The Death of the WWE

[Ping von Erich]

Let me just say first, I just spent all afternoon farting off at work reading this masterpiece.. amazing work, man.

Nicho El Millionaro © vs. Sonjay Dutt in a Ladder Match for the X-Division Title

I'm not totally feeling the picks for Nash's stable, but Nicho (when he's not stealing cars) Joey (when not sticking a needle in his butt) and Kidman (when motivated) are all solid veteran talents. Nicho will retain with help from Nash and Next Gen X.

The Steiner Brothers © vs. LAX vs. Team 3D vs. Motor City Machine Guns in Tag Mayhem for the TNA Tag Titles

Shelley and Sabin for sure, they're such a cool team, and make for amazing heels. Shelley is such a talented mat tech that the two of them can easily hang with non X stars (like in this very match for example) I say M.C.M.G.'s take the straps and hold them for a nice looong while. I'd kill to see Joe nad Danielson versus these two, maybe a little mini feud over the tag straps.

Abyss vs. Sean O'Haire

Abyss needs to get a little heat back, unless you plan on letting him go.. which would be a silly indea in my opinion, the dude is awesome.

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

Personally I'd give the win to AJ, face of heel the dude is the heart of TNA.. but Angle went down for 'Cide on Impact and was more or less promised to come out big at the end of this feud, which is fine.

Homicide vs. Samoa Joe in an 30 Minute Iron Man match

Joe is the future of TNA, I call another MOTY, showstopping, out of this world match with Joe standing tall after all sorts of insane run ins from Konnan and the rest of LAX.

Sting vs. Christopher Daniels in an 'I Quit', Loser Leaves TNA Forever match

I see Daniels winning the actual match, but Sting getting the moral victory afterwards, freeing his daughter. The match stip giving Sting a break from TNA for a while, and Daniels to move on to bigger and better things.. like the main event.

Carlos Colon © vs. Rhino in a Steel Cage for the TNA World Heavyweight Title

No way in hell does Carly give up the strap yet.. I call a dirty victory over Rhino, and this feud evolving a little, and continuing.

Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam vs. Christian Cage & Tomko

No way do these two debut on PPV and come away with a loss.. but it'd be a good way to keep the fans on their toes if things went the other way.. either way it'll be a surprise show stealer.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Kevin Thorn vs. Charlie Haas

From what little you've said about Thorn, he has big things in store for him.

Val Venis vs. Viscera

Winner.. Val.. loser.. us.

MVP © vs. Jim Duggan for the United States Title

MVP clean and nasty.. a star (and company man) in the making.

Melina © vs. Michelle McCool vs. Candice Michelle vs. Maria for the WWE Women's Title

Because she's hot.

Santino Marella © vs. Paul London for the WWE Intercontinental Title

The rise of Paul London as a star, and Marella fades into the "Who?" history books.

The Hardy Boyz © vs. The Highlanders for the World Tag Titles

Easy call, champs retain.. and I'd imagine split up and feud down the line somewhere.. it always happens eventually.

The Great Khali © vs. Triple H for the WWE Title

The Game.. WWE Jesus. Trips drives the giant's face into the mat and saves the WWE title.. and possibly WWE itself.

Bobby Lashley © vs. William Regal for the ECW World Heavyweight Title

Lashley retains, but Regal cements himself as WWE's go to guy, a true main event player.

Brock Lesnar © vs. The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title

Total DQ, I can see the scene as the PPV goes off the iar.. a bloody and shocked Lesnar crawling up the ramp, looking back towards the ring at an equally bloody Taker standing tall, his eyes rolled back in his head. Lesnar having thrown everything he had at the Deadman and him still standing tall.. Heyman having to get his client DQ'ed to keep the gold.

Wow.. I'm marking harder for WWE in this diary than I am TNA, lol..

I've always been a fan of the underdog.

Anyway, keep up the good work, I'll be reading.

Edited June 5, 2007 by Ping von Erich

[legendonline]

Well Mr. Walker-Bush... WALLLLKKKERR-BUSH! As most everybody here enjoys your work I feel that it is required for me to post my predictions here...

Nicho El Millionaro © vs. Sonjay Dutt in a Ladder Match for the X-Division Title

Sonjay gets the title back after botched interference

The Steiner Brothers © vs. LAX vs. Team 3D vs. Motor City Machine Guns in Tag Mayhem for the TNA Tag Titles

Hail Sabin! Hail Shelley!

Abyss vs. Sean O'Haire

Abyss just because he returned from injury perfect way to return.

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

Styles gets the win at a later date... Angle booked Styles into a corner.

Homicide vs. Samoa Joe in an 30 Minute Iron Man match

Whoever wins... We win!

Sting vs. Christopher Daniels in an 'I Quit', Loser Leaves TNA Forever match

Daniels jumps to the 'E' after this match as it was vaugely hinted

Carlos Colon © vs. Rhino in a Steel Cage for the TNA World Heavyweight Title

Rhino vs Colon at BFG BARBED WIRE!

Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam vs. Christian Cage & Tomko

I can't see Tomko going over Y2J and RVD regardless that his partner is Cathloic Cage

WWE Unforgiven

Kevin Thorn vs. Charlie Haas

Kevin Thorn vs Kane... please?

Val Venis vs. Viscera

No Comment...

MVP © vs. Jim Duggan for the United States Title

MVP nuff said!

Melina © vs. Michelle McCool vs. Candice Michelle vs. Maria for the WWE Women's Title

Anybody but Melina plus you said the Women's title is dead pretty soon why not bury it with a Interviewer as Champion?

Santino Marella © vs. Paul London for the WWE Intercontinental Title

This would be the perfect point for the 'E' to make a smart decision in the IC title picture

The Hardy Boyz © vs. The Highlanders for the World Tag Titles

I picked the Hardyz because... Actually I don't know why I picked them.

The Great Khali © vs. Triple H for the WWE Title

Khali over Trips? If this goes through Trips deserves to be jobbed out like Flair.

Bobby Lashley © vs. William Regal for the ECW World Heavyweight Title

Read a page or so back... DEAD GIVE AWAY!

Brock Lesnar © vs. The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title

Terrible booking Lesnar deserves to job for life... On a Lesnar related topic who saw his PWNAGE of that Jap dude in his MMA debut?

[alancer]

One of the best qualities of this diary are the consistent updates that you provide. I always know that just about every other day or so there will be a new update for me to read.

There are a couple of concerns I have about the diary. One is that it is a very gimmicked way of telling the story. Now obviously that is what everyone including myself praised in the begining. Just be careful to get stuck in one exact way of telling the story. It seemed thats what was happening although the more recent updates changed. I liked the whole, we all remember Nov. 11th ... Shhhh ... bit because it was different. Try to keep it changed up a bit. You picked a concept which can either make this an AMAZING diary long term, or kill it long term.

Some of the things you do that really help this diary are talking about the signs people would hold up, and about other aspects of the war then just the shows.

Also, beware of killing the TNA flavor. You've added Jericho and RVD, both guys who can work great in TNA. Sean O'Haire is another good edition. But if this just becomes a WWE ripoff of its good workers, it'll jsut be like the formerly popular smackdown brand during the Fab 6 period when Heyman was booking. (Thats the best example I can come up with.) At the same time, WCW stole half of WWE's workers and made it work. Remember to build your own talent away from WWE. Not just giving oppourtunites to guys like Carlos, but remember Samoa Joe and AJ Styles, people who helped give TNA its distinct flavor. If you over fill the roster, you are going to get more TNA shows like the one you had. Great in a sort of smark dream way, but there were no titles, and lots of gone mainstream TNA stars.

SHarkboy was never given a push, but he was a cult favorite among the x divison.

It seems like you are suffering from too many talented workers, as a result people aren't getting pushed, or even making it on air.

Anyway your diary is still one of the two or three I read every update for.

Here are my opinions on what I would do with certain guys. Again this is your diary and Id rather read what YOU would do with them, but still ... I cant help myself.

RVD- X division, he can revitalize that division. A high profile feud with RVD and another well known guy. FOllowed by lots of feuds with home grown TNA talent or a few indy guys could build that division back to where it was ... side by side with the TNA World Title. I love the Motor City tag team, because they are absolutely amazing in the ring together in real life. But at the same time both of them would have sick feuds with RVD for the X division title.

Kurt Angle- I know he has more of a backseat job to make TNA stars look up to his level, but Id love to see him dethrone the Jackel, at least at some point getting another TNA title shot. Your feud with AJ Styles can be amazing, treat it right and it can be a classic.

Daniels at some point probably deserves a high profile TNA title feud.

Dont let former Champs like Christian and Styles fall into the background.

Finally, I dont know if your going to make Samoa Joe the face of TNA. His image on the front cover of the book would hint at that. But maybe his job is already over, only being in the begining of TNAs rise. But if you are, he needs to get some big pushes. Maybe a feud with an on air Eric Bischoff, and all of the guys he pulls out to fight him. Who knows?

Good luck I really want this diary to make it big.

Edited June 7, 2007 by alancer

[Guest Irish Virus]

Nicho El Millionaro © vs. Sonjay Dutt in a Ladder Match for the X-Division Title

The Steiner Brothers © vs. LAX vs. Team 3D vs. Motor City Machine Guns in Tag Mayhem for the TNA Tag Titles

Abyss vs. Sean O'Haire

AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

Homicide vs. Samoa Joe in an 30 Minute Iron Man match

Sting vs. Christopher Daniels in an 'I Quit', Loser Leaves TNA Forever match

Carlos Colon © vs. Rhino in a Steel Cage for the TNA World Heavyweight Title

Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam vs. Christian Cage & Tomko

WWE Unforgiven

Kevin Thorn vs. Charlie Haas

Val Venis vs. Viscera

MVP © vs. Jim Duggan for the United States Title

Melina © vs. Michelle McCool vs. Candice Michelle vs. Maria for the WWE Women's Title

Santino Marella © vs. Paul London for the WWE Intercontinental Title

The Hardy Boyz © vs. The Highlanders for the World Tag Titles

The Great Khali © vs. Triple H for the WWE Title

Bobby Lashley © vs. William Regal for the ECW World Heavyweight Title

Brock Lesnar © vs. The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Title

[Chris the Human]

The End of an Era

Vincent Kennedy McMahon's contribution to the business of professional wrestling cannot be underestimated. Though he is often painted as the villain in this story, it's fair to say that without him there wouldn't be a story to tell. It was McMahon's ambition and refusal to play by the 'rules' of professional wrestling that turned wrestling from a territorial business into a global one. It was his vision of Wrestlemania that saw the sport go from the relative obscurity and into the mainstream. It was his role in the creation of legends such as Bret Hart, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, and The Rock that took professional wrestling to a level that it had never before enjoyed.

While people can criticise the way he ran his company or the way he booked himself as one of the company's main players, it cannot be debated (and certainly won't be by me) that Vince McMahon is, without a doubt, the single most pivotal figure in the history of professional wrestling. It was with shock and sadness then, that the professional wrestling world would lose him in October 2007.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon, father of World Wrestling Entertainment, would suffer an Ischemic stroke on October 23rd, 2007 in his home in Greenwich, Connecticut. The stroke, while not fatal, would later be revealed to have caused global aphasia - a near complete loss of ability to speak, write, or even comprehend language. McMahon's days as both an on screen character and the head booker of the WWE would end abruptly - leaving the company in a disastrous state of affairs. McMahon had been in perfect health, and although he had plans in line for the event of his death or retirement, no one within the company had expected it to occur quite so soon. Stephanie and Shane McMahon, Vince's only children, would immediately be thrust into control of the company, and while both had been groomed for this purpose, it's perhaps fair to say that neither of them had the talents that their father so clearly did.

Take, for example, the appointment of Stephanie McMahon as the leading creative force within the company. Whilst Stephanie had studied under one of the greatest wrestling promoters of all time, even her early efforts as a booker had created some infamous angles (including the Katie Vick storyline), and her ability to keep talent happy was widely criticised. Earlier in the year, for example, she had been the motivating force behind a string of sackings that would see long serving company men such as Scott 'Scotty 2 Hotty' Taylor and Rob Conway released from the company. She had also developed her father's eye for 'talent' in female workers, and was even rumoured to have sacked Beth Phoenix because her physique wasn't feminine enough for a WWE Diva.

Stephanie's first order of business was to address the situation within the company at the time. As you've no doubt noticed, things had been in a slow decline for several months, and to her credit, Stephanie was aware of this. Realising that the draft had been a complete failure and that serious changes needed to be made, Stephanie informed the talent and the booking team that a second draft would take place on Saturday, November 3rd. The draft would be a complete one - seeing all three rosters shaking up and shifted.

"I'll give her credit," former WWE writer Paul Heyman said, "It was a good move. While it created a great deal of confusion and unrest within the company, it really needed to be done. With the injuries and retirements we'd had, the rosters were all a little sparse. Raw had an abundance of main event level talent, ECW had none at all, and Smackdown's stock of wrestling talent had taken a steep downturn after the disaster that was the draft lottery. Stephanie cops a lot of criticism, most of it from me, but it was the right move".

Indeed, it was. Although it did cause a great deal of dissatisfaction within the company, the draft went a long way towards undoing some of the damage done by the previous few lacklustre months. But Stephanie's second decision was a little less well received. Like Eric Bischoff had done out of desperation during the WCW's dying days, Stephanie McMahon would have all of the company's titles vacated on the draft episode. After rosters had been drafted and champions had been moved, she booked herself to make the announcement that all titles would be vacant and would be decided at that month's PPV, No Mercy. That would give fans a month to adjust to the new rosters before the titles went around anybody's waists.

At a time where fans were fed up with the stagnant state of affairs in the title scene, it was a rare piece of inspiration from McMahon, who would use the opportunity to mix things up a little at the top. The company would also embark on a record spree of signings that would see a large group of new talent come into the company. With TNA having found great success with surprise debuts and the introduction of new faces, the WWE would attempt a similar ploy. In addition to the signings of main event talent such as Bill Goldberg (who had previously vowed to never work for the company again after his lacklustre first run), the WWE would also bring in the likes of Scott Hall, Dustin 'Goldust' Rhodes, Ken Shamrock, Orlando Jordan, Rikishi, Vader, and X-Pac. This came in addition to a swathe of 'nostalgia' hirings that would see Attitude era staples such as The Godfather, Ahmed Johnson, Grandmaster Sexay, and the New Age Outlaws (who you may know as the Voodoo Kin Mafia) rejoin the company. If it reads as confusing, that's because it is. It was perhaps a desperation move on the company's part, and whilst not every signing paid dividends, a surprising amount did. From the successful Generation Y stable to the infinitely more successful run of Bill Goldberg within the company, Stephanie McMahon's first year or so at the helm of the WWE was a success beyond the average wrestling fan's wildest dreams.

The year that followed was what could be referred to as the renaissance of professional wrestling in the United States. TNA were turning in tremendous shows on a weekly basis from the top to the bottom, and the WWE was still the place to go to see big stars and edgy angles. The industry was heading towards a boom the likes of which hadn't been since in the mid to late nineties, and before the end came, there would be a lot of money to be made and a lot of superstars would come and go.

---------------------------------

And again I find myself getting ahead of myself. Before any of this excitement could happen, there was the small matter of TNA's No Surrender and the WWE's Unforgiven. The latter would be made somewhat moot within a week of taking place, since all of its title matches would be made void and the rosters would change to the point that new feuds would need to be invented. We'll address Unforgiven first, though, since it was a largely inoffensive offering from the company.

The night opened with the ever popular Hardy Boyz tag team defending their World Tag Titles against Raw's Highlanders, who had been something of an odd decision in the match since they'd been largely a Heat fixture in the month prior. The clash itself was a decent enough encounter between two pairs of babyfaces, with The Hardyz getting the win following a Side Effect from Matt Hardy to Robbie McAllister.

(69/65/73)

Santino Marella's forgettable run as Intercontinental Champion wasn't to end at Unforgiven either, with the 'plucky' babyface scoring another upset win - this time against the perennially overlooked and (OMG SPOILER) soon to be off contract Paul London. London, for all of his ability as one of the finest workers in the world at the time, didn't have it in him to lift Marella to anything more than an acceptable match - which ended with former TNA World Tag Champion, James Storm making his WWE debut to clobber Santino Marella with a beer bottle. The use of the weapon, which America's Most Wanted had made famous during their run in TNA, would see the WWE dragged into court by TNA. Storm also laid out Paul London for good measure, and he and fellow TNA castoff, Jackie Gayda stood tall in the ring to the confusion and bemusement of many.

(69/65/74)

Triple H then did his part to put some energy into the evening, the newly returned babyface (and soon to be head booker of Smackdown) getting a mammoth pop as he appeared on the big screen to conduct an interview with Todd Grisham. Like Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash in WCW, Triple H was a paradox of immense proportions. Whilst he was without a doubt one of the most charismatic and over names on the roster at the time - it would be his penchant for booking himself as the focus of shows that would ultimately damage both his credibility and the popularity of the company he'd inherited alongside his wife, Stephanie. The promo was a good one - the former DX member dedicating the match to Vince McMahon.

It should be noted, for posterity, that Vince's last television appearance (in a character sense - he would appear at every Wrestlemania until his death, and would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2008) saw him in a hot tub with Torrie Wilson, Maria, and Candice Michelle. Is there a more fitting final appearance for a man notorious for booking himself into the hearts and pants of some of the most gorgeous women in the world? Probably not.

(90)

Speaking of gorgeous women, a four way elimination match to decide the Women's Championship was up next. Melina, who was no doubt fearing for her job after the announcement that Stephanie had taken over the company, was defending the gold against Maria, Candice Michelle, and Stephanie McMahon's best friend, Michelle McCool. I'll give you a few minutes to do the math on that. Maria was eliminated first, Michelle McCool absolutely destroying her with an impressive Samoan Drop. Melina's bulldog saw Candice Michelle eliminated, and then it was time for Stephanie's best friend to go to work. McCool, who was a remarkably competant in ring worker, destroyed Melina and pinned her clean after a Belly to Belly suplex. While the reasoning behind her victory can be questioned, let's not question whether or not it was deserved. At a time when the women's division seemed to revolve around bikini contests and the most dangerous moves involved pseudo sexual maneuvres, McCool was a more than competant worker and a deserving champion.

(52/58/40)

Viscera and Val Venis' mini feud (conducted almost solely on Heat) came to an end in a forgettable match that saw Viscera go over his partner. Venis, another of many who were overlooked for the push he probably deserved, tapped out clean to a bear hug as Viscera would embark on another of his seemingly bi-annual monster pushes. And while Viscera would get a push following his move to ECW, Venis would continue to struggle for recognition despite being transferred to the more talent based Smackdown brand.

(62/63/62)

Another title would change hands in MVP's clash with Jim Duggan. MVP, a former TNA worker (as Antonio Banks) had been something of a revelation for the company as a cocky, self obsessed athlete - and shifting the belt off him after the hard work put into making him a legitimate threat seemed stupid, particularly when the gold would go to Jim Duggan who, his history in the business aside, was no better than a joke character by this point in his career. But Stephanie couldn't resist the brilliance of putting the United States Title around the waist of a man who got the crowd to chant 'USA, USA' simply by appearing. Thankfully, the reign would only last six days.

(62/67/51)

Edge chimed into the night's event with the kind of promo for which he was famous, bemoaning the fact he'd been overlooked in favour of the Dead Man and crying foul over the fact he was the most undervalued star within the company (fairly close to the truth, really). Stephanie McMahon would stick to her father's guns on the matter of Edge, however, and despite the fact his promo stole the show - he wouldn't be getting anywhere near the gold in the near future.

(91)

The first of the night's title bouts saw Bobby Lashley taking on William Regal. This match perhaps highlights just what an atrocious state the ECW 'wing' of the WWE was at this point in time.

"It was an absolute shitfight," Heyman said on the matter, "The roster was a shambles and looked nothing like an ECW roster should. Not only were we without originals such as RVD, Sabu, Beulah, Raven, and Rhino - but the few workers who people had come to associate with the brand (Elijah Burke, CM Punk, and Bobby Lashley in particular) had been shifted to other shows. The entire New Breed stable was gone and we'd been left with a fucking trainwreck to deal with".

Heyman, who would be given a chance to book ECW despite Stephanie's dislike of him, would make his return to WWE programming at the event - hitting Lashley with a chair to allow William Regal a roll-up victory for the 1-2-3 and his first ever World Title win. Over the next few months, Heyman would divide his time between playing an on screen pain in the ass and trying to book the latest ECW incarnation to something resembling a brand of its own. With the company opening its bank book a little, Heyman was even able to bring in a few 'originals' to go along with the mixture of undercarders and developmental talents he'd be assigned in the draft.

(67/72/56)

The match of the night came from an unlikely source, as Brock Lesnar and The Undertaker put on a great match to decide the World Heavyweight Championship. The Undertaker and Lesnar had a colourful relationship at best, after Undertaker had grudgingly jobbed to Lesnar at No Mercy in 2002. Callaway had been a vocal critic of Lesnar's return to the company and immediate push to the title scene - and had a great deal of support within the company. Lesnar's abandonment of the company that had made him was not forgotten by loyalists such as Undertaker, but he was a consumate professional in the match, doing a sterling job of putting the young, powerful champion over in a brutal match. Undertaker twice came close to winning the bout, but on both occasions Lesnar kicked out. The finish saw the champion being aided by Paul Bearer, the one time manager of The Undertaker. Bearer tossed the title belt to Lesnar while the referee was distracted, allowing Lesnar to clobber his challenger with it and pick up the win.

(82/85/78)

The night's main event can only be described as offensive. Triple H, by this point in his career not the worker he once was, struggled to even carry Khali to something remotely resembling wrestling. Triple H sold Khali's three or four move offence wonderfully, but the same can't be said for the seven foot Indian giant, who struggled to even convince the crowd that a punch had landed. The match, a ten minute abortion, ended mercifully with a Triple H victory - the challenger hitting a sloppy Pedigree and covering to end Khali's reign of terror and begin one of his own.

(70/85/38)

OVERALL: 72%

BEST SEGMENT: Edge promo

WORST SEGMENT: Women’s Title Four Way

MOTN: The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

BUYRATE : 2.00

ATTENDANCE : 20,226

TNA's No Surrender was a considerably more enjoyable event, and it kicked off with Bryan Danielson beating James Storm clean in Storm's farewell match (No Surrender occured a week before Unforgiven). In a business where paying your dues is a big part of the game, Storm did the right thing by the company that had helped to make him by tapping out clean to Danielson's Cattle Mutiliation in a very good free pre-show encounter.

(75/71/79)

The opening match of the night proper would see Nicho El Millionaro defending his X-Division Title in a ladder match against Sonjay Dutt. Dutt would be accompanied to the ring by both Jay Lethal and Jerry Lynn, whilst Nash would bring Pete Gruner and Joey Matthews to the ring to make it a virtual lumberjack ladder match. The two turned in a very good opener to the evening, with both groups of allies weighing in at one point before eventually being banished from the ringside area by the referee. Nash, however, who had joined commentary - would have an effect on the outcome. The ladder itself didn't play a large part in the match, save as a launching platform for the two to assault one another from. El Millionaro even managed to get some cheers from the crowd when he came off the top of the ladder with a dropkick that sent Dutt flying out through the ropes and looked to have killed the champion. It didn't, obviously, and the bout continued to a good length of nineteen minutes before Nash got involved - goading Dutt into jumping down off the ladder and arguing with him after his 720 DDT had put the champion down and (presumably) out. While Dutt wasted time arguing with his former mentor, El Millionaro used the ladder to ram Dutt into Nash, who 'accidentally' guillotined Dutt throat first onto the rope. El Millionaro set the ladder up and began to climb, and Nash held onto Dutt's ankle to prevent him from making the save.

(80/77/83)

The next match of the night was the highly anticipated Tag Mayhem match between The Steiners, Team 3D, LAX, and The Motor City Machine Guns. It perhaps wasn't as great as many had hoped, but as tag bouts go, it was still a very good match. The two 'old school' teams provided the brawl, the Machine Guns gave the fans some holy shit moments, and LAX contributed with a blend of the two. The Steiners as champions got things off to a big start when Scott Steiner powerbombed Alex Shelley onto a ladder balanced between the ring and the security barrier - and Team 3D chimed in with a 3D on Aaron Aguilera not long after. This gave the two rival teams a chance to square off against one another. Brother Ray's Bubba Bomb put Rick down, and then Scott stiffed the ever-loving shit out of Devon with a chair to bust him open hardway and seriously concuss the poor son of a bitch. Steroids are bad, m'kay? Hernandez and Aguilera teamed up to take down the roid raging monster - chairshots from both taking him down before he was laid out on a table for Hernandez to hit a shooting star press (and cue the 'This is Awesome' chants).

The Motor City Machine Guns came into some of their own as the ladders began to play a bigger part in the bout, Sabin crashing and burning crotch first on the top rope after missing an attempted axe handle on Brother Ray. Shelley made no mistake though, catching Ray in the back with a missile dropkick to send him to the outside. The first real attempt to climb the ladder was made, but Rick Steiner shoved it and sent Shelley crashing to the mat. His own attempt to climb it was met with an Electric Chair Drop from Hernandez.

The bout continued in this vein, with seven workers contributing (Brother Devon, who was barely able to stand, limited his involvement to sliding a table into the ring for Brother Ray to attempt to put Sabin through). The end came with LAX having been taken out by Brother Ray with some brutal chairshots, only for the sole standing member of Team 3D to be clotheslined to the outside (with a ladder) by the Machine Guns. With the Steiners still out after Konnan chimed in with a crowbar shot to both, the time was right for the Machine Guns to climb the ladder and win the bout. But it wasn't to be. With the pair both expected to play a major part in the upcoming World X Cup tournament, having the belts on them was seen as a waste. And so, as Shelley climbed the ladder and Sabin stood on guard - the Steiners found a second win. A Bulldog from Rick Steiner put Sabin down before Scott Steiner showed his circus freak strength to lift the ladder (and Shelley) and carry it part-way across the ring before tipping it. Shelley went through the conveniently constructed and placed stack of tables - and Scott was able to clamber up the ladder and retrieve the belts for a succesful title defence.

(77/76/79)

The Abyss vs. Sean O'Haire match wasn't as good as those within the company might have hoped. With both men reasonably qualified workers, management had intended for the bout (which would see Raven's return to TNA screens) to set up a Monster's Ball match between the trio for Bound for Glory. But O'Haire and Abyss failed to click and the match was a generic, plodding affair that saw O'Haire win by DQ after Raven hit the ring and leveled him with a chairshot. Abyss put Raven down with the Black Hole Slam for his involvement, before the rest of Serotonin hit the ring. O'Haire and Abyss destroyed all three lackeys and the clash ended with security arriving to separate Raven, O'Haire, and Abyss.

Raven, who had been suffering from a thyroid problem that had seen him put on a great deal of weight, returned looking more like the Raven of old who had been a star in ECW and a decent competitor in both WCW and the WWE. Fans of the worker were understandably overjoyed to see him back and fighting fit, and the return somewhat made up for the ordinary match.

(70/71/68)

The AJ Styles/Kurt Angle 'filler feud' continued with another enjoyable match from the pair, and since I've already told you Kurt goes over, the outcome of this one should indicate that this would go at least one more match. The crowd were amazingly into this clash, and only the World Title match between Colon and Rhino would surpass it in terms of atmosphere. From a workrate perspective it was edged out by Samoa Joe vs. Homicide, but it was probably the overall highlight of the card with plenty of near falls and a great chemistry between the cocky Styles and Angle. Dumas' involvement from ringside was kept to a minimum, and when Styles was able to escape the Angle Slam and hit Angle with a Styles Clash for the 1-2-3, fans were shocked. Styles, the brash heel, had picked up a clean pinfall victory over Angle to keep the feud alive and give it a distinct feel of pride being on the line. Styles celebrated his victory by quickly fleeing the vicinity, leaving a fuming Angle to pound the ropes in frustration and mouth the words 'One more'. The fans joined in with a chant of 'One More Match' as well, and the energy level in the arena kicked up a notch.

(90/91/88)

Given the success of their Street Fight on Impact's primetime debut, fans were perhaps a little disappointed with the thirty minute Iron Man match between Samoa Joe and Homicide didn't reach the same dizzying heights. That's not to say it was a bad match (it would be another contender for MOTY at year's end), but the two clearly clicked better in a no holds environment than they did in a technical environment such as the iron man match. Homicide would score the first fall after six minutes, a quick roll-up on Joe following some interference from Konnan setting up the 1-0 lead. Joe's response was near immediate, a Muscle Buster followed by the Kokina Clutch in the 13th minute levelling things up. As the match wound on and the two foes scored a number of near falls, Homicide attempted to force Samoa Joe to tap out with a Kokina Clutch of his own, and Konnan tried to get involved in two more occasions (and was ejected from the ringside for his antics). The finish, with the crowd watching as the clock ticked to 29:30, came with Homicide gaining some momentum. As the clock ticked down he took Joe off his feet with a reverse sweep and, with seconds remaining, came off the ropes to deliver a hard elbow drop to the prone Samoa Joe. Like a coiled snake, Joe struck at the instant of impact, latching onto Homicide and locking him in the Kokina Clutch! The fans went ballistic as Joe had ten seconds to choke Homicide out to secure a victory.

10

9

8

Homicide's feeble elbows seek to dislodge him from his position

7

6

5

4

3

Homicide's hand wavers

2

Homicide fights...

1

Homicide taps

The bell rings as the timer signals the end of the match, and Joe is declared a 2-1 winner. The Spanish Announce Team, however, begin to argue with Don West and Mike Tenay - saying that, by their reckoning, Homicide tapped after the time had expired. This lead to a comical argument between four far from intimidating men, while Joe celebrated in the ring and Homicide was checked on by medical officials.

(86/80/93)

The 'I Quit' match between Christopher Daniels and Sting had received a great deal of hype heading into the event, with the Fallen Angel's kidnapping of Sting's daughter taking it from feud to blood feud. Sting appeared to be relishing an involved storyline, whilst Daniels continued to go from strength to strength as the psychopath. The clash itself was one of the best Sting had produced in TNA, a too and fro battle which was more about psychology than flashy moves. There was plenty of action, though, and a great deal of violence. Sting made liberal use of the baseball bat to bloody his tormentor, but try as he might, he couldn't make Daniels admit defeat and utter the words 'I Quit'.

The battle raged on and eventually spilled out into the crowd, fans no doubt remembering the finish to their Street Fight. Sting controlled things for much of the clash, brutalising Daniels and pausing only to shove a microphone in his face and tell him to quit. Daniels steadfastly refused, grinning like a loon the entire time. It's said that people in the audience even began to call for mercy, such was the beating that Sting gave Daniels. It was a brutal thing. A brutal, bloody thing. A star-making thing.

And the finish? A Stinger Splash to the bloodied, near unconscious Daniels and the Scorpion Death Lock is sinched in. It seems inevitable that Daniels will tap when the big screen flashes on and we see Sting's daughter, again portrayed by Sara Del Ray. Her mascara has run from crying, and a nasty bruise is on her right cheek. A gag hangs around her neck as if it were just removed. Two masked figures stand by her, one on each side. The shorter of the pair wears a death's head mask while the other wears a pig mask.

They do not speak.

The taller one simply lifts what appears to be a sickle and presses the blade to the underside of the girl's throat. Sting, watching on, lets Daniels go. Daniels crawls towards the microphone, his blood smearing the canvas.

"Say it, Sting"

Sting shakes his head. He rushes at Daniels and kicks him in the stomach. Daniels barks a laugh.

"Say it, or she becomes the first of many to be sacrificed on the path"

Sting is torn. He looks from his terrified 'daughter' to Daniels' bleeding form lying before him. The sick bastard is grinning.

"Do it," Daniels says into the microphone, "Show the bastard the price of pride"

The shorter of the two, the one with the pig's head, grips the girl in a full nelson style while the bigger one moves as if to deliver a killing blow.

"I QUIT"

Sting howls it. The pair stop. Daniels lefts the microphone.

"I don't think they heard you"

Sting seizes the microphone.

"I quit, you bastard. I quit! Let her go!"

The screen goes blank as Daniels staggers to his feet and holds his arms aloft in victory. Sting levels him with a clothesline, but the two men from before hit the ring. Was that segment pre-recorded? The first, the one who wore the pig's head, hits the ring and demolishes Sting with a wrist clutch chokeslam. Sting shows great tenacity to stagger to his feet, but finds himself whipped to the ropes. The skull faced man catches him as if to deliver a Rock Bottom, but instead hefts Sting up over his shoulders as if to deliver the FU. In the same movement he spins, slamming Sting into the mat. It's a bitch to describe. It became known as Human Sacrifice, and was one of many brutal maneuvres this particular worker would bring to the United States from Japan. Suffice to say, Sting was a mess as the two masked men helped Daniels to his feet. Daniels had not only won the match, but with two new allies in his corner, he could well be on track to win the war.

(84/87/79)

After the brutal match and shocking events of the previous encounter, it was perhaps a tall order for Carlos 'The Jackal' Colon and Rhino to step into the steel cage and prepare for the TNA World Heavyweight Title match. The decision to put Chris Jericho and Rob Van Dam's PPV debuts in the main event slot may have somewhat cheapened the World Title match (and in light of this match's reception was probably the wrong choice) but if it phased Colon or Rhino, they didn't show it. The match itself wasn't a brilliant one from a workrate perspective, but the clash told a story that had been brewing since Colon had stolen the title after his shock debut at Slammiversary. With nowhere to run, Colon played the trapped coward to perfection while Rhino stalked him like a predator stalks its prey. All of the early going went with Rhino, as the 'War Machine' vented some frustration on Colon by slamming him into the cage and tossing him bodily into the turnbuckles. The tide had to turn, of course, and it turned with Colon hitting a mule kick to Rhino's groin and following it up with a close fisted punch. The garotte didn't take long to make an appearance, but Rhino had grown wise to it, blocking the choke with his hands and tossing Colon over his shoulder. He yanked the weapon from Colon's hands and now it was Carlos' turn to feel the fear he'd instilled in others with the weapon.

Unfortunately the choking didn't occur, as Colon channeled Ric Flair to plead and beg and bury a forearm deep in Rhino's crotch. A quick small package style roll up almost got the 1-2-3, but Rhino kicked out and the battle waged on.

We all know that it's too early for the reign to end, and this isn't the kind of book where I can afford blow by blows. The clash had atmosphere and it told a story, and ultimately it was Carlos Colon who emerged as the victor from his mini feud with Rhino. The finish came after Colon had somehow dodged an attempted Gore, quickly looping the garotte around Rhino's neck, and hit the Career Killer. The cover was made, and just like that Colon had scored the 1-2-3 and retained his title. The match went a long way towards cementing Colon as a legitimate main event player. He was not only a coward and an opportunist, but one who struck with precision when he did. Like his infamous namesake, he was becoming something of a 'hitman'.

(88/93/77)

And roll on the main event. The PPV debuts of Jericho and RVD had been used to sell the event, and it had paid dividends with a massive jump to a 1.03 buyrate. Whilst it was a good way behind the WWE event still, the increase was a drastic one, and can be attributed to the presence of the likes of Jericho, RVD, and Colon on the roster. But it can also be proof positive of the health of the industry at the time. Fans were suddenly hungry for all things professional wrestling. It's no surprise that Ring of Honour also experienced a boom at this point, and other promotions would soon be landing television deals and generating stars of their own.

The match itself was a good main event match despite nothing being on the line, and after the Colon win and the brutality of Sting's defeat, it's no surprise that the fresh new babyfaces on the team carried the day to send the night out on a high. Tomko's contributions were typical power, whilst Cage had some entertaining exchanges with both RVD and Jericho. The tension between Jericho and Cage was the main story of the match, and would continue for several months as the pair of confident Canadians embarked on a feud that produced some great clashes. The end was the kind of exciting, feel good stuff fans needed after the earlier results. A Lionsault from Jericho to Tomko, the Five Star Frogsplash to Tomko, and then Cage was tossed over the top rope by Jericho. The Walls were locked in, RVD slingshot over the ropes to stop Cage from returning, and Tomko tapped out to give the fans the finish they wanted.

(87/88/85)

OVERALL: 82%

BEST SEGMENT: AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle

WORST SEGMENT: Abyss vs. Sean O’Haire

MOTN: Homicide vs. Samoa Joe

BUYRATE: 1.03

ATTENDANCE: 12,554

The event had been a success and vindicated the risk taken to bring in two top tier talents at once, but the WWE were about to shake things up and begin to claw back what little territory they'd given up to TNA. And it's at this point that this book becomes a true documentation of the WWE's death. So far we've looked at the rapid rise of TNA and touched on the WWE in passing, but now we split our focus. Now we look at Raw and Smackdown and ECW. We look at the stars that were made and the deals that were brokered. In the next chapter we'll see the Saturday Night Main Event Draft and the effect a change in management would have on the WWE. Read on, dear reader, as we take a good hard look at the company about which this book was written. For this isn't the Rise of TNA, but the Death of the WWE...

I do apologise that this entry is a little 'meh'. This is one of those occasions where I knew if I didn't force myself to write it, the diary would just die. From now on I'll be running both TNA and the WWE, so I can provide more detailed WWE goings on and focus more on the company about which this 'book' is supposed to be written.

Edited June 10, 2007 by Misanthrope

[tenaciousg]

Whoa... Vince 'died'.

I like how the 'book' described Vince as a good person - despite his arrogant on-screen persona - kinda like how Cena's haters hate him for his on-screen persona, even if he's a great guy backstage.

Anyway, damn. I don't think I won predictions.

[Guest Senka Surakei]

Oh, snap, that was awesome. Very realistic, and poor Vinnie Mac. Rapid signings for WWE, plus a draft, uh-oh. TNA should kick it up. Even though they are doing quite well.

[Devlyn Michaels]

Can't wait for the next instalment dude, didn't expect Vince to die though.

[Venom]

Great entry, some truly shocking stuff in there. Good to hear that we'll be following both companies from now on, it should give an extra kick to an already great story.

[Chris the Human]

The Fightback

Up until this point in the book, it may seem as if TNA's rise to the pinnacle of professional wrestling was unhindered - that their every move was a success and that the WWE could get nothing right. But that's as untrue in this war as it was to say that the WWE 'won' the original Monday Night War by virtue of their own brilliance. If you ever get a chance to read the very good 'The Death of WCW' book, you'll see that the WCW did a lot of things right, and then they did a lot of things wrong.

In the early going of this tale it might seem as if the WWE were doomed to make bungle after bungle as they booked themselves into oblivion, but that's simply not true. Vince McMahon was an excellent booker and arguably the greatest wrestling promoter of all time, but towards the end of his storeyed career he'd began to show signs of the sad fate that awaited him. His angles had become stale rehashes of past successes, his pushes were often against the very fans they were designed to entertain, and his notion of 'sports entertainment' had alienated a lot of traditional fans. While I won't go so far as to say that his stroke was a 'good thing' for the WWE, it certainly wasn't a bad thing. Stephanie McMahon, Paul Heyman, and Triple H stepped into the void left by his departure and began to do a very good job of booking the company. The improvement wasn't immediate, but it was drastic. Fans began to flock back to the product to see old favourites and new faces alike.

And while TNA would build towards a Bound for Glory PPV headlined by a 'Gauntlet for Gold' to decide who would face the TNA Champion at January's Final Resolution PPV - the WWE would go one better by having all three world titles on the line as well as a swathe of other hotly contested title matches on the card. With every title vacant, the WWE took the opportunity to introduce new faces into the title scene. For too long the top had become stagnant with the likes of John Cena, Batista, and The Great Khali as perennial title holders - and while Cena would remain in the arena, the others were shunted out in favour of Randy Orton and Triple H feuding on Smackdown, John Cena feuding with a returning Rock on Raw, and a fresh pairing of Tommy Dreamer and Chris Masters feuding for the gold on Paul Heyman's revitalised ECW on Sci-Fi.

But these changes will all be looked at in detail a little later. For now, there's the small matter of Saturday Night's Main Event and the complete re-draft that was seen as the only way to dispel some of Vince's more archaic, weird storylines and start from scratch. After the three hour special (which was interspersed with largely meaningless inter promotional matches), the new rosters looked like so (and I do apologise for simply listing things):

Raw (booked by Stephanie McMahon. Shane McMahon GM)

The Rock*

The Undertaker

John Cena

The Great Khali

Bobby Lashley

Chris Benoit

Mr. Kennedy

Chuck Palumbo

CM Punk

Finlay

James Storm

Brian Adams

Bryan Clark

Charlie Haas

Chavo Guerrero

Gregory Helms

Johnny Stamboli

Kenny Dykstra

Lance Cade

Mark Henry

MVP

Orlando Jordan

Victoria

Ashley

Eric Angle

Maven

Michelle McCool

Brian Lee

Don Harris

Jonny

Kevin Thorn

Latin Lover

Mike Shane

Mikey

Mitch

Ron Harris

Sylvan

Todd Shane

Trinity

Hornswoggle

Paul Bearer

Bobby Heenan

Jackie Gayda

Queen Sharmell

Jerry Lawler

JBL

The Coach

Shane McMahon

* - Some might be surprised to read about The Rock's return, especially given his immense success as the star of the blockbuster Truth series of action films. At this point in Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's career, however, he was in something of a rut. His recent string of movies were both critical failures and box office bombs, and he was having trouble landing roles of any significance. Having left the company to pursue his acting career on relatively good terms, he was welcomed back with open arms and immediately launched into a title feud with John Cena.

Each roster, of course, would have its fair share of debuts along the way. I've already revealed that Bill Goldberg would embark upon a second WWE run, and it was on Raw that this run began. OOC: If you've got any queries about a worker on the roster and what they've achieved up to this point, feel free to ask

Smackdown (Booked by Triple H. Stephanie McMahon GM)

Batista (injured)

Triple H

Edge

Randy Orton

Rey Mysterio

Kane

Brock Lesnar

King Booker

Funaki

Jeff Hardy

Matt Hardy

Mickie James

Rikishi

Scotty 2 Hotty

The Godfather

Tony Braddock

Elix Skipper

Hardcore Holly

Marcus Cor Van

Mark Jindrak

Melina

Shelton Benjamin

Test

Trevor Murdoch

Umaga

William Regal

Andy Douglas

Chase Stevens

Danny Doring

Grandmaster Sexay

Val Venis

Heidenreich

Matt Morgan

Mike Knox

Candice Michelle

Torrie Wilson

Armando Alejandro Estrada

Stephanie McMahon

ECW on Sci-Fi (Booked by Paul Heyman. Paul Heyman GM)

Sabu

Aja Kong

Eugene

Jim Duggan

Jimmy Yang

Santino Marella

Shad

Super Crazy

The Sandman

Tommy Dreamer

The Boogeyman

Abdullah the Butcher

Chris Masters

Daivari

Dave Taylor

Goldust

Jamie Noble

Little Guido

Nova

Perry Saturn

Snitsky

The Messiah

Ultimo Guerrero

Viscera

Axl Rotten

Balls Mahoney

JTG

Lash LeRoux

Maria

Mikey Whipwreck

Rey Bucanero

Robbie McAllister

Rory McAllister

Spike Dudley

Steve Blackman

Stevie Richards

CW Anderson

Domino

Elijah Burke

Gary Wolfe

Johnny Swinger

Matt Striker

Shannon Moore

Solo Snuka

Sylvester Terkay

The Miz

Paul Heyman

Simon Diamond

Mick Foley

Terry Funk

Theodore Long

911

Reno

It's important to highlight the influx of 'originals' under the Heyman regime. While Vince had been vehement in his desire to build a 'new ECW', Heyman was, remarkably, able to sell both Stephanie and Paul 'Hunter' Levesque on the importance of being true to the company's roots if it was going to be a success. It's no surprise that of the originals brought in, most were close friends of Heyman and loyalists to his cause.

Another interesting side note, and a rather disturbing one at that. Cliff 'Domino' Compton was a relatively new face on the WWE scene and, as a one time WWE Tag Champion, had fallen from grace a little to be mired in midcard obscurity on the new look ECW roster. Let it not be said that only Triple H can marry the boss' daughter and get a Jesus like push out of it. Compton one upped Levesque, earning the ire of many Vince McMahon loyalists when it was revealed he had been having an affair with Linda McMahon. The revelation, coming just days after Vince's stroke, was seen as in incredibly poor taste. But with Linda now majority shareholder in the company as Vince's executor and wife, made it clear that Domino was to take none of the blame for their 'forbidden love' (and that's a quote as given by Marissa Mazzola-McMahon) and was to be given the push his talents deserved.

"It was utter B.S," Heyman said on the matter, "Why should a guy get a push he's not deserving of just because he's diddling the boss' old lady?"

Whether or not Compton was deserving of a push is open to debate. Once given the opportunity, he certainly proved to be a more than capable performer in both matches and on the stick. In fact, given time, he would be one of many future stars to emerge from the WWE's draft.

--------------------------------------

While the WWE were promising a night of shocks and revelations at No Mercy, TNA instead built towards their Gauntlet for Gold. Ostensibly a knock off of the WWE's highly successful Royal Rumble match, the Gauntlet for Gold would involve thirty wrestlers entering the ring at time intervals. Opponents were eliminated by throwing them over the top rope and the winner of the match would get a guaranteed title shot at Final Resolution. The sole difference was that, when the match came down to its last two competitors, the only way to win would be to make the opponent submit or pin them. In what was to become an annual affair at Bound for Glory, the match would headline the event and provide a marquee match for January's PPV event.

With Carlos Colon scheduled to defend his TNA World Title against Christian Cage and Chris Jericho, there were a lot of possibilities as to who would win it. Kurt Angle was a logical choice - but the likes of Rob Van Dam, Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Rhino, and Homicide had also rocketed up the card in recent months and the event was hyped around the uncertainty of not only the winner, but of the person they would be facing coming Final Resolution.

The card had also originally intended to feature Hulk Hogan's retirement match against Sting or Randy Savage (the latter signed a contract with the WWE in early October, ruling him out) - but Hogan's commitments with Hogan Knows Best meant that he wouldn't be available until the December event. Rather than cancelling their plans, TNA management instead convinced him to delay news of his retirement until he was free so they could cash in on their money match. Never one to turn down a pay check, Hogan agreed.

TNA were also about to bring back their popular World X Cup, and this year's tournament would introduce a number of faces to the TNA roster who would remain on board and become crucial contributers to the company's rise to the top. The year's tournament was originally slated to involve six teams: Canada, USA, Japan, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and an invitational team known as Team Ring of Honour. However, scheduling issues with Ring of Honour meant they wouldn't be able to contribute - and in a shocking move, the company opted for Team UK instead of Team Japan in their four team make up. But, when you look at the four teams, it's not hard to see why they were chosen: within the three invitational teams, you had the nucleus of main events in years to come. Let's take a look, shall we?

Team Canada

El Generico

Kevin Steen

Teddy Hart

TJ Wilson

While all four would remain with the company at the conclusion of the tournament, I'm sure the last two names are particularly recognisable. The Hart Foundation 2k7 was still a little way off forming, but any wrestling fan worth his salt should recognise the stables immense contribution to professional wrestling.

Team Mexico

Cibernetico

El Hijo Del Santo

Mistico

Nicho El Millionaro

The real name of note here is Mistico, who had been a consistent top level performer for CMLL for several years and had already spurned the advances of the WWE. His legendary Mask vs. Title feud with Nicho El Millionaro (as well as subsequent feuds with the likes of RVD, Teddy Hart, and Homicide) would produce some truly memorable matches.

Team UK

Burchill

Hade Vansen

Nigel McGuinness

PAC

Both Burchill and Nigel McGuinness were destined to become TNA legends, and one can't overlook the efforts of PAC and Hade Vansen for the company, either. The team of young high fliers produced some real classics in their time with the company, whilst McGuiness was a solid upper midcard performer for much of his stint with TNA. Burchill, though, was the real gem of the tournament. A man with extensive WWE experience, a great look, and the kind of insanely dangerous finisher that TNA fans seemed to love - the monsterous Englishman would go on to become a big hit with the company.

Team USA

Alex Shelley

Bryan Danielson

Jay Lethal

Joey Matthews

Going one step further than the previous World X Cup (in which a heel Alex Shelley clashed with his babyface team-mates), this USA team featured four workers from different kayfabe backgrounds. Shelley was one half of the cocky, fast rising Motor City Machine Guns; Danielson had just finished up as a major player in Samoa Joe and Homicide's short feud; and then there was the dynamic of Jay Lethal and Joey Matthews, who had been on opposite sides in the war between the current X-Division and Kevin Nash's 'Next Generation X'.

October would also see the debut of the Coterie I've been harping on about from time to time, a stable that would be based around a current TNA roster member and include a number of exciting developmental talents. Most notable amongst its early members would be Gareth Jackson. The name itself may not be immediatley familiar, but when you see his performer name, you'll see know why it's such a notable debut. He would be TNA's first 'Rock' or 'Stone Cold' - that home grown talent who perfectly blended charisma, gimmick, and in ring ability to capture the hearts and minds of the wrestling public.

And yes, I realise that Samoa Joe is very much of the same ilk, but he was not so much home grown as poached from Ring of Honour and nurtured into a main eventer. We can argue semantics later.

Suffice to say, the next chapter will begin a long period of success for both companies. A period that saw great gates, memorable storylines, and stars being born at a rate of knots. Wrestling fans might remember the golden age of wrestling in which WCW and the WWF were both selling out shows and creating the likes of Goldberg, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and The Rock. This was the second coming of that age. Over the course of the next few chapters, you'll see the war start to brew and the stars who played a part in the very successful TNA vs. WWE invasion being born.

You've had appetisers, now it's time for the main course.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Misanthrope

[Meacon Keaton]

I've hung onto this diary's every word. High five on predicting the Vince McMahon death . Can't wait to see what changes happen with the booking now that he's gone. I'm sure you are going to mix it up a little bit, since you obviously know what you're doing. Good job, dude.

Edited June 13, 2007 by meacon99

[Devlyn Michaels]

Holy shit!

Burchill AND PAC in the X Division?

Also nice touch on Solo, didn't think that by controversy you ment having an affair with Linda.

[tenaciousg]

Holy shit!

Burchill AND PAC in the X Division?

Also nice touch on Solo, didn't think that by controversy you ment having an affair with Linda.

[MGW]

I really do love this diary, i really love reading books like this anyway, and given the subject matter, I'd go out and buy it from Waterstones tomorrow if it were real.

Interesting update, good to see that TNA is going to produce it's own tallent like The Rock (Austin is more of a Joe situation IMO) and not jus raiding the indies.

BTW whats up with Eric Angle? Where did he come from?

[xdavex]

I'm loving this, easily my favorite diary in a long time. What has CM Punk been doing?

[Ping von Erich]

Holy shit!

Burchill AND PAC in the X Division?

Also nice touch on Solo, didn't think that by controversy you ment having an affair with Linda.

Actually, Solo is Deuce, I believe - Domino is the one knocking boots with Linda.

Edited June 13, 2007 by Ping von Erich

[Donaldoholic]

Awesome... Paul Burchill!!! Great signing

All I can think of saying is to keep up the good work and a lot of peeps will be happy...

p.s. and as one cat was asking earlier... Eric Angle is Kurt's less talented bro

[Guest ADDavis]

Good ole' Mark Jindrak, I'm glad he found work again.

I know someone above asked about all the new/returning people showing up in WWE, my only question is whether or not ECW's show moved up to two hours or so, because there's no way that all those guys are going to get any screen time with one hour...

But hell, what am I to say? You're kicking the proverbial ass with this diary and I've been following it for a good while. I'm interested to see where this next 'step' takes the story.

[Devlyn Michaels]

My mistake, it's been a while since I've watched WWE on TV (since the Placement I live in doesn't have Sky Sports).

Keep it up man, I can't wait for the next installment!

[Chris the Human]

Starting From Scratch

The first few months under the new regime were exciting and messy and inexplicably intriguing for WWE fans. After the stale fare fans had been offered for quite some time, things were beginning to look up for the WWE after several months of TNA holding all of the cards. Triple H, The Undertaker, King Booker, Mr. Kennedy, and Rey Mysterio were all due back from lengthy periods of inactivity through injury, The Rock had agreed to make a year long return to the company to help its flagging figures, and Bill Goldberg had agreed to a second WWE contract after several years on the shelf.

Add to this the recent return of Brock Lesnar, the complete draft mixing things up nicely, the poaching of a few marginal TNA roster members, and a number of stars from the Attitude era making nostalgiac returns, and you had a recipe for the kind of revival that had TNA staff worrying that maybe their few good months would be for nought. After all, if the WWE could recapture the audience it had lost to TNA, the signings of Carlos Colon and Chris Jericho wouldn't mean much. TNA could never compete with the WWE's saturation of the air waves with programming.

The WWE were headed towards their most successful period as a company since the year immediately following their purchase of WCW assets, and TNA would have to weather one hell of a storm if they were going to emerge unscathed on the other end and take the mantle as the #1 promotion in professional wrestling.

Raw

The post draft edition of Raw couldn't have kicked off in more dramatic fashion, the roaring crowd drowned out by words that, if heard anywhere else, would seem weird. If ya smell... boomed out over the P.A. system as The Rock made his return to the WWE after wrestling his last event at Wrestlemania in 2004. Despite several years out of the business, there was no doubting that The Rock still had what it took to capture a crowd. The 'Rocky' chants were circling the arena for a good five minutes before he was able to speak. And you know what he said.

"Finally, The Rock has come back... to Monday Nights".

He was mid-way through addressing the crowd about his return to the company when John Cena's music hit, and the former champion made his own return.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute. I think there's some words these people want to hear. Those are 'The Champ is Here!"

"Who in the blue hell are you...?"

"I'm John..."

"It doesn't matter who you are you Vanilla Ice lookin' monkey's anus. The Rock is out here addressing the millions (and millions) of his fans and you come out here in your San Antonio Spurs jersey like that will make people like you? The Rock might have been out of the game for a while, but The Rock knows all about you John Cena. He knows all about the title reign and the booing and the (waving his hand in front of his face) 'You can't see me'. But The Rock can see you, Cena. The Rock's got super x-ray glasses and he sees you for the fake you are. So The Rock wants you to take that Spurs jersey, shine it up real nice, fold it, press it, make sure you use fabric softener and separate your whites from your colours. And The Rock wants you to take that jersey, turn that sumbitch sideways, and stick it straight up your candy, Justin Timberlake lookin' ass!"

There was more, but I figured you just needed a sample of what The Rock's first words back in the WWE were. I think he mentioned 'pie' too, actually...

(96)

CM Punk def Kenny Dykstra

Punk made a succesful Raw debut (as a Raw superstar) with a win over Kenny Dykstra. Dykstra, who was a part of the Spirit Squad in its original incarnation, was the sole member to survive its initial dropping - and garnered some decent heat in a feud with Ric Flair. Like many of Vince's pet projects, though, he soon found himself back on the shelf. With the Spirit Squad's imminent (and inexplicable) return, this loss essentially ended his short lived singles career.

(73/74/72)

Mr. Kennedy made his official Raw debut next, the cocky future star of professional wrestling making a positive start with a solid promo that just oozed arrogance. Kennedy, who had won Money in the Bank at the year's Wrestlemania, had his push damaged when he'd been misdiagnosed and the MITB briefcase was rushed onto Edge, and the promo was essentially reminding people that he had been robbed and that he deserved a title shot. With Edge on Smackdown, it might have made sense for Kennedy to stay put and feud with him, but Triple H's insecurities meant he didn't want anybody on 'his show' who was a threat to him. But we'll get to HHH later. In summary, Kennedy was irate at being drafted away from Edge, and was going to prove that he wasn't just the best on Smackdown or Raw, but that he was the best in the whole damn company.

(84)

Hype for Bill Goldberg. Typically impressive, dramatic WWE stuff

(73)

Chris Benoit def Charlie Haas

A remarkably good match for Raw, and was a contender for the 2007 MOTY award despite the clash really having no story to tell. Benoit won the short but fast paced match with the Crippler Crossface to have a succesful Raw debut.

(83/74/92)

The Rock wasn't done for the evening yet, taking some time to mock Todd Grisham's sexuality (and I bet Grisham didn't miss that at all) and speak of his respect for John Cena. He respected that John Cena was a punk ass Rock wannabe. He respected that the Five Knuckle Shuffle held a great deal of appeal to John Cena, because everybody remembers their first love. He respected the fact that John Cena and his chain gang were nothing compared to the millions (and millions) and that when it was all said and done and the smoke had cleared, The Rock was going to be the WWE Champion. If ya smell etc.

(94)

Queen Sharmell, who had been drafted away from King Booker, was interviewed by Todd Grisham next - and basically bemoaned being separated from her King and the love of her life. But she was a Queen and a strong woman, and she would remain strong for her subjects. She saw the move to Raw as expanding her husband's kingdom. And she was determined to become a champion.

(71)

Ashley defeated Sharmell to become WWE Women's Champion

If any evidence was needed to attest to the dire state of the WWE's women's division, this match was it. Sloppy clotheslines, unconvincing hair pulling, and a vaguley erotic Lou Thesz Press from Ashley for the 1-2-3 and the title.

(55/72/17)

Lashley defeated MVP

Two future main event players here (although, at this point, Lashley had already had his brushes with the main event scene) produced a fairly good match. Lashley's technical ability was often underrated due to his physique and his monster push, but he could work a very good clash when he wanted to. This match was won by DQ, with Mr. Kennedy getting involved to trip up Lashley. The two heels beat on Lashley post match before he made a Herculean fight back to clear the house and cheer the crowd up.

(73/68/78)

Bobby Heenan was out back with The Great Khali next. Heenan had returned about a month prior to give Khali some credibility beyond his push. Heenan's struggle with and victory over throat cancer had dramatically changed his voice, but not his ability to cut a promo. He basically talked about what a genius he was, and how his smarts were going to turn The Great Khali into an unstoppable force.

(81)

The Rock defeated The Great Khali, The Undertaker, and John Cena in a contender's match

The Rock booked his place in a No Mercy main event with a pinfall victory over The Great Khali, who had already taken the F-U from John Cena and a chokeslam from The Undertaker before staggering into a Rock Bottom from The Rock. The People's Elbow made its long awaited return for the 1-2-3, as John Cena made a despairing dive to break the fall. The match was mostly about the tension between Cena and The Rock, both of whom attempted to one up one another to get the crowd on their side. Given Cena's already shaky relationship with the crowd, it's no real surprise that Rock got most of the plaudits. The two were about to embark on an enjoyable feud, and one that Cena's career desperately needed.

(81/89/64)

OVERALL: 78%

BEST SEGMENT: The Rock returns

WORST SEGMENT: Ashley vs. Queen Sharmell

MOTN: Charlie Haas vs. Chris Benoit

RATING: 7.00

ATTENDANCE: 10,017

The rating, a tremendous 7.00, can be attributed almost solely to The Rock's return. He had made an appearance at the end of the Saturday Night's Main Event draft to demand two things from Stephanie McMahon. One was a place on the Raw roster, and the second was a taste of the finest pie in the WWE. Stephanie told Rock she was flattered but was spoken for.

"Are you insane? The Rock said he wanted pie, not month old porridge poured into a stocking. The Rock was talking about pie, you crazy jabroni. The Rock wants some of Mae Young's pie".

This brought out Mae Young with, of course, a slice of apple pie - and the draft ended with The Rock coolly eating a bowl of apple pie and cream in the middle of the ring.

So... yeah... weird, but it worked. People tuned in and the McMahon love affair with two old slappers continued.

ECW on Sci-Fi

"Talk about your mission impossible," Heyman described his first few weeks in charge of the 'new' ECW, "I was given the dregs from the draft, a few guys the WWE had managed to not fuck the pushes up of like Burke, a few budget hirings from ECW's glory days, and an hour of television time a week with which to make it work. But it wasn't a bingo hall, so at least I had a better start than the last time I had to invent ECW".

It was fitting that Paul Heyman was the man to open the second attempt at 'reinventing ECW', but his arrival wasn't hailed but booed after his involvement in Lashley losing the gold to William Regal at the PPV just two weeks earlier. In an annoying bit of poor planning, Regal didn't end up on ECW to pursue the title he'd been stripped of. So, Heyman's 'triumph' in unseating Lashley looked a little hollow. He'd ended up with a vacant title and without his #1 choice for the gold. So, what did he do? He announced that Tommy Dreamer vs. The Sandman vs. Chris Masters would decide the first place in the No Mercy ECW Title match later that night.

(83)

Nova & Richards def The Highlanders

It's scary that the only brand without a tag title of its own was the one with the healthiest tag division at this point in time. While The Highlanders were an established team from their Raw run, Nova and Richards were reunited after Heyman had convinced Mike 'Nova' Bucci to come out of semi retirement, with which he'd been booking for Deep South Wrestling until it folded. The clash itself was unremarkable but solid, with the ECW originals going over to signal a change of direction for the company.

(66/58/75)

Tommy Dreamer was out next to cut a typically impassioned promo about what ECW and the ECW title meant to him. Dreamer had been a real loyal servant of the company in both its original form and since its return, working tirelessly to put the likes of Elijah Burke and Marcus Cor Van over whilst giving old school fans a link to the truly hardcore days. His passion for the company and all it stood for went a long way towards making people care about its title after it had been languishing around Bobby Lashley's waist, largely undefended, for the better part of a year.

(74)

Viscera def Jim Duggan

ECW purists would have rolled over in their graves to see this clash, which was largely atrocious and featured two guys not exactly known for being 'extreme'. Viscera, who Heyman saw a guy who main event potential due to his physique and interesting look, was in the middle of undergoing a repackage. Instead of his usually jovial, sexually depraved character - he instead came to the ring in a style more remeniscent of his time in The Ministry and absolutely demolished Duggan, who must have felt like his world had gone topsy turvey. US Champion one week - jobbing to Viscera the next. It's a rough business.

(63/65/59)

One of the real success stories of the ECW resurrection was Dustin 'Goldust' Rhodes, who had been brought back into the company thanks largely to his father constantly stepping into bat for him. Vastly underrated throughout his WWE career, Rhodes was given a new lease on life under Heyman. Returning as his iconic Goldust character, he went right back to its darker roots. The character's more recent WWE appearances had been almost solely comedic, but Heyman saw potential in Goldust's sexually perverted, stalker image.

"The network (Sci-Fi) were really excited about it," Heyman stated, "They thought he (Goldust) was the perfect kind of guy for their fans. He was weird and he was cerebral and his storylines were all somehow tied to sex. If there's anything nerds love, it's sex and something out of the ordinary. Goldust was the right character at the right time".

Goldust's return was hyped by a video to his dark music, never showing him but simply whispering words like 'lust' and 'evil' and 'depravity' before the words 'Goldust returns...' flashed in shimmering gold.

(83)

Chris Masters defeated The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer in a contender's match

Chris Masters' rise up the ladder kicked off with his ECW debut, Masters knocking Sandman out with his Masterlock after his Polish Hammer near took Tommy Dreamer's head off. The move, which had legitimately shattered Stevie Richards nose during Masters' debut match, was returned by Heyman because it 'looked brutal'. It certainly did, and it also increased Chris Masters repetoire from three moves to four, and that's always a good thing.

(71/69/74)

OVERALL: 72%

BEST SEGMENT: Heyman’s Welcome

WORST SEGMENT: Viscera vs. Jim Duggan

MOTN: Nova & Richards vs. The Highlanders

RATING: 3.36

ATTENDANCE: 10,012

Smackdown

Smackdown may have been originally named for one of The Rock's catch phrases at the time, but it was to become known as 'The HHH Show' in its final years of existence. Whilst Stephanie McMahon was ostensibly the general manager of the brand, it was HHH's team of himself, Dave Lagana, Brian Gewirtz, and Jon Laurinaitis. Of these men - two (Lagana and Gewirtz) were glorified yes men, and Ace was a company man through and through. In effect, the four man panel served the purpose of stroking Levesque's ego and giving those outside the team the impression that HHH wasn't in complete creative control of the product. And while at first the show seemed to be on the right track, it wouldn't be too long before Friday Night Smackdown became 'Friday Night Triple H and friends'.

Fittingly, the night opened as 'The Game' strutted out to the ring to call Stephanie McMahon out. Prior to the draft, he'd become the first man to pin The Great Khali when he'd hit a trio of Pedigrees and covered the Punjabi giant to reclaim the WWE Title. Clearly, being stripped of the title didn't sit well with Triple H, so he called his 'wife' (though they were married in real life and it was common knowledge, they rarely acknowledged it on air aside from in jokes during the DX reunion) to the ring and demanded that she explain what the plan for the belt was. She told him, in that annoyingly nasal voice of hers, that he shouldn't be worrying about the belt. He should be worrying about Edge.

Cue Edge, who Speared Helmsely to set up their match later in the night.

"God, it felt good to do that," Copeland would grin later in his career, "I hated that guy".

(82)

The Hardy Boyz defeated The Naturals

After being released from TNA earlier in the year, the team of Andy Douglas and Chase Stevens would become something of a WWE tag staple. Although most of their appearances prior to this had been on Heat, they were developing a fan base based purely on their great matches and their no frills, babyface antics. This clash here was indicative of just how good they were, and just how foolish TNA had been in letting them go.

(81/72/90)

Paul Bearer, who had returned at Unforgiven to help Lesnar to a victory over The Undertaker, was out with his new charge next. Originally the plan had been for Lesnar and Undertaker's feud to continue until Lesnar had 'killed' Undertaker, allowing him to take some time off before returning in the new year. But with Undertaker drafted to Raw, the plans were put on hold, and Bearer's time with the company was short. The weird, nonsensical promo he cut to hype Lesnar didn't help matters, either.

(66)

Brock Lesnar def Funaki

SQUASH! But a good one.

(74/68/81)

Rey Mysterio would make his long awaited return from injury next, the one time World Heavyweight (haha) champion the unexpected answerer to Shelton Benjamin's open challenge. Rey was one of the guys that Triple H would grow to see as a 'threat'. His in ring prowess, his marketable mask, and his relationship with the deceased Eddie Guerrero meant he was assured of a huge reaction wherever he went. Triple H would take steps to remedy that, but for now, his return was well received.

(70)

Rey Mysterio def Shelton Benjamin

Given the calibre of worker involved, this clash perhaps wasn't as good as the booking team had hoped (if they cared enough to hope about any segment not involving HHH and pals) but did the job of putting Rey over in good fashion. The 619 followed by the West Coast Pop got the expected 1-2-3.

(79/77/81)

King Booker spent a little time missing his Queen next, watching her loss to Ashley from the Monday Night Edition to Raw before Val Venis made his first Smackdown appearance by entering the room and consoling Booker. And how does an adult film star console another guy? By suggesting that he bang a hotty to get it out of his system. The crowd thought it was a stellar suggestion, but the chaste King Booker did not. Cue match.

(80)

King Booker defeated Val Venis

Those hoping that the change of scenery would benefit Venis' career were in for a sad disappointment as his first Smackdown match was essentially an extended squash. But really, after being jobbed out to Viscera, did anybody really expect him to go to Smackdown and upset a former World champion? Maybe a deluded few. Booker won it by cheating, so I guess that made it a little easier to bear.

(73/74/74)

Orton cut a generic, largely nonsensical train of thought promo about being overlooked for a contender's match next. I'm not quite sure, even now, what he was talking about - as Edge vs. Triple H had never been announced as a contender's match. He knew something the rest of the world didn't, because after defeating Edge in the night's main event - Triple H would indeed be named as one of the two men in the World Title match at No Mercy.

(85)

Triple H defeated Edge

Triple H never liked Adam Copeland. He's always been a big fan of HHH. Who do you think is going to go over? Edge did get a decent amount of offence in, and even got a near fall or two, but ultimately it was HHH who finished the night on a high - a kick to the face blocking a Spear attempt and allowing him to hit the Pedigree for the 1-2-3.

(88/92/81)

It's a great shame that these two weren't ever going to feud for the gold, because they had a clear chemistry that would have produced some classics. But even if Triple H had liked Edge as a worker, the small matter of him being black-listed due to his support of Flair would count against him until he left the company.

But there wasn't time to mourn the disastrous state of Edge's career at this point, because a horde of Triple H's nearest and dearest were about to make their WWE debuts. Triple H found himself knocked to the ground from behind as Road Dogg and Bill Gunn (or BG and Kip James to TNA fans) hit the ring to make their triumphant returns to the WWE. Hunter fought back until two more hit the ring, this time Justin Credible and X-Pac (and let's just all try not to think of X-Factor). The four began to bear HHH to the ground, and who should enter the ring but Scott Hall - the man who had 'invented' nWo? The five man beat-down finished with the Outsider's Edge from Hall.

The new group didn't reveal their name, but Stephanie McMahon joined them in the ring to make sure that fans didn't forget that she was the daughter of Vince McMahon and the general manager of Smackdown.

(88)

OVERALL: 79%

BEST SEGMENT: Gen Y Debut

WORST SEGMENT: Paul Bearer/Lesnar promo

MOTN: The Hardy Boyz vs. The Naturals

RATING: 6.27

ATTENDANCE: 10,039

All in all, a very productive week for the WWE in the wake of their draft and the vacation of titles. They'd set up a money spinning feud between The Rock and John 'Rock Lite' Cena, ECW was already showing signs that Paul Heyman could turn chicken shit into chicken salad (and credit to Flec for that), and Smackdown was... well... there were new faces, even if they were all tied to Triple H.

And what of TNA? In the week after their successful No Surrender PPV, they began to build towards Bound for Glory - which had traditionally been the company's marquee event, and this year would play host to the 'Gauntlet for Gold' event, a slight modification on the WWE's successful Royal Rumble format.

-------------------------------------

The first Impact of October kicked off with Chris Jericho's countdown going off and the fans joining the fireworks, welcoming the man being proclaimed as 'The Saviour of TNA' by some fans to the Impact Zone. Jericho and RVD had triumphed over Cage and Tomko at No Surrender, and Jericho made it clear that he wasn't here to wrestle tag matches with cowards like Christian Cage. He wanted gold, and he wanted to beat Carlos Colon for the gold. This would, of course, bring out Christian Cage, who argued that Jericho hadn't done enough to earn a title shot. He hadn't pinned the Instant Classic, and until he did, Christian Cage was the rightful #1 contender now that Rhino had failed to do the job.

Some unfamiliar music hit and Eric Bischoff made his TNA debut to the booing of the crowd. He said that TNA had been forced to appoint a new Director of Authority who had experience with running a global company. "With all respect to Mr. Cornette, I think running WCW was a little more of a challenge than running...what was it called? Oh, Smoky Mountain Wrestling".

Bischoff was a naturally cocky guy, and the fans hated him from the outset. But that's really what TNA needed. Cornette had done a decent job, but Bischoff would become the kind of bastard authority figure that Vince McMahon (and indeed, himself) had made so pivotal to storylines during the Attitude Era. Everybody loved a rebellious loner battling a cocky authority figure surrounded by cronies, after all.

Bischoff also announced that Cage and Jericho would have a match tonight to decide which of them would face Colon at Bound for Glory.

(90)

Alex Shelley was out in the ring next, as the World X Cup opening ceremony was to take place. Shelley, the self appointed captain of Team USA, introduced his team as Joey Matthews of Next Generation X, Jay Lethal, and Bryan Danielson. Team Canada came down to the ring to the boos of the patriotic/stupid American crowd, although there were some cheers when Teddy Hart was announced as the captain of the team. Team Mexico, lead out by legendary luchadore El Hijo Del Santo, got a decent reaction as well - with the boos being saved for X-Division Champion, Nicho El Millionaro.

Team UK, lead by Nigel McGuinness with the kind of cocky grin that makes us Americans hate the Brits so much, lead out his team. The diminutive PAC and Vansen were followed by the intimidating Burchill, and scattered 'We love pirates' chants ran through the arena.

(86)

All four teams stayed at ringside as the first match of the 2007 World X Cup got underway, Team Canada (represented by TJ Wilson and Teddy Hart) stepping into the ring to face Team UK (Hade Vansen and PAC). With four wonderfully skilled high flying spot monkeys together in the one ring, this clash was not only tremendous - but also did a great job of reminding fans that the World X Cup was an important event. Maybe not as important as a TNA World Title match, but prestigious all the same.

Teddy Hart was the show stealer of the match, no selling much of Team UK's offence before finishing the match up by delivering the Open Hart Surgery to Vansen for the 1-2-3 and a valuable two points for Team Canada.

(69/45/93)

After a commercial break, Christopher Daniels was down in the ring with Sting's 'daughter' by his side again. Played by Sara Del Ray, she would instead be known as Gabrielle Borden. She didn't speak, but that could have been because she was wearing a ball gag and a rather revealing leather outfit. She kneeled obediently at Daniels' feet with a chain running from her neck to his fist.

"Oh yeah," Bischoff revealed, "We got in trouble for that. Rest assured, Spike TV were not happy. But pushing the envelope is what I do. Pushing the envelope is what you need to do if you're going to put the WWE out of business".

Daniels spoke about his victory over Sting, and commented on Stockholm Syndrome. Apparently Gabrielle had grown to love Daniels after her father had failed to save her. She had seen that Daniels clearly cared for her more than her father, because somebody who really cared wouldn't have quit like a coward dog. He then said that he couldn't have done it alone, and called out his Coterie. The two masked men from the night prior made their way to the ring, where Daniels introduced them as Avatar and Bane. They were the first of many. They were just two of an innumerable Legion. They were those who had studied at his feet and learned his teachings where Sting had not. They were going to destroy TNA from the inside out, because none of it was pure. Then they would remake it in their image.

(75)

Avatar would make his in ring debut, the impressive big man working a fairly generic squash match with Shark Boy. A word on Gareth Jackson, a man who literally appeared from nowhere to become a star for the company. Where most talent worked their way up through the indys and worked for company such as IWA - Mid South or Ring of Honour, Jackson's European heritage meant he was trained in the UK and was largely unsighted by WWE scouts. He'd come to TNA on the recommendation of Paul Burchill, and was snapped up after a string of exciting matches at house show level.

This match, however, was not so brilliant. Shark Boy sold well, and Avatar seemed to relish the pain he was putting the masked star through. In addition to a number of chokes, he also locked in brutal submissions such as Still Birth (a dragon sleeper) and the Koji Clutch, releasing both before Shark Boy could tap out before wrapping it up with the impressive Human Sacrifice for the 1-2-3 and a triumphant TNA debut.

(58/45/71)

The dark, depressing air that had been created by The Coterie's appearance wasn't dispelled immediately, either - as Carlos Colon was interviewed by Leticia. The TNA Champion talked about how he didn't just beat Rhino because he was better, but because he wanted it more. A real man does anything it takes to get what he wants, even if it means choking a guy until he doesn't breathe. Rhino talked about his drive and ambition, but he didn't have the guts to take that extra step. If Rhino had really wanted the TNA Title, he'd have killed for it. Carlos Colon would kill for it.

(89)

Sean O'Haire and James Mitchell were out in the ring next, presumably to cut a promo, but they didn't get far before Raven hit the ring to lay Mitchell out with a chair. The Prophecy put Raven down, but O'Haire turned around and into the Black Hole Slam to see Abyss the one standing tall. The three would be announced as participants in Monster's Ball VI later in the night.

(75)

Team USA (Alex Shelley and Jay Lethal) showed they could put their differences aside in service of their country when they took on Nicho El Millionaro and Cibernetico of Team Mexico next, the pair not letting their former feuds interfere as they put on a fine show to pick up a first up win for Team USA. El Millionaro, as X-Division champion, was understandably impressive in the match - with Cibernetico the man to take the fall after eating Shell Shock. El Millionaro clearly wasn't impressed, walking out before the count had even been made with his X-Division Title over his shoulder.

(78/73/84)

A four way match between four of the real contender's in TNA would take place next as Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, Rhino, and AJ Styles squared off in a contender's match. The quality of the men invovled promised an enthralling match, and although it didn't get the time it probably deserved, it was a high quality fatal four way style match that saw Samoa Joe increase his championship stock by choking out AJ Styles with the Kokina Clutch while Angle and Rhino were recuperating outside following a Gore that sent both men from the ring and through a table.

(84/85/84)

Joe's celebrations were interrupted by the second appearance of the night from Eric Bischoff, the new Director of Authority telling Joe that he was sorry to be the one to inform him that the victory had been meaningless. The match between Cage and Jericho would decide who would face Colon at Bound for Glory, and he was going to introduce the Gauntlet for Gold at Bound for Glory to decide who would face the champion at Final Destination. In effect, he was telling Joe that he wasn't getting a title shot unless he went through thirty other men to do it. Seed planted.

(75)

The night's main event was just another in a string of top shelf main events from the company who, despite the WWE's upturn in interest and quality, were still the only place to go for a top quality wrestling card from top to bottom. The two Canadian superstars had a tremendous chemistry, and as the two most recognisable faces in the company, the clash drew a deafening reaction from the crowd. The two proved evenly matched, with neither looking better than the other until the dying moments - when Chris Jericho was able to duck a clothesline and dropkick Cage in the back to possibly start a resurgence of his own. But Cage predictably took out the referee in his stumbling, and Tomko took off Jericho's head with a big boot to allow Cage to come off the top rope with his not so convincing Frog Splash. The referee woke and Cage picked up the win to set up a title match with Carlos Colon at Bound for Glory.

(93/96/88)

The night ended with the two heels beating down the prone Jericho until RVD leapt the security barrier to clean house, and the show finished with RVD helping a battered Jericho to his feet.

OVERALL: 80%

BEST SEGMENT: Christian Cage vs. Chris Jericho

WORST SEGMENT: Avatar vs. Shark Boy

MOTN: Team Canada vs. Team UK

RATING: 5.83

ATTENDANCE: 6,032

I'll endeavour to address questions with regards to a worker's history in show, as I did here with The Naturals and Bobby Heenan. I'm also open to suggestions on this format. Do you like seeing all four shows in individual chunks like this?