships

Flair's in street clothes still.

Russo joins Schiavone, Hudson, and Madden at the announcers' table.

Bagwell and Luger are in first. Bagwell slams Luger and is now posing. Luger comes up behind and mocks Buff's strutting.

Now Shane Douglas is in and working over Luger.

Gorilla press slam by Luger on Douglas, who goes out of the ring. Flair starts working over Douglas. Hudson calls Douglas "the Dynamic Dude." Wow. That's an old one.

Buff comes in and is working over Flair. Yes!!! Tony calls "bulls-t!" on Madden. Tony must be having fun with the new, liberal PPV censors.

Buff and Shane are now working over Flair pretty good. Madden says that Flair and Package aren't used to actually having to fight for what they want.

Flair over into the ropes into a Tree of Woe.

Ha! The microphone catches a distinct, "F--- you Flair!" from Douglas and Schiavone's reply was, "That said it all right there."

Hot tag to Luger finally. Luger with a double clothesline. Flair puts Douglas in the Figure Four. Russo goes to the ring. Meanwhile, Buff drops and elbow on Flair. He goes for the Blockbuster, but hits Douglas. Flair goes for the cover on Douglas. But Russo pulls the Nick Patrick out as he is counting. Russo and Nick Patrick have a shoving match. In come Brian Adams and Bryan Clarke!!!! They wipe out Luger and Flair! Russo takes Nick Patrick's shirt off (yuck) and counts the three count by Buff on Luger. Bagwell and Shane Douglas are the new tag team champs!

OR: 78

-Interview with Big Poppa Pump and then later with Sting. Sting with a great "attitude" interview. That was one of the best promos he has cut in a while. Sting seems to have a new energy coming from somewhere

-Scott Steiner vs. Sting for the U.S. Heavyweight Championship

The match starts, and Steiner is jawing with one of the fans. Sting is trying to get the crowd to pop, and Steiner flips the crowd off.

Steiner with some stiff shots to Sting.

Steiner goes for the clothesline, but Sting comes back with the dropkick. Steiner goes out and tries to call time out, but Sting comes over the top rope with a splash!

Steiner slides back in. Sting goes up top for a Frog Splash, but Steiner gets the knees up. Steiner hits a Gorilla press Slam.

Now a Steiner Line. Two count by Billy Silverman.

They keep harping on the relaxed DQ rule. We've had nothing but pinfall finishes at least, except for the Wall, who put a referee through the table.

Steiner takes Sting up top, but Sting throws Steiner off the ropes. Two big clotheslines by Sting. Stinger Splash. Sting goes for another, but sandwiches the referee! Here comes Vampiro from under the ring. He comes up through the ring!!!!! He grabs Sting's leg as he goes for another Stinger splash. Sting gets pulled down into the hole! Silverman is still down. Vampiro comes back in with a beaten up and bloody Sting.

Steiner wakes the referee up and puts the Steiner Recliner on Sting, who is bleeding profusely from the mouth, or maybe the neck!!!! Scott Steiner is the new US Heavyweight Champion.

Maybe they're going to try to explain Vampiro's character or something. That was weird.

OR: 78

-Montage of the Page/Jarrett situation. It is fifteen minutes after nine, Central time. A thirty minute match?

-Diamond Dallas Page w/ Kimberly vs. Jeff Jarrett for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship

Jarrett comes out first with the guitar.

Page starts in on Jarrett. Atomic drop. Nice flying DDT by Page. Jarrett goes out and Page flies over the top rope onto Jarrett!! Nice agility. Page holds Jarrett so Kimberly can slap him.

Page and Jarrett go into the crowd. Jarrett's got a trash can! The camera can barely pick them up, as they're surrounded by people Now Page has the trash can. He runs Jarrett into the bleachers Page takes a drink of someone's beer, and Jarrett gets the upper hand and pops Page.

Back into the ring now. DDP comes over the ropes and tries for a sunset flip, but a two count. Jarrett is down, and Page goes up top. Jarrett hits the ropes and crotches Page.

Jarrett has Page up to and hits a monstrous Superplex. Jarrett goes for the chair outside the ring and slams DDP with it twice. He goes for it a third time, but Charles Robinson (the referee) takes it away.

Jarrett with a double axe handle on Page's back off the second rope. Now another, as Schiavone comments on Page's back injury.

Page comes back with a Powerbomb on Jarrett. Two count. Bischoff comes out and is standing in the aisle.

Ironically, Page and Jarrett are now fighting up the aisle toward Bischoff. Jarrett steals someone's snack tray and pops DDP.

Back around the ring. Jarrett got a copy of Page's book from one of the fans and is ripping it apart.

Jarrett puts Page around the ring post and crotches him. He goes for it again, and Kimberly grabs Jarrett's hair.

Jarrett fights her off and goes back to Page, but Page pulls Jarrett into the ring post.

Back in the ring now. Bischoff is still on the ramp looking on. Page comes back and starts working over Jarrett. Now Page crotches Jarrett on the ring post.

Page makes the Diamond Cutter sign, but Jarrett hold the ropes and Charles Robinson gets hit.

Jarrett comes in with the World Title belt and brains Page, but Page kicks out at two!!!

Figure Four Leglock now by Jarrett on Page. Bischoff is coming up the aisle, and Kimberly's got the guitar as Page is trying to reverse the Figure Four. Kimberly turning heel?

Page is trying to fight out of the Figure Four. Page gets to the ropes and Jarrett tries to put another Figure Four on. Small package by DDP. Two count.

Page catches Jarrett with a one armed slam (Rock Bottom). Two count. Kim just took her heels off.

Jarrett puts Page in the sleeper hold. Page fights out. Bischoff is on the apron. Now Page hits a bulldog. Bischoff is distracting Robinson as Page hits the Diamond Cutter. Kimberly has the guitar and nails her husband!! Jarrett hits The Stroke and it's all over. Bischoff is grinning like a possum eating...well, never mind. Jeff Jarrett is your new WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and WCW has just put on a first-rate pay-per-view!

Bischoff and Kimberly embrace! The New Blood hits the ring.

86

Tony Schiavone sums it up by saying, "What a hell of a show this was!" and we fade to black.

Spring Stampede OR:69

And from here you have NO IDEA what's going to happen.

Edited November 6, 2006 by The New Blood TGC

[DMN in the House]

I cannot explain how mind numbing that backstory is. By about the third Nitro recap, it all ran together, because it looked like it was booked by a barrell of epileptic monkeys.

Sure, not your fault, but I was lost. Totally, irrevocably, lost.

Now I remember why I didn't watch WCW. Make me forget that, as I know you can, and I'll consider it a success.

[TGC]

WCW News And Views

Monday, April 17, 2000

By Wildro

So the first week of the all new, all different, and supposedly improved WCW has come and gone. Bischoff and Russo combined their talents to present their first Nitro, Thunder, and PPV, and the reactions have been all over the place. I suppose the best way to describe them have been mixed. My personal opinions are also mixed. On the one hand I think WCW has taken a bold new step forward, while on the other I truly believe that they’ve also taken about three steps back. Before I get into more detail and break it down a bit, allow me to say that the week’s product was probably better than it had been in the final year of Bischoff by himself, the almost three months that Russo was by himself, and the last three months that the old school regime booked.

There, we got a positive out of the way because here come a whole boatload of negatives.

I don’t like The New Blood angle and story as it currently stands. I don’t like that what has so far been set forward is that roughly twenty to thirty younger wrestlers are going to all band together to take out the older six or seven “millionaires” that have been holding talent down. What this says is that it takes thirty younger wrestlers to take out six or seven guys. What this says is that Shane Douglas, Billy Kidman, Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Buff Bagwell, and all the rest can’t beat these guys one on one, they need to go three, four, five, or hell even fifteen to one. What this ultimately says is that these guys STILL aren’t in the same league as Hogan, Nash, Flair, Luger, Sting, Sid, and DDP. Sadly, while this may be true in over half the “younger” wrestlers that have been added into The New Blood, it shouldn’t be true of those that Russo and Bischoff want to elevate with this story.

Case in point, DDP can ONLY be beaten by Jarrett with the help of Kimberly, Russo, Bischoff, Bam Bam, and add all the other names that attacked DDP that I’ve forgotten to mention. Kidman could only take down Hogan with the help of Bischoff and a Hummer, and then it’s only temporary because even smashing a Hummer into the side of Hogan’s limo will only stop him for one night. Perhaps the most egregious case of this is that The Franchise and Buff can’t beat Flair and Luger in any way shape or form without the help of everyone that interfered in their matches. Yes, Flair interfered on Luger’s behalf, but Luger had already been double teamed. Flair was there to even the odds. All this story is saying is that these guys who’ve been held down and kept from the top spots don’t really deserve the top spots because they can’t do it on their own anyways. Flair had The Horsemen, Hogan, Nash, and Hall had The nWo, HHH had DX, and The Rock had The Corporation, but they also all could do it one on one or two on two and so forth. After a week of TV we’ve seen that these guys CAN’T do it one on one or two on two, they need to have the advantage so much to beat OLD MEN.

The next point is that half the guys in The New Blood are anything but. The Franchise, Buff, The Harris Boys, Kronik, Bam Bam, Knobbs, Finlay, Stevie Ray, and Booker have all been around, in one major promotion or another, for more than eight years each. None of these guys are New Blood in any way shape or form. Yes, they were held down in some areas, but even that is a misnomer, as not all were. The Franchise had a VERY successful stint in WCW and then in ECW, where he held the ECW World Title on more than one occasion. Bam Bam likewise had a great deal of success in WWF, WCW, and ECW. People still remember and talk about the best of seven series Booker had with Chris Benoit to this day, and it was years ago. They never held the top spot in WCW or the WWF, although let’s be fair and say that Jarrett was the top heel in WCW from the moment Bret Hart went down and The Franchise was the top heel in ECW for years, but they did hold some pretty damn decent spots. Between the lot of those listed above, they have over thirty title reigns combined. And by over I mean WELL over. I could go on and on about the fallacy of the name of the group or the logistics not being correct about the basis behind the feud, but I’ll move on to a few other things.

Jeff Jarrett finally wins the big one in WCW after trying his ass off for the past three months, but it’s pretty much just handed to him on a silver platter. Team Franchise defeat Team Package to become the new Tag Team Champions, but they owe that to Kronik to be honest. Finally, Steiner owes his US Title to Nash and Vampiro. Hell, even Terry Funk had help, albeit not that he wanted or asked for it, but he had it to defeat Screamin’ Norman Smiley. The ONLY guy who won a title on his own was Candido winning The Cruiserweight Title, and he’s going to make such a piss poor Cruiserweight Champion it won’t even be funny. Maybe Bischoff needs to remind Russo that the best Cruiser Champs are the one’s that EXCITE the crowd in the ring. I like Candido, but he’s a bit of a boring wrestler. In any event, sidebar over, none of The New Blood accomplished a damn thing at Slamboree to be proud of. We KNOW there will be some big celebration tonight and I’m sure Bischoff or Russo will declare The Millionaire’s club half defeated, but they didn’t lose anything. The Millionaire’s were booked to look INCREDIBLY strong, needing to be overcome by the numbers so badly to lose matches, while The New Blood was booked to look so terribly weak.

What WCW needs to do from this point on is thin out The New Blood to be JUST THOSE that deserve a serious push, and then book them in such a way so as to look strong in their quest. Also, they need to realize that they had the PERFECT opportunity to book these “kids” to be such amazing underdogs and faces, but they blew that by turning damn near everyone that’s not in the six or seven members of The Millionaire’s Club a heel. I don’t want to root for the rich, old, tired, bastards that used backroom shenanigans to keep the stars of tomorrow from succeeding, but that is what WCW wants me to do. I want to be able to root for a Kidman, a Booker, a Vampiro, and a Steiner who are simply not going to take this shit anymore and are going to force the BAD GUYS to step down. Because, in reality, that’s what the story is supposed to be about.

Alright, I’m done for now about talking about the failures of the past week. I will say that Hogan even agreeing to do a program with Kidman let alone “losing” to him on Nitro is such a huge step in the right direction. More of that is what this story and this company needs. Now here’s just hoping he doesn’t NEED to get his job back by squashing Billy at the end of this feud, or it will all be for naught.

Can you guess who entered rehab this weekend in WCW? If you said Scott Hall, guess again. Hall is reported to be completely sober and in damn good shape. Nash was already pushing for his return on Monday. That may or may not happen, but what is known is that Scott Hall and Scott Steiner took Nash this morning and helped him check into rehab. Rumors suggest that Nash is addicted to the painkiller’s he’s been taking for a long time for his knees. It’s a good thing he’s getting help, but it’s ironic that THOSE TWO would be the one’s to convince him and then take him in. The world of Professional Wrestling never ceases to amaze me sometimes.

The kid in the mask these last few months in The Yung Dragon’s, Jamiesan aka Jamie Knoble, was told by management to get clean or get out. Apparently he’s been living the on the road lifestyle pretty hard since he got called up from The Power Plant and Jimmy Hart, who has a BIG role in the Russo/Bischoff regime it seems, laid it on the line for him after the Thunder tapings last Tuesday. On Friday morning, with the company’s blessing, and them footing the bill it seems, Knoble entered a rehab center in South Carolina.

We here wish them both the best of luck.

Below is the official preview for tonight’s Nitro. One can only assume that Big Sexy’s announced surprise for Mike Awesome won’t happen, but then maybe they taped something prior to his entering rehab. We’ll have to wait and see.

I’ll see you all again next week with more WCW News And Views.

WCW Monday Nitro Preview

wcw.com has learned that tonight, on Nitro, The New Blood have a huge celebration planned after they took home all but one of the WCW Titles last night.  Plus, new WCW World Champion Jeff Jarrett is expected to announce who the Number One Contender for his title is.

Speaking of that one title that got away, we have learned that one night after winning the WCW World Hardcore Title, The Funker will defend the belt against three members of The New Blood.  Who are they?  Neither Eric Bischoff nor Vince Russo is talking.

Last night on PPV Team Package were screwed out of the WCW Tag Team Titles by the tandem of Bryan Clarke and Brian Adams.  Tonight they get a chance to get some revenge, as the two teams will meet in a Tag Team spectacular.

Kevin Nash has promised a surprise tonight for Mike Awesome, who may have something to say himself after he was cost the WCW US Title by Big Sexy.

All this and SO MUCH MORE, only on TNT.

credit wcw.com and theinside411onwrestling.com

[MalaCloudy Black]

Mindblowing stuff, I can actually remember the stolen Kid-Cam and most of these angles. As a matter of fact, I used to have the issue of WCW Magazine that recapped the Uncensored 2000 PPV.

[pgi86]

Nice!I`m definately reading that bad boy.I always thought the NB angle had great potential but WCW wasted it.Hopefully you won`t ...

[TGC]

WCW Nitro

April 17, 2000

Rockford, Illinois

Announcers: Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay

WCW Hardcore Title Match: Terry Funk© vs. Brian Knobbs vs. Fit Finlay vs. Jerry Flynn

There is no Nitro opening, just Finlay, Knobbs, and Flynn in the ring as The Funkster's music starts up. The fans cheer a little bit for him as he walks from the back. He looks at the crowd, then looks at the ring, then drops the Hardcore Title on the ground and motions for them to come.

Schiavone: Welcome to WCW Nitro. We are LIVE from Rockford, IL and we start tonight's MOMENTOUS show with a Hardcore Title Match as the Hardcore Legend Terry Funk is being forced to defend his title against three VICIOUS men here tonight, twenty-four hours AFTER he had a killer match with "Screamin" Norman Smiley. A match, I might add, that resulted in Dustin Rhodes losing his job here in WCW when Vince Russo fired him.

Tenay: Fired him for no reason too, Tony. And, it’s not just ANY Hardcore Match Tony, but an Elimination Match. He has to pin ALL THREE men just to win this match, while only one of them has to pin him to become the new WCW Hardcore Champion.

Funk is now brawling with Knobbs in the aisle, while Finlay grabs the title and Flynn stands by watching. Finlay swings the belt as Funk leaps from the ramp to the floor and Knobbs is nailed square in the jaw. Flynn attempts a leaping kick of some sort to Funk, but Funk uses Flynn's own momentum to send him over the guard rail and into the fans, who make some noise. Funk then reaches up on the ramp and grabs Finlay's feet, sending him hard onto his back on the ramp, sending the title flying. Funk rushes to the ring, and pulls a table from underneath as Knobbs makes his way towards him. Funk rams the table into Knobbs stomach, then sets it up in front of the ring and slides under the bottom rope. Flynn slides in after him, but Funk is ready with boots to the back of Flynn's head, as we FINALLY see a Ref head down to ringside. Funk picks Flynn up into a Vertical Suplex, then releases him OVER the top rope and sends him crashing through the table on the floor. A small "Holy Shit" chant erupts, but it is low.

Tenay: Oh my god, Tony. Somehow The Funkster is doing it here tonight. Somehow he is taking the battle to these three and coming out ON TOP.

Funk makes the cover on Flynn, who is laying in a heap on the broken table and gets the 1-2-3 to eliminate him. As he is doing this however Knobbs and Finlay both start laying boots to his back. Knobbs tells Finlay to get something, and Finlay heads to the back. Knobbs smiles his toothless smile, then takes a fire extinguisher from under the ring and lays it hard across Funk's head as he was standing up. Funk staggers, but doesn't fall, swinging wildly as he does so. Knobbs points the extinguisher at Funk and sprays, enveloping Funk in a white cloud. Knobbs charges into the cloud, which dissipates to find Funk landing lefts and right all over Knobbs face. Finlay comes back down the ramp with a Singapore Cane, a chair, and a barbed wire 2x4. Funk rolls back into the ring, as Finlay lays down the chair and the Cane, then slides in with the 2x4. Funk comes running with a well placed boot to Finlay's temple as he was crawling into the ring, then he grabs the 2x4 and whacks Finlay across the back with it hard as the fans begin a mild "ECW" chant. Knobbs gets on the apron with the Cane, but Funk swings with the wrapped 2x4 and nails Knobbs across the face, sending him to the floor next to the still out Flynn. Funk goes to the floor to get the chair, and comes back in and whacks a rising Finlay with it across the head. Finlay falls, and Funk lays the chair on his face. Funk climbs to the second rope, holds the 2x4 high, and comes jumping off smacking it across the chair. He then makes the cover and gets the 1-2-3 to eliminate Finlay as well.

Tony: What an IMPRESSIVE opening by The Hardcore Legend Terry Funk thus far. Two of his opponents are out of this match as he heads to the floor to deal with Brian Knobbs.

Knobbs tries to brawl with Funk as blood seeps down his face, but he is too hurt to do anything of any real effect. Funk nails a boot to Knobbs stomach, then hits a Piledriver on the chair on the floor. He rolls Knobbs up and gets the third 1-2-3 as the fans cheer a bit.

Tenay: Unbelievable. Terry Funk has defied the odds here tonight and has...

Terry Funk defeats Jerry Flynn, Fit Finlay, and Brian Knobbs via pinfall

WORKRATE: 54

CROWD: 54

OR: 55

The New Blood Have ALL The Stroke

Tenay is interrupted as Bam Bam comes rushing down and levels Funk from behind with a huge Forearm to the back of the head. Funk goes down, but Bam Bam rolls him into the ring as Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo lead Jeff Jarrett, Scott Steiner, Kimberly, The Franchise and Buff, Creative Control, Tammy and Candido, Torrie and Kidman, Brian Adams and Bryan Clarke, Mike Awesome, The Perfect One Shawn Stasiak, and The Wall down to the ring. Once inside they all take turns pummeling and beating on Funk, until Russo himself throws Funk to the floor amid boos and chants for DDP, Flair, and Hogan. Referee Nick Patrick helps Funk leave ringside.

Russo: That's right Patrick, get that old, tired, worthless, pile of crap out of OUR arena. He's not a New Blood. I'd tell you to take him to The Millionaires, but he's not one of them either. He's just a sad old man who doesn't know when it's time to quit. So get his ass out of here. Dump him in the frigging street for all I care.

The fans boo some more as Patrick heads up the ramp with the bloodied Funk.

Russo: On second thought, wait a minute. The New Blood has some things to say to his old ass.

Patrick stops and turns around, as Bischoff walks forward to a chorus of boos and some more Hogan chants.

Bischoff: He's in jail. As for Funk, oh do The New Blood have a plan for you.

Russo: I hope your old ass can hear me and comprehend this Funk, despite you being half dead again. Next month at Slamboree we are going to guarantee that what happened last night doesn't happen again. The New Blood took EVERY damn WCW Title at Spring Stampede, except for the Hardcore Title. That was supposed to be dealt with TONIGHT, but obviously Finlay, Knobbs, and Flynn dropped the ball. No matter, they'll be dealt with just like all the other losers from last night.

Bischoff: But at Slamboree we are going to make sure you don't keep the belt. You, Mr. Hardcore Legend, are going to compete in the first ever New Blood Hardcore Challenge, with your title on the line. You and nine others will compete in a match where the LAST MAN will be the Hardcore Champion. Think about it Funk, you and nine members of The New Blood. Who do you think they will be gunning for FIRST?

Russo: And just to make sure you don't SOMEHOW walk out of that with the belt, we have two VERY SPECIAL guests that will be joining the match. Two men who know a lot about Hardcore wrestling. Two men who know a lot about hurting people and breaking bones.

Bischoff: You're not wanted in WCW Funk, and before we send you off to the retirement home, for GOOD this time, we're going to bring the LAST belt to The New Blood. Now, get his ass out of here.

Patrick drags the semi coherent Funk off as the fans boo.

Tenay: Who could it be Tony? What other two men are Russo and Bischoff bringing into WCW?

Tony: It could be anyone Mike.

Russo: Now, as we said, The New Blood took almost all the belts last night, with NO THANKS to a few certain people.

The NitroVision comes to life with a shot of the backstage where Booker, Big Vito, Johnny The Bull, Disco, The Cat, and Norman Smiley are all standing.

Russo: You all screwed up last night, along with Ron and Don behind me. However Creative Control has gone back to doing the job of acting as personal security for myself, so they are okay with The New Blood. You six, however, are not. We're going to deal with each of you in the next week, starting with you Booker.

Bischoff: Last night you not only didn't get the job done against Sting, but you shook his hand afterwards? What in the hell? You saw what Vince did to Dustin Rhodes for messing up, imagine what we COULD do to you for not backing The New Blood the way you should have.

The fans begin a small Booker chant, as he smiles.

Booker: Well you know what Eric...

Russo: No, NO, no! You shut the hell up Booker and you listen to me. I like you. I don't know why, but I happen to like you. You are the embodiment of what the New Blood is all about. You should be out here with us tonight, celebrating our victories, not stuck in the back with the losers and the ones we could give two sh(BLEEP)bout. So I'm going to give you a chance to make amends tonight Book. Another man decided in the last week to support The Millionaires, and that man is Chris Kanyon. All you gotta do tonight is get in the ring and kick Kanyon's Millionaire loving ass. Can you do that?

Booker glares, then sighs.

Booker: Yeah, I can dig that.

The fans begin to boo as Booker looks at the floor.

Bischoff: As for the rest of you, as we said, you'll be dealt with in good time. Until then, GET THE HELL OUT OF OUR ARENA!

The remaining members walk off the screen, which then changes to a shot of a big tour bus in the parking lot, surrounded by dozens of security personnel.

Russo: Now, everyone say hello to The Millionaires Club.

The fans cheer.

Bischoff: Inside that bus are Sid, The Total Package, The Nature Boy, DDP, and the aforementioned Chris Kanyon. Hogan isn't there because, as I said, he's sitting in a jail cell because of last night. As for Sting, well, nobody has seen him since Vampiro took him out and he lost the US Title to Big Bad Scott Steiner, but the rest of them are locked in there, where they will remain until they are needed for a match.

Russo: That's right. Gone are the days of private dressing rooms and pampered lifestyles here in WCW. You old bastards lost EVERY title match last night and you lost every bit of power you had. One by one we're going to run your sorry asses out of WCW. Oh, and in case you were wondering where Big Sexy is, well, take a loot at this.

NitroVision changes from the bus to a parking lot. The words “last night” appear at the bottom of the screen as the still image comes to life. In the background a fight can be seen. The camera zooms in to see Mike Awesome Awesome Bombing Big Sexy onto the hood and windshield of a car, then smashing his injured leg over and over with a steel pipe. He throws the pipe at the motionless Nash then walks off.

Russo: That’s what happens to people to interfere in matches they aren’t a part of on PPV’s they aren’t even scheduled to be on. Big Sexy Kevin Nash is the first of MANY casualties in this war. Mike Awesome did what he set out to do, he put Nash on the shelf for good. So, Kevin, until you're cleared to wrestle again or until your contract runs out, sit at home and collect your money on your ass, it's what you do best anyways. If you do come back though, Mike Awesome will see to it that you don’t ever walk again.

Awesome smiles as Jarrett slaps his chest.

Bischoff: And what do we do to reward those in The Millionaire’s Club who get it done? Well, in the case of Mike Awesome, we give him the other one that got away. Somehow some way we forgot about Hacksaw Jim Duggan and his WCW TV Title. I can assure you however that this problem gets rectified tonight. Awesome, do what you did to Kev last night and bring the TV Title back home to The New Blood where it belongs. I know you can do it. Now, let's start with Team Package. You two want a piece of MY personal bodyguards here, Adams and Clarke, Kronik, because they cost you two the WCW Tag Team Titles last night? Well, think again. You see, we have decided to give ALL of our champions a little something extra as a way to say thank you and a job well done for last night. Buff has asked for you Luger, one on one here tonight, so he gets you. The Franchise also asked for something, but he'll make THAT announcement later tonight. So Package, you get Buff, and Ric, you get to sit in there all night and watch. No match. Sorry. DDP, you are ALSO without a match tonight, so you also get to sit and watch. Just like Slick Ric gets to see The Package get his ass whipped, you get to watch your friend Kanyon get it too. Which leaves us with Sid. Champ?

Jarrett walks up with the World Title around his waist and smiles as he is handed a mic by Russo. The fans boo him loudly.

Jarrett: Shut the hell up Slapnuts, before you piss me off. YOUR World Champion needs to say something.

The fans boo louder.

Jarrett: I won this belt in a hard fought contest with DDP, but I'd be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the FORMER champion, Sid. You had to give your belt up, just like I did my US Title, and you found your ass out of the loop for the match at Spring Stampede. So, tonight, I'm going to give you a shot to get it back. In our Main Event, later tonight, you get to play Number One Contender in a match with me, the Chosen One. So get those boots on you softball playing Slapnut, and get ready to be embarrassed so bad you'll be leaving WCW FOREVER after tonight.

Russo: Now, enjoy your show as up next these two...

Chris Candido and Tammy walk front and center, with Tammy polishing Candido's Cruiserweight Title with her boa, as the fans mildly react.

Russo: ...will take on The Artist and Paisley in a Mixed Tag Match.

The music of The New Blood plays as all but Tammy and Candido exit the ring to boos.

OR: 80

Tenay: What a Nitro we have for you, and it continues NEXT.

commercials

Mixed Tag Team Match: Chris Candido and Tammy vs. The Artist and Paisley

The Artist and Paisley come to the ring with the purple lighting as Tammy and Candido wait in the ring. The bell sounds as Candido and The Artist exchange a heated stare. Tammy and Paisley waste no time however, and launch right at one another with slaps and hair pulling. The Artist tries to get Tammy off of Paisley, but Candido stops that by sending him over the top rope to the floor. He then gets on the apron and watches as the two women roll on the mat, stripping one another in the process. The match itself is short. Tammy tags in Candido, who delivers a DDT to Paisley, before again knocking The Artist to the floor. He tags Tammy back in, who comes off the middle rope, dropping her ass onto Paisley's face. She hooks a leg, still sitting on Paisley's face, and gets the 1-2-3 as the males in the crowd cheer. Tammy struts in the ring, then she and Candido leave and head up the ramp as The Artist rolls back in under the bottom rope. He glares at Paisley, then helps her to her feet. He holds her close, then delivers a Short Arm Clothesline that nearly takes her head off. He climbs to the top rope, and then comes off with a Flying Elbow right to her chest. He then rolls to the floor and walks off as the fans boo him ever so slightly.

Chris Candido and Tammy defeat The Artist and Paisley via pinfall (Tammy pins Paisley)

WORKRATE: 47

CROWD: 61

OR: 56

Tony: That was utterly disgusting and despicable. What has gotten into The Artist?

Tenay: He's not much of a man if you ask me, Tony. As the medics rush to the ring, we'll head out for a commercial break, then come back for The Total Package vs. Buff Bagwell.

commercials

Buff Bagwell vs. The Total Package

Bagwell comes to the ring with music, lights, and The Franchise at his side. He does a pose similar to Luger's, then waits, as NitroVision shows Luger and Elizabeth leaving the bus and being escorted through the parking lot to the back of the building and into the arena. He walks out on the stage, sans any music and without his light show, and protests to Liz, who shrugs and looks upset.

Tony: This sure won't sit well with The Package, but I'm not sure he's going to have anyone listen to his complaints.

Luger disrobes on the stage, and rushes to the ring, telling Liz to wait up here for him. Bagwell meets him on the floor next to the ring, and the two exchange fists as The Franchise stands back and watches with a smirk on his face. The two finally wind up in the ring and Ref Charles Robinson calls for the bell. A lot of fists are thrown, but little actual wrestling is employed for the majority of the match. Luger finally hits a Big Boot to Bagwell, sets him up on the top turnbuckle and hits a Superplex, then makes the motion for The Rack. At this point Douglas gets in the ring behind Robinson and lays him out with a chair. Luger turns at the sound, and he too is blasted with a chair. Douglas then brings him to his feet and nails The Franchiser on him. Buff makes it to his feet, and Douglas helps Buff get Luger up and put him in The Rack, but to no avail, as Robinson is now awake and motioning for the bell. Penzer announces that Luger wins by DQ, which infuriates Bagwell, who drops Luger and lays boots to Robinson. Then he and The Franchise begin to work Luger over some more until Liz rushes down and gets into the ring. She lays over Luger, as The Franchise smiles and holds Buff off. He asks for a mic.

The Total Package defeats Buff Bagwell via DQ

WORKRATE: 47

CROWD: 78

OR: 68

The Franchise Calls His Favor For Slamboree

The Franchise slaps Bagwell on the shoulder, all smiles, then walks over to where Liz is trying to get The Package from the ring.

Franchise: Get him out of here Liz. Get him out of here before we break his neck and back.

The crowd boos as the security that escorted him from the bus comes running down and pulls him from the ring, but not before Bagwell gets another cheap kick in to the head of The Package.

Franchise: Now that we've dealt with that, I'm talking to you Nature Boy. Listen up in your Has Been Bus. In January I walked out of WCW with Benoit, Eddie, Dean, Perry, Rey, Konnan, and Kidman. The eight of us were all going to head up north and invade the World Wrestling Federation, but along the way something happened. Only Chris, Eddie, Dean, and Perry made it in. Kidman went back to work for WCW, and I don't even know where Rey and Konnan went to. As for The Franchise, I sat at home, watching and waiting. Waiting for the right time to come back to wrestling and to make my impact once again. Then a few weeks ago I got a call from Eric Bischoff. He told me he was in charge of WCW again and that he wanted me back. "I don't like you one bit you sonofabitch" I said, and hung up. A few minutes later the phone rang again, and it was Bischoff AND Russo on the phone. Before I could hang up Russo outlined the plan that you all have seen come to fruition over the past week. The New Blood takes the OLDEST wrestling company over and kicks the Millionaires to the curb. A fresh start, so that people like Buff and Kidman and Scott Steiner can FINALLY get their shot at the big time without being held down and held back by a handful of men that work better in back rooms than they do in a ring. It sounded good to The Franchise, but I wasn't sure where I fit in. Bischoff laid it out for me. Kidman was going to take Hogan out, Jarrett was going to put DDP on the shelf, and The Wall had his sights set on Sid, but they were saving The Nature Boy for The Franchise. Why? Because for over a decade Ric Flair has been the BIGGEST AS(BLEEP)in all of wrestling and held The Franchise from his true spot. With the exception of a couple, I've held EVERY MAJOR Title in North American Wrestling, but every time I went for the gold here in WCW The Nature Boy stopped me dead in my tracks. You look at The Franchise, Flair, and what do you see? You see a man who has EVERYTHING you have in the ring, only more. You see a man who is YOUR EQUAL and more. You see a man who would take your spot in a heartbeat, and it frightens you. Myself and Buff already took you and Luger out of the Tag Team Title scene, and at Slamboree I'm going to show the world that EVERYTHING I have said for the last ten years about you and me is true. I get a favor from Bischoff and Russo for my job last night, and I chose YOU and ME at Slamboree. The ONE MATCH that the marks and smarks have DIED to see for years, but that YOU refused to do. Well, Ric, now you don't have a choice. Either wrestle me, or go sit at home and waste the remaining year or two left of your career looking like a coward. It wouldn't surprise me if you SUDDENLY had a kid that was in some amateur tournament that Sunday. Anything to keep out of the ring with your BETTER, The Franchise. Your days of power, political and otherwise, are over Flair, and the time of The Franchise is at hand.

The crowd boos as Douglas' music starts and he drops the mic. He and Buff head to the back.

OR: 72

Tony: Well, I don't know quite what to say, Mike,

Tenay: The Franchise is indeed a big mouthed...he's right though Tony, this IS a dream match for many longtime wrestling fans, and at Slamboree we will finally see it.

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Tony: While we were away we learned that our next match, Booker vs. Kanyon, will feature a Special Guest referee.

Tenay: Indeed we did Tony, and here she comes to the ring now, accompanied by Eric Bischoff and Jeff Jarrett.

Tony: Well, we can SAFELY assume that Kanyon has no chance of winning here now.

Booker vs. Kanyon with Special Guest Referee Kimberly

Booker comes out next, still unable to use his music and entrance. The fans cheer a bit, but most boo him from earlier. NitroVision shows a scene just like when Luger came out from the bus, and soon enough Kanyon is walking from the back, also to no music. The fans cheer, as Kanyon smiles, then sprints to the ring and slides under the bottom rope. The bell sounds and the match is underway as the two men lock up. The match is wrestled very fair, with neither man looking for the cheap way out. Kimberly stays out of the action, and really has little to do as their is no attempted pinfalls for the opening 10 minutes of the match. Finally Booker hooks Kanyon for what appears to be The Book End, called that by Tenay, but Kanyon delivers two stiff elbow shots to the back of Booker's head, and reverses it into a Reverse Russian Leg Sweep. Both men are down, as Kimberly starts a 10-Count. Booker is to his feet at five, so Kim starts to count faster for Kanyon, who BARELY makes it to his feet at nine and nine tenths. Booker comes off the ropes with an Axe Kick soon thereafter, and then hits his Spinarooni before heading for the top rope. Kanyon gets to his feet and Booker hits The Hangover, no longer allowed to be associated with Harlem, and goes for the pinfall. Kimberly drops and slams her hand fast for the 123, then calls for the bell. Booker gets to his feet, upset, as Jarrett slides in the ring with a guitar. Booker is in Kim's face, but Bischoff tells him to back off. Booker looks at the crowd, then watches as Kanyon gets to his feet only to be dropped with a guitar shot to the head. The fans start chanting Booker, but he curses then rolls to the floor and walks off to boos. Bischoff gets a mic, as Jarrett locks in The Figure Four Leglock on an already out Kanyon. Jarrett releases the hold, then kicks Kanyon to the floor.

Booker defeats Chris Kanyon via pinfall

WORKRATE: 89

CROWD: 77

OR: 83

Tenay: Well we said it right, Tony, as Kanyon never had a chance here against the odds.

Tony: No he didn't Mike. However I think The New Blood might have a problem with Booker at some point, as he doesn't seem to be on the same page as the rest.

Double J and Kimberly...WCW's New First Couple?

Bischoff: Well, here we are again with another member of The Millionaires Club defeated soundly by a New Blood member. I do have to ask though why Kanyon wants to be associated with The Millionaires, when he so easily and obviously belongs with The New Blood. Come to your senses Chris, and all will be forgiven and forgotten. Isn't that right Champ?

Jarrett: That's right Eric. But if he doesn't, well, then we're going to run his ass out of WCW too.

Bischoff: Without a doubt. Now, I wanted to take this opportunity to let a BEAUTIFUL young lady defend herself against the rumor mill that currently exists about her and why she did what she did. So, without further ado, Kimberly?

Kimberly: Thanks Eric. People want to know why I did what I did to my husband last night. People want to know if it was purely professional or if it was a private issue as well. Most of all, if the number of calls Paige made last on to my cell phone is any indication, DDP wants to know as well. Okay then, it was both. Professionally, it benefited ME to join The New Blood. The Millionaires have no hope of winning this war, and soon enough all of them will be without a job, my husband included. I don't like the idea of being unemployed and married to a man who is ALSO unemployed. I have no desire to be the wife of a bouncer. Paige likes to think that he can go up to the WWF should anything go wrong, but we both know they won't touch him. He's old, out of shape, and a broken down mess. That also leads me to why it was personal. Paige is old, out of shape, and a broken mess. Now look at me, I am young, vivacious, beautiful, and in great shape. Do I belong with a has been wreck like HIM? I think not. I belong with someone more like me. I belong with...

Kimberly walks over to Bischoff, gives him a kiss on the cheek and a hug, then wraps her arms around Jarrett. The two kiss, as the fans boo.

Kimberly: ...a World Champion. And I have been for a few months now. Now you know why I had those "photo shoots" so often while you were home recuperating, huh Paige? So, while I sold you out last night, and I have been having an affair for months now with a man you USED to call a friend, it doesn't mean that our professional relationship is completely over. No, you see you signed a contract with me a long time ago, and that contract is still valid for another sixty days. I'm your manager, Paige, and I'm going to remain your manager until the contract expires. I'm sure I'll do ONLY the best for you and your career. Kiss baby.

As the fans boo Jarrett's music hits and he and Kimberly leave the ring with Bischoff at their side.

OR: 78

Tony: I can't believe it. I can't believe what we just heard and saw.

Tenay: Me either, Tony, me either. Let's just go to a commercial folks and when we come back it’s Hacksaw Jim Duggan defending his WCW TV Title against Mike Awesome.

commercials

WCW TV Title Match: Jim Duggan© vs. Mike Awesome

Mike Awesome is already in the ring, alone without any kind of New Blood back-up, when the commercial is over. As Duggan’s music plays and he comes from the back with his TV Title around his waist and a two by four in his hand, Awesome glares a hole right through him.

Tenay: This is the first time the WCW TV Title has been defended on Nitro since December of last year Tony, and this could easily be Hacksaw’s biggest challenge to date.

Hacksaw gets in the ring, tosses his two by four in the air, and it caught by Awesome who then smacks Duggan across the face with it. The fans boo as Duggan drops, his music still playing. Awesome steps back as he looks at the ref, who reluctantly calls for the bell. Awesome throws the two by four out of the ring, then scoops Duggan up and delivers a Running Powerslam to the legend. Awesome then climbs to the top rope and one Frog Splash later he gets the 1-2-3 to become the new WCW TV Champion. Awesome, however, isn’t done. The ref removes the belt from Duggan’s waist while Awesome slides four tables into the ring. He methodically sets one up in each corner of the ring, then takes his newly won title from the referee. Duggan is stirring and trying to get to his knees, so Awesome beats his down with the TV Title, denting it in the process. He then takes Duggan, and systematically delivers an Awesome Bomb through each and every table in the ring. Medics soon race down to the ring as Awesome looks at the carnage and smiles. Duggan is unmoving in the ring as the medics work on him. Once Awesome gets to the top of the ramp he holds his TV Title high, while on NitroVision behind him Duggan is being gingerly placed on a wooden back board.

Mike Awesome defeats Hacksaw Jim Duggan to win the WCW TV Title

WORKRATE: 47

CROWD: 60

OR: 56

Tony: That was…I don’t even know what to say about that. I hope Hacksaw is okay though.

Tenay: Mike Awesome is destroying careers here in WCW, and he almost seems pleased with himself about doing it. That was sick is what it was Tony, just sick.

commercials

FUNB

Once the commercial is over the NitroVision comes to life with a picture of Hulk Hogan's face. A close-up of his face. The fans cheer.

Hogan: Hello Hulkamaniacs. I need to get something off of my chest here tonight, and I still have enough friends in the truck in WCW to help me out. I can't be there tonight, dudes, but I can get my message out. This whole New Blood crap has gotten under The Hulkster's skin, specifically Billy Kidman. Did I say that he couldn't draw flies? Did I say that he was at the bottom and would remain there? Did I say that he was nowhere near The Hulkster's level? Damn right I did brothers. You want to know why? Cuz it's all true. Billy Kidman can call me all the names he wants to and say he has heart and The Hulkster don't, and that's fine. Billy Kidman can say his peace, but The Hulkster can't? Dudes, what's wrong with THAT? So, I've been thrown in jail, had guns pulled on me, had friends turn on me, and had chairs beaten against my head, but I'm still here. I'm just not quite like you all remember me.

The camera pulls back to reveal a different Hogan. A cross between Hollywood and Hulk. He is dressed in black boots and black jeans, with a black vest that has "FUNB" written up and down the side, with no shirt. He is wearing black shades and a black bandanna, and his beard is painted black again.

Hogan: I'm going to be doing some things, Hulkamaniacs, that you may not like dudes, but it has to be done. "Hulk" Hogan is gone for awhile, brothers, but Terry Hogan is here. The real me, the MAN behind the legend, dudes. See these letters? FUNB? The NB stands for New Blood, but I bet we can ALL figure out what the FU stands for. I'm going to...

Voice: Kill it. Dammit, kill it.

The Hogan feed freezes, as Kidman and Bischoff, with a mic, walk from the back, neither looking happy. Torrie is behind them both, as the three walk to the ring and climb in.

Bischoff: No, no Hogan here tonight. Dammit, he's in JAIL, isn't he?

Kidman shakes his head, as does Torrie.

Bischoff: No matter, the...what did you call him?

Kidman leans in.

Kidman: Orange skinned goblin.

Bischoff: Ha ha ha, yeah, the orange skinned goblin is nowhere NEAR this arena and...

Bischoff is cut off as Hogan leaps over the guardrail with a chair and slides into the ring. Bischoff and Torrie slide to the floor as Kidman tries to go toe to toe with an enraged Hogan. He fails, as Hogan whips him into the ropes then blasts him with a chair to the head. He smashes the chair down over Kidman's back, then throws it down at him and turns and points to Bischoff and Torrie in the aisle. He rolls to the floor, the crowd cheering him on, as cops rush from the back and stand in front of Bischoff.

Bischoff: Arrest him, arrest him NOW! He is NOT supposed to be here. Arrest his ass NOW!

Hogan smiles and laughs, as the police come down to him. Hogan puts his hands out, and he is forced to turn around and the cuffs are thrown on. As he is dragged by Bischoff, his voice can be heard.

Hogan: You and Kidman both are dead Eric. I got your numbers and I'm gonna get you both you sonofabitch.

Bischoff: Get his ass out of here, NOW!

Hogan is taken to the back as the fans boo.

OR: 69

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Main Event World Title Match: Jeff Jarrett© vs. Sid

Sid is escorted to the ring by a security guard who is wearing riot gear with a mask and has a baton.

CH-CH-CH-CHOSEN ONE

rings throughout the arena and Jarrett is led to the ring by Kimberly, who has her hands all over him and his belt. She holds his guitar as he holds his belt high while standing on the middle rope. Sid doesn't wait, as he grabs Jarrett and launches him across the ring. The bell rings, and Sid goes to work on Jarrett with boots, punches, and Forearms to the back. The fans are cheering, as Sid signals for a Powerbomb.

Tenay: It's over if Sid hits this...

Bischoff rushes to the stage with the Wall at his side.

Bischoff: Sid, if you hit that move you are DISQUALIFIED and fired from WCW. The Powerbomb is NOT a legal move in WCW anymore, and you damn well know it.

Sid has dropped Jarrett and is staring at Bischoff with a look of hatred, as Jarrett gets up and Low Blows Sid from behind, then goes for a cheap pinfall. He only gets a two however. Bischoff points to the ring, and The Wall heads down with an evil smirk. He passes by the security guard, glaring at him, as inside the ring Jarrett is working on Sid's big left leg. Bischoff stays on the stage watching. Jarrett soon goes for The Figure Four Leglock, but Sid is nowhere near hurt enough, and he kicks Jarrett to the floor. Kimberly gets on the apron, distracting the ref, as The Wall sets up a table on the opposite side of the ring. Sid follows Jarrett to the floor, but he is blindsided by The Wall from behind. Jarrett grabs a chair, but he is stopped as the security guard hits him from behind and begins to brawl with him. The fans cheer this, but that changes to boos as The Wall Powerbombs the gigantic Sid through the table at ringside then rolls him into the ring. Bischoff tries to attack the security guard, but he gets a DIAMOND CUTTER for his efforts. The mask comes off, and it is DDP underneath. Jarrett rolls away and gets inside the ring, as The Wall brawls with Page. Jarrett rolls Sid up and the ref turns around and makes the 1-2-3. Jarrett gets to his feet in time to see The Wall eat a Diamond Cutter on the floor. Kimberly rolls into the ring with the guitar and hides behind Jarrett, as DDP smiles and stalks towards the ring.

Jeff Jarrett defeats Sid to retain the WCW World Title by pinfall

WORKRATE: 49

CROWD: 81

OR: 71

The Ready To Rumble Cage Match At Slamboree?

Russo comes from the back as cops hit the ramp running towards DDP.

Russo: I don't know HOW you got out of the bus DDP, but now you're going to jail. Say hi to Hogan for me you stupid sonofabitch.

Page is handcuffed by the police as Russo walks to the ring. He passes DDP, and spits on him. Page lunges forward, but is held back by the police. On the floor The Wall is being helped to his feet by Bischoff, as the ref is helping Sid up and to the back as well.

Russo: You know what, this gives me a damn good idea. First Hogan comes in looking for Kidman, now we get DDP coming after Double J and Kim. Well, we also had a movie come out a few weeks back, and it's all coming together now for me. Jeff, I asked you to trust me a week ago, you did, and it all worked out for you. I'm going to ask you to trust me AGAIN tonight.

Jarrett looks puzzled, but shakes his head yes as Russo as Bischoff and The Wall enter the ring.

Russo: Page wants you, Hogan wants Kidman, and we want ratings and buy rates. So, at Slamboree I can see a Main Event like none before it. The Ready To Rumble Cage, live at Slamboree, just like in the movie. Only this time the WCW World Title will be up for grabs for FOUR men.

Jarrett looks shocked and upset, as does Bischoff.

Russo: Well, maybe four men. This Wednesday on Thunder Billy Kidman will face DDP, and on Nitro next week Jarrett will face Hogan, non title of course.

Jarrett: WHAT?

Russo: Trust me, Jeff, trust me. Have I EVER steered you wrong yet? IF DDP wins on Wednesday, and IF Hogan wins on Monday, then both men will join you and Billy Kidman in the Ready To Rumble Cage on PPV. If they LOSE, they have lost ALL CHANCES of a World Title shot for as long as The New Blood hold the belt, just like Sid did tonight. Oh, and to make sure that we have an even playing field, which is SO important here, I will be the Special Guest Referee on Thunder and Eric will be the Special Guest Referee on Nitro. If neither Hogan or Page can win their matches, then the Ready to Rumble Cage Match will be Jarrett vs. Kidman.

The crowd boos as Jarrett, The Wall, Bischoff, and Kim all smile.

Russo: Oh, and why not load the card up for Thunder. Why not also book Ric Flair to take on The Mamalukes, while his partner The Total Package takes on my boys in Creative Control? And how about we also see that old bastard Terry Funk defend his Hardcore Title against this man right here, The Wall. Is that all okay Eric?

Bischoff smiles, as he shakes hands with Russo.

Bischoff: I like it Vince, I like it a lot. And allow me to wish the best of luck to Page, Flair, and Luger for Thunder because I think you three are going to need it.

OR: 88

Tony: Yes they are, yes they are.

Tenay: We'll see you this Wednesday for Thunder on TBS.

End Show

OR: 68

TV Rating: 5.30

Attendance: 5001

WWF RAW Rating: 6.90

ECW: After The War Rating: 1.72

Over Changes:

Terry “Hulk” Hogan: (85-83)

Lex Luger: (75-74)

Buff Bagwell: (78-77)

Hacksaw Jim Duggan: (70-69)

Terry Funk: (68-67)

Brian Knobbs: (55-58)

Fit Finlay: (57-60)

Paisley: (50-52)

Kimberly: (73-71)

Tammy Sytch: (60-56)

[Pesci]

Oh my... I think... I think I'm in love.

That was simply a fucking AWESOME show, and I loved every single minute of it. From Kimberly's announcement of her love affair with Jarrett, to Shane Douglas' great shoot promo on Flair, and more specifically the line "It wouldn't surprise me if you SUDDENLY had a kid that was in some amateur tournament that Sunday", which had me in stitches, probably for all the wrong reasons.

You got Russo down to a tee, especially with his love for ratings and buyrates, and I love your improvement of the whole triple cage match. Billy Kidman? Well, I doubt he'll win, but it's damn sure a step-up from David freakin' Arquette. I'm guessing DDP will beat Kidman to get in, and Jarrett will manage to overcome Hogan, and we'll have a three-way. Unless of course I misunderstand the rules, and it's either all or nothing, meaning that if DDP wins and Hogan loses, neither is in regardless.

I could probably go back and read this on EWB3 if I wanted to, but I think I'll stay here, and read the rest as you post it.

[TGC]

Oh my... I think... I think I'm in love.

That was simply a fucking AWESOME show, and I loved every single minute of it. From Kimberly's announcement of her love affair with Jarrett, to Shane Douglas' great shoot promo on Flair, and more specifically the line "It wouldn't surprise me if you SUDDENLY had a kid that was in some amateur tournament that Sunday", which had me in stitches, probably for all the wrong reasons.

You got Russo down to a tee, especially with his love for ratings and buyrates, and I love your improvement of the whole triple cage match. Billy Kidman? Well, I doubt he'll win, but it's damn sure a step-up from David freakin' Arquette. I'm guessing DDP will beat Kidman to get in, and Jarrett will manage to overcome Hogan, and we'll have a three-way. Unless of course I misunderstand the rules, and it's either all or nothing, meaning that if DDP wins and Hogan loses, neither is in regardless.

I could probably go back and read this on EWB3 if I wanted to, but I think I'll stay here, and read the rest as you post it.

←

I'm not going to reply to every single post and alla that because, well, I don't like that, but you made a point I wanna respond to so all can see.

Yes, this is MOSTLY a repost of a diary I did last year on EWBIII for a bit then stopped. I say mostly because I am replaying this on EWR and already the game has changed some things for me. Namely the losses of Nash and Noble. So, while anyone COULD go back and look at the first month of this on EWBIII, they'd wind up confused. Changes have been made and FAR MORE are coming.

Thank you kindly for the words of encouragement. Shoots, swerves, Russo booking, it's all coming your way here. It's The Bischoff and Russo era...and you have NO IDEA what's going to happen next.

TGC

Edited April 10, 2005 by thegodcomplex

[TGC]

WCW Thunder

April 20, 2000

Rockford, Illinois

Announcers: Mike Tenay and Scott Hudson

The Thunder opening occurs, then the fans can be seen cheering as the camera pans the crowd.

Tenay: Welcome to WCW Thunder on TBS. I am Mike Tenay alongside Scott Hudson, and boy do we have a jam packed Thunder for you.

Scott Hudson: No doubt about it Mike. Let's not waste ANY time and head right to the ring.

WCW Hardcore Title Match: Terry Funk© vs. The Wall

The empty ring is shown, but the scene immediately shifts to the back, in the hallway, where The Wall is pummeling Terry Funk with the trash cans, one in each hand, while a referee stands by watching. Funk is felled by both trash cans smashed against his head, but The wall only gets a one count. Funk crawls down the hall, as The Wall stalks him with a smirk upon his face. He grabs a steel chair and brings it down hard on The Funkster’s back, then lays repeated boots to Funk's back as well. Another pinfall attempt and another one count, as Funk kicks out with authority. The Wall smiles, then walks off camera into an adjacent room. Funk, holding his back, gets to his feet and wanders down the hall towards some screaming fans, but he is cut off as The Wall smashes a glass serving dish over his head. Funk staggers, throwing wild punches that land nowhere, before dropping to both knees. The Wall then produces a second glass serving dish and again smashes it over Funk's head. Blood begins to pour, but a cut away is made to the fans at the end of the hall as the ref is HEARD counting two. At this point the scene shifts to black and white, as The Wall is dragging Funk by the foot down the hall and into the fans. The angle shifts, and The Wall emerges on the second tier in the crowd among the fans. He brings Funk to his feet and throws repeated lefts and rights, but Funk dodges the majority of them and begins to fight back with his own punches. The Wall staggers, and a Low Blow sends The Wall toppling down the stairs as the fans in THAT SECTION cheer. Funk grabs a fan's drink and splashes the liquid in his own face, then hobbles down the steps to where The Wall is on his hands and knees. Funk delivers repeated kicks to the side, then grabs the Hardcore Title from the ref and whips The Wall with it while security keeps the fans away. Funk then pushes The Wall OVER THE RAILING, where he lands below on two tables that were set up, crashing through them. Funk walks through the fans and disappears into the back, while a camera gets in position on the floor below. The Wall is seemingly out, and soon enough Funk and the ref come into view from the back. Funk has a towel wrapped around his head now, and the scene shifts back to four color. Funk makes the pinfall attempt and gets the 1-2-3 as the fans cheer. Funk gets to his feet as Fit Finlay appears from the back with a steel rod. He swings it at Funk, but the fans alert him and he ducks. The ref goes down hard from the shot, as Funk turns and Low Blows Finlay three times. The rod drops from his grasp as he falls over to the floor. Funk grabs his title, and is making his way to the back as security personnel and Eric Bischoff meet him. The security grabs him and escort him through the back and out into the parking lot. Bischoff grabs a duffle bag from one of them and tosses it out after him.

Bischoff: See you next week Terry.

With that the security slam the door and lock it.

Terry Funk defeats The Wall via pinfall

WORKRATE: 67

CROWD: 73

OR: 71

Tenay: Somehow Terry Funk does it again, defeating The Wall AND avoiding an attack by Finlay.

Hudson: For now, Mike, but can he survive to WCW Slamboree and if so, can he survive The New Blood Hardcore Challenge?

commercials

Mean Gene...A Millionaire?

Mean Gene is outside The Millionaires Club's bus, surrounded by security.

Mean Gene: I have never been so insulted. Back off buddy, or my lawyers will be getting to know you real well.

One of the security takes a step back, as two other security members walk in with DDP and Kanyon.

Mean Gene: For a Spring night it sure is cold here in Rockford. Anyways, I have been given the PERMANENT duty of being the WCW Interviewer for the so-called Millionaires Club. Eric Bischoff and Vince Russo have scheduled this time for Diamond Dallas Page and Chris Kanyon to have a few words. Gentlemen, in light of all that has transpired here in WCW over the last week and a half, how does it feel...

DDP: Gene, with all due respect I think I have a better question. How does it feel, Kidman, to know that tonight you go one on one with the King Of Bada Bing? Have you felt it yet, Billy? Have you felt...the...BANG? Tonight you will, and then at Slamboree in the triple cage you'll feel it again and again and again, just like Double J will. Oh you will Jeff, I can guarantee it. Tell my MANAGER I said hi by the way, because the next time I see that BI(BLEEP)ill do to her what I should have done years ago.

Mean Gene: Well, I can't say I blame you there DDP. Chris Kanyon, I have a question for you that has been on everyone's mind since last week. You fit more with The New Blood than with the Millionaires, so why are you here with them?

Kanyon: You know Mean Gene, the answer is simple. I happen to believe in loyalty and friendship, and even though Dallas and myself haven't ALWAYS seen eye to eye he's still like a brother to me. I could be joining The New Blood, and if Monday is any indication they want me to, but I feel more at home out here. I may believe in SOME of what they are doing, but I sure don't believe in the methods they use. Besides, any group that can condone what Kim did to Dallas, I want no part of them.

DDP: It all boils down to this Gene, when The New Blood started this they thought they knew the ending. They were wrong. Dead wrong. The only ending, the ONLY way this can go down is with each and EVERY one of them getting...BANGED!

Kanyon smiles as he and DDP walk out of the scene and towards the bus.

Mean Gene: Tonight in our Main Event it's DDP vs. Billy Kidman with the right for DDP to be in the Ready To Rumble Cage Match for the WCW World Title up for grabs.

OR: 74

commercials

WCW Cruiserweight Title Match: Chris Candido© vs. The Artist

The Artist comes down to the ring to his fake Prince music under the purple lighting to a pretty non existent reaction from the crowd. A replay of his attack on Paisley from Nitro is shown, then Tammy Sytch leads Chris Candido to the ring amid another apathetic reaction from the crowd. The match gets underway after Tammy gives Chris a rather lengthy kiss for good luck, and this match is all Candido. The Artist tries some brawling, but he is soon schooled in wrestling by the much quicker and simply better Cruiserweight Champion. The end comes less than three minutes into the match when Candido reverses an attempted Flying DDT into a Tornado DDT of his own. The 1-2-3 is academic. Tammy rushes into the ring and kisses her man, then does a small dance for the crowd, eliciting the ONLY response from the fans for the entire segment, before The New Blood members head to the back. The Artist gets to his feet, groggy looking, then kicks the ropes and yells at the referee. He rips his purple shirt up and tosses it to the ground, before storming off to the back.

Chris Candido defeats The Artist via pinfall

WORKRATE: 69

CROWD: 38

OR: 53

commercials

Handicap Match: The Total Package vs. Creative Control

Creative Control comes from the back to Russo's music as the fans boo. That is followed by the NitroVision showing The Package being led from the bus and through the back by security. There is no sign of Miss Elizabeth.

Hudson: The Total Package looks determined, but he has to know that the odds are simply NOT in his favor here tonight in any way, shape, or form, Mike.

Tenay: Indeed they aren't, Scott. Right after this match, as we see The Package emerge from the back, once again sans his music or his light show he has become accustomed to, his partner The Nature Boy Ric Flair will take on The Mamalukes in another Handicap Match.

Luger disrobes on the ramp, much like Monday Night, then walks slowly to the ring. He gets inside, and faces off against both Ron and Don as the bell rings. The Package gets the upper hand at the outset, easily blocking the punches thrown and getting his own in, soon enough Clotheslining both members of Creative Control to the floor below. The fans start a Package chant, so he obliges and flexes. This one small move proves to be his undoing, and something he is unable to recover from, as Ron and Don both re-enter the ring and Double Clothesline him from behind. The next five minutes are power move after power move, most less than perfect, as Creative Control dominate The Total Package, never allowing him to gain a second to breathe. One H-Bomb later, Don picks up the 1-2-3 as the fans are booing. The ref raises Don's hand, but he pushes him aside as Ron picks The Package back up. Three more H-Bombs are landed, leaving Luger down and out on the mat, before Creative Control head up the ramp and into the back, while the ref calls for medical help.

Creative Control defeat The Total Package via pinfall

WORKRATE: 48

CROWD: 64

OR: 59

Tenay: Sadly, we were right on the money, Scott, as The Total Package never had a chance here to do much of anything in this two on one environment. After these commercials, it's The Nature Boy in his OWN two on one match.

Hudson: Actually Mike, counting The Disco Inferno, it's a THREE on one encounter.

Tenay: So it is, Scott, so it is. We'll be right back

commercials

Handicap Match: The Nature Boy Ric Flair vs. The Mamalukes

Disco leads Vito and Johnny The Bull from the back to the ring to a mixed reaction from the crowd. As they enter the ring Flair is next escorted from the bus, through the back, and into the arena by security. The fans respond with an overwhelming "WHOOO", as The Nature Boy Whoo’s back, disrobes, then struts down the aisle.

Hudson: Apparently this whole war between The New Blood's and The Millionaire's hasn't gotten The Nature Boy down at all.

Flair gets in the ring cautiously, as Vito decides to go wait on the apron and allow the younger Johnny to start the match off. Disco hits the floor, looking a lot different than normal. He keeps looking all around himself, as if he expects someone to come up. Flair schools Johnny in the ring, then tosses him over into the corner to Vito, who tags in. Vito asks for a test of strength, and Flair obliges, but as he is losing he delivers a solid knee to the groin that drops Vito to both knees.

Tenay: The dirtiest player in the game strikes again, and the referee missed it.

Flair then begins his methodical working of the left knee that has been seen so many times before. As Flair comes off the middle rope with a rolling knee, a nice variation of the move he has performed no many times before, Johnny The Bull attempts to get into the ring, only to meet a flurry of Chops from Flair that sends him over the top rope to the floor. Disco, now seemingly into the match and not concerned with what's around him, hops onto the apron and attempts to get into the ring, but is stopped by the ref. This allows Flair to roll to the floor and grab a chair. He lays it on Vito's knee, then comes off the middle rope again, before pushing the chair to the floor and locking in The Figure Four. Vito is tapping right away, and it is this sound that gets the ref's attention away from Disco. He calls for the bell, as Flair rolls to the floor and heads up the ramp amid some cheers, while in the ring Disco is getting pushed around by Johnny while Vito rolls around in pain. Flair Whoo’s some more before exiting into the back. Meanwhile, back in the ring Johnny The Bull helps Vito to his feet, while Disco stands off to the side, once again looking all around.

Ric Flair defeats The Mamalukes via submission

WORKRATE: 70

CROWD: 73

OR: 72

Tenay: I can't believe it but The Nature Boy has defeated the former WCW World Tag team Champions here tonight.

Hudson: Not to take anything away from the fifteen time World Champion, but he owes a debt of gratitude to Disco, who sure made it easy for him to secure a win here tonight over The Mamalukes.

Tenay: Indeed he does, Scott.

commercials

During The Break...

Hudson: Welcome back, and now we want to take you to some footage shot during the break.

The scene shifts from the announce position to backstage, as Flair is being led through the halls by the security.

Voice: Hey Nature Boy?

Flair stops and turns, as Buff Bagwell swings his Tag Team Title. Flair moves, and he and Buff are soon on the floor fighting. A boot lands squarely in Flair's side, and he rolls off of Buff as The Franchise Shane Douglas continues to kick Flair. He gets him to his feet, then delivers a Franchiser to the Nature Boy onto the floor, while security stand by watching.

Franchise: I'll see you soon, Ric. I know I can't wait until our match on PPV, ha ha ha. Until then, know that this Monday, I have the biggest surprise of your life in store.

Buff whips the Tag Team Title across Flair's back, then he and The Franchise walk off as the two security members drag Flair to his feet and haul him off around a corner.

OR: 75

Tenay: A truly despicable act by our Tag Team Champions, but par for the course by The New Blood thus far.

Hudson: I do wonder, however, what is this surprise that The Franchise has for Flair come Nitro?

Tenay: Only one way to find out, Scott, and that's...

Kidmania Is Running Wild?

Tenay is cut off by the music of Billy Kidman, who walks from the back wearing a red and yellow boa around his neck, a red and yellow bandanna, yellow trunks, red boots, and a red and yellow shirt that reads

KIDMANIA!

He is followed closely by Torrie and Eric Bischoff. The three enter the ring, where Kidman does Hogan's old routine of listening to the fans from all four sides of the ring, while they boo him, then ripping his shirt off. As Bischoff smiles and claps Kidman then poses, flexing his "muscles". Bischoff then produces a mic from his jacket as the music stops.

Bischoff: Give it up for Kidmania, folks. It's running wild on you.

The fans boo a bit as Torrie laughs.

Bischoff: What a show we've had thus far, and it's ONLY going to get better. How do I know this, you ask? Because our Main Event, as signed by my friend and colleague Vince Russo, is Billy Kidman taking on DDP in a match to determine whether Page gets a shot at the WCW World Title at Slamboree with Vince as the Special Guest Referee. What a Main Event it is, huh?

The fans make no noise here, so Bischoff moves along quickly.

Bischoff: But wait, it only gets better, I assure you. To keep the playing field as even as we possibly can, I have signed Jeff Jarrett, YOUR WCW World Champion, and Kimberly to act as Special Ringside Enforcers for the match. This way, we are assured that NOBODY can interfere in this match and cost Diamond Dallas Page his possible title shot. What a great and benevolent host I am, no?

Kidman laughs and takes the mic from Bischoff, while there is a smattering of booing from the crowd.

Kidman: Tonight I do to DDP what I've been doing to Hogan for almost two weeks, and that's embarrass him. Tonight I show everyone what I can do when I'm given an opportunity and not held back by The Orange Skinned Goblin, Hulk Hogan. Oh, and Hogan? It's not FU New Blood, but FU Hogan.

The fans boo a little more here, as Bischoff takes the mic back.

Bischoff: Tonight it's DDP, on Nitro it's Hogan, and at Slamboree it's ALL of The Millionaires Club once and for all. Now, enjoy the rest of the show.

The trio walk out of the ring to Bischoff's music.

OR: 54

Tenay: After this next break, we have a First Blood Match between Vampiro and The Demon as a result of what happened after Nitro went off the air. Let's show you...

Hudson: I'm sorry Mike...yes…okay but…yes, yes okay I will. Mike, I’m sorry but I was just informed that there’s been a change to the format here tonight, and we won’t be seeing Vampiro and The Demon at all, but instead PG-13 will be taking on Los Fabulosous up next.

Tenay: What? Well okay I guess these things happen. Folks, we’ll have that Tag Team Match up after these commercials

Hudson: I’m sorry Mike, they just blurted in and...

commercials

Los Fabulosous(with Miss Hancock) vs. PG-13

After the commercials both teams are at ringside and the ref calls for the bell. El Dandy and Wolfie D lock up when the lights go out completely. Light bulbs pop and flash throughout the arena and some ruckus is heard in the ring, then the lights come back on, and Both teams are down in the ring. Vampiro has a mic, and is standing in the center of the ring, while kneeling in front of him is a blonde headed man.

Vampiro: The days of The Blood Pact are upon us all. As I prepare myself for what must be done, so too do I prepare others. Arise my Fallen Angel, arise and do the bidding of The Blood Pact.

The fans are dead silent as The Fallen Angel gets to his feet and walks over the form of El Dandy. Miss Hancock is screaming for someone to come help, but to no avail. The Fallen Angel picks El Dandy up by the hair, whips him across the ring, then levels him with a Spinning Heel Kick. At this point he turns to Vampiro, who points to Wolfie D. The Fallen Angel then pulls Wolfie to his knees, holding his arms behind his back as he does so.

Vampiro: Look at me, look at me and know the truth.

The Fallen Angel holds Wolfie’s head still as Vampiro looks into his eyes. This is repeated with Jamie, as Wolfie looks confused in the ring. Once The Fallen Angel releases Jamie the lights go out as Vampiro’s laughter fills the arena. When the lights come back up Vampiro and The Fallen Angel are gone, and Wolfie D and Jamie Dundee are beating Los Fabulosous relentlessly. Silver King is whipped towards the ropes by Jamie, and Wolfie comes off the turnbuckle with a decapitating Flying Clothesline. Miss Hancock is again screaming for help, even urging Mike and Scott to intervene, and this gets PG-13’s attention. They climb to the floor and surround her, but once again the lights go out. When they come back on PG-13 are gone.

No Contest Due To Interference From Vampiro and The Fallen Angel

WORKRATE: 77

CROWD: 23

OR: 50

Hudson: I don't even know what that...I'm lost Mike.

Tenay: I think we all are, Scott. That was without a doubt one of the strangest things I have ever seen. Without a doubt.

Hudson Vampiro and his Blood Pact? What’s gotten into this kid since Bischoff and Russo arrived? And what did he do to PG-13?

commercials

WCW TV Title Match: Mike Awesome© vs. “Screamin” Norman Smiley

“Screamin” Norman comes from the back first, looking less than pleased to be here, and gets in the ring amid some small cheers. He looks scared to death, as the scene cuts to NitroVision.

Tenay: Folks, this is what happened on Monday Nitro when Hacksaw Jim Duggan defended his WCW TV Title against Mike Awesome. I warn you now, it’s not for the weak at heart.

Hacksaw gets in the ring, tosses his two by four in the air, and it caught by Awesome who then smacks Duggan across the face with it.  The fans boo as Duggan drops, his music still playing.  Awesome steps back as he looks at the ref, who reluctantly calls for the bell.  Awesome throws the two by four out of the ring, then scoops Duggan up and delivers a Running Powerslam to the legend.  Awesome then climbs to the top rope and one Frog Splash later he gets the 1-2-3 to become the new WCW TV Champion.  Awesome, however, isn’t done.  The ref removes the belt from Duggan’s waist while Awesome slides four tables into the ring.  He methodically sets one up in each corner of the ring, then takes his newly won title from the referee.  Duggan is stirring and trying to get to his knees, so Awesome beats his down with the TV Title, denting it in the process.  He then takes Duggan, and systematically delivers an Awesome Bomb through each and every table in the ring.  Medics soon race down to the ring as Awesome looks at the carnage and smiles.  Duggan is unmoving in the ring as the medics work on him.  Once Awesome gets to the top of the ramp he holds his TV Title high, while on NitroVision behind him Duggan is being gingerly placed on a wooden back board.

Smiley is shown looking at NitroVision and he visibly begins to shake, as Mike Awesome’s music plays and the new WCW TV Champion walks from the back, the title slung over his shoulder, and heads towards the ring.

Tenay: While we don’t have a firm update on the condition of Hacksaw, we do know that he was rushed to a local hospital here in Rockford where he was in serious condition.

Hudson: First Awesome takes out Big Sexy Kevin Nash then he takes out Hacksaw Jim Duggan in the span of two days. I have to worry about the safety of Norman here tonight, Mike.

Awesome hands his dented TV Title to the ref, who holds it high then calls for the bell.

Tenay: The dent there is from the head and back of Hacksaw, who on behalf of Scott Hudson and the entire WCW broadcast team I want to wish a speedy recovery to.

Hudson: Just a reminder for our fans at home, Mike, but all WCW TV Title Matches have a ten minute time limit.

Not that it’s needed. The bell is sounded, and Awesome walks toward Smiley, who screams and turns his back. Awesome catches him by the back of the head and delivers a solid looking Reverse DDT to the mat. Awesome then scoops Smiley up, and delivers a Running Power Slam similar to what he did to Duggan two days prior. He pulls Smiley to the center of the ring, climbs the turnbuckle, and comes flying with a Frog Splash, which Tenay refers to as The Awesome Splash, hooks the leg, and gets the 1-2-3 to retain his TV Title in under two minutes. The fans boo Awesome, who exits the ring and pulls a table out from under it. He sets it up inside the ring, then scoops Smiley into his arms as the ref is admonishing Awesome. Awesome climbs to the second rope at the turnbuckle, then puts Smiley through the table with a Fallaway Slam. The fans boo more, still not making a ton of noise however, as Awesome heads out to the floor once more. He retrieves a second table, slides it into the ring, sets it up in the corner, and puts Smiley through it with an Awesome Bomb. He then takes his title, holds it over his head, and nonchalantly walks off with medics rushing down to the ring to attend to the broken Norman Smiley.

Mike Awesome defeats “Screamin” Norman Smiley via pinfall

WORKRATE: 73

CROWD: 69

OR: 66

commercials

Billy Kidman vs. DDP with Special Guest Referee Vince Russo and Special Ringside Enforcers Jeff Jarrett and Kimberly

Kidman's music starts and he is accompanied by Torrie, Russo, Kimberly, and Jarrett. The fans boo the entire crew, as the NitroVision comes to life to show DDP being escorted through the back. He arrives on the stage, as per the norm now for The Millionaires Club sans his music or pyro. He does the BANG! anyways, then sprints to the ring and slides under the bottom ropes. Kidman is right on him as the bell sounds. DDP counters every move Kidman attempts, and hits The Diamond Cutter within thirty seconds of the bell. He goes for a cover, but Russo simply turns around as Jarrett slides into the ring with a guitar and smashes it over DDP's back. The fans start a Bullshit chant, but it is muffled pretty good by TBS.

Tenay:No, oh no. We knew it, but this is so FLAGRANT. He has no chance here Scott, NO CHANCE.

Russo turns around to see the guitar remnants on the mat and Kidman's arm over DDP. He drops and makes a fast two count, but Page kicks out. Russo looks shocked, as does Jarrett, Torrie, and Kimberly on the floor. Jarrett goes to get BACK in the ring, as Hogan, in full FUNB regalia, hops over the guardrail, pushing Kimberly into Torrie in the process. He grabs Jarrett, yanking him off the apron, and delivers a variation of The Book End on Jarrett on the floor. He then launches Jarrett head first into the ring steps, as Russo looks scared to death in the ring. Kidman and DDP both get to their feet, as Russo rushes out of the ring and tries to run up the aisle. He gets caught by Hogan as the fans cheer. Hogan Chokeslams Russo on the ramp, as Kimberly jumps on his back. Hogan flips her over his back onto Russo, while in the ring Kidman drops Page with a Russian Leg Sweep, then climbs to the top rope. He comes flying off with a Shooting Star Press, but Page rolls out of the way. On the floor Hogan drags Russo by the arm towards the ring while Torrie backs out of the way. The security that led Page down come rushing up but Hogan dispatches of them easily then continues dragging Russo and rolls him under the bottom rope into the ring. Kidman gets to his feet, and he receives another Diamond Cutter from Page, who goes for another cover. Hogan takes Russo's hand and counts 1-2-3, as the bell rings.

Hudson: Is that LEGAL?

Tenay: It WAS Russo's hand. I have no idea though Scott.

Hogan helps Page to his feet, as Jarrett stumbles into the ring with a chair and lays Hogan out from behind. He and Page brawl, but soon enough Kidman is up as well, and he takes the chair and lays Page out with it. Jarrett then hits The Stroke on the chair on DDP first, then he lays the chair on Hogan's chest and Kidman scores a Shooting Star Press on the chair on Hogan. Kidman is obviously hurting, as Kimberly and Torrie help him to his feet. Russo is soon up, but wobbly, as Bischoff comes down the aisle with Creative Control, Bigelow, Candido, Tammy, and Kronik.

DDP defeats Billy Kidman via pinfall

WORKRATE: 71

CROWD: 67

OR: 69

Hogan vs. Jarrett Gets A Facelift

Bischoff and his crew enter the ring, where Creative Control help Russo stand.

Russo: Where the hell were you two?

Bischoff: It was my fault, Vince. We were having a meeting when I saw the monitors. Oh, and boys...?

With that Kronik pick up first DDP, then Hogan, and deliver THEIR version of The H-Bomb on each one, before Candido and Bigelow throw the two to the floor. Police make their way down the aisle, and BOTH men are handcuffed while Bischoff speaks.

Bischoff: Hogan can be arrested for once again breaking the rules, while DDP I guess can just be removed from OUR building. But before you go, Hogan, listen up. To ENSURE that what happened here tonight doesn't occur on Nitro, not only is Page banned from appearing, and if he does he LOSES his shot he just somehow won, and not only will I be the Special Guest Referee, but your match with The Chosen One is now a Caged Heat Match. You, me, and Jarrett, locked in a steel cage with NO ESCAPE possible, and no chance of ANYONE getting inside. So, Hogan, GOOD LUCK you dirty sonofa(BLEEP).

OR: 85

Hudson: My god, DDP is in The Ready To Rumble Match at Slamboree, and this Monday Hogan vs. Jarrett is now a Caged Heat Match.

Tenay: What a Nitro we have. What a Nitro. But don't miss WCW WorldWide this Saturday. We are out of time...

end show

OR: 66

TV Rating: 4.99

Attendance: 5024

Over Changes:

Ric Flair (93-91)

Lex Luger (74-73)

Mike Awesome (60-59)

Norman Smiley (65-64)

Big Vito (67-66)

Johnny The Bull (67-66)

Eric Bischoff (85-81)

[jayden]

Awesome stuff so far and in some ways I'm glad I missed out on it first time round. I'm walking into this with no preconceptions and frankly it's amazing. You've still written my favourite diary ever, and this one has the potential to end up somewhere up there too.

Anything so far that I've not liked has really just been personal preference as opposed to bad booking. Like Terry Funk, he's not entertained me in any year that's come after about 1994 or something so seeing him still overcoming the odds in this one like the crazy heroic old bastard isn't something I enjoy.

The way you've captured the feel of this period is superb and the New Blood look so strong and have so much power that it's just awesome. The way that the Millionaire's are scoring little victories here and there despite the odds keeps the thing entertaining. I'd love to see Hogan and Luger squashed constantly but lets be honest, it needs some feeling every now and then that there is a way for the Millionaire's to come through.

The thing with this whole angle is that it has stacks of potential but is sooooooooo complex and difficult to make work and keep at least semi logical (I know it's Bischoff and Russo, but still) and the detail so far has been awesome.

On a side note, nice to see Duggan get killed.