The Whitemire Chronicles: Taking Over WCW in 2000

[White Rhyno]

Chapter 1​

​

Taking Over​

Rod burst into the room like a bullet. I was so startled by this shy accountant barging into my office that my elbow knocked a few of my reports to the floor as I flinched.

“ They fired Russo! “ he managed to wheeze out between ragged gasps of air.

“ What? Rod? Are you ok? What's going on?” I managed to sputter out as I jumped to my feet.

He took a few deep breaths to steady himself before speaking.

“Whitey. I ran all the way down to tell you. Kip fired Vince and he’s on the way down here to speak with you! “

I placed my arms on his shoulders and steadied him. Despite being out of breath and trembling with excitement, he stared intently at me with anticipation. I’d like to say I was a picture of calm, but there I was staring at him in slack-jawed and puzzlement.

“ Kip Frye? THAT Kip? “ I asked as the clues started coming together in my head.

“Yes, Whitmire. THAT KIP.”

A voice from my door frame answered dryly. As I turned, I noticed my supervisor ,Gardner Stephens, standing there. He had obviously come to my door frame in the same rush Rod had. A slight sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead and his normally pressed suit was noticeably disheveled from the effort. He glared at Rod as he spoke. As his words carried across the room, I felt my closest friend in the office shrink behind me.

“Mr. Bloom has asked me to escort you to his office for an urgent meeting. Mr. Rhino, it seems the head of this entire department wants to see you.”

His tone was neutrally hostile. His normal office decor and language were there, but his tone was frigid. Somehow I had been asked to speak with his boss's boss without him knowing about it. That meant his boss hadn’t known about it. In the shark infested waters of Time Warner/Tuner Entertainment and Sports knowing things was crucial. Not knowing things stalled careers.

We walked up to the North Tower in an uncomfortable silence. When Stephens was sent away by Bloom’s secretary his shock was palatable. He was just a chauffeur. He wouldn’t even be allowed in the meeting!As my supervisor skulked away I quickly asked the secretary if I looked presentable. Without blinking she acidly replied. “I’ve seen much worse in this office, Mr. Rhino. Please go in. Mr. Frye is waiting for you.”

I walked into an immaculate furnished office decorated with more gold, polished wood and leather than a Southern Baptist church.

Meeting Kip Frye​

Mr. Frye was friendly and quickly tried to make me feel at ease as I walked in.

“Whitmire, I’m sorry to call you up here like this, but I have a huge problem. You are familiar with our program WCW?”

Without hesitation, I blurted a quick. “Yes,sir. I’m quite familiar with it.”

He chuckled. I sat down as he motioned towards the chair in front of his desk.

“I’ll say you do. You’ve put in for every position involved with that brand. If you don’t mind me asking, son…Why? You are aware that no one in Turner will be around to give a damn about this program much longer. ”

“ Sir, I’m a lifelong fan, sir. I grew up living it and figured it would be a good fit. It was just my dream growing up. ”

He leaned in slightly at my response with a slight grin.

“And what do you think of it now? Not the fit…the product. You still watch it, correct?”

This was my first moral quandary. Should I be honest or should I be polite? The product had been utter garbage since former WWF writer Vince Russo had come aboard. Rod and I had watched in horror as the premier professional wrestling brand in America had degenerated into a horror prime-time soap opera with a dash of wrestling thrown in.

The night’s previous pay per view, Souled Out, in Cincinnati was a disaster that had one redeeming quality. Chris Benoit was now the World Champion. Old Age Outlaws? Wrestlers fighting trying to be a South Island Prince? Random title changes? It left Rod and I feeling bored and critical.

“In all honesty Mr. Frye, I’m not the biggest fan.”

He leaned back with a smile.

“I’ll say, son. Let me share a secret with you. My driver sits by you and your friend….. Rod is it?.... Every day at lunch and I love to hear about your conversations. He started sharing your observations with me months ago as a joke. Now every Tuesday and Friday morning I look forward to his reports. I call it market research, but in truth it may be the most honest take I get on the program these days.”

I began to do the mental replay of all those conversations and my stomach clenched. How “in-depth” were those reports? “

Frye closed his eyes and laughed before confirming my suspicions.

“ ‘I would hate to insult the word suck by saying this dog%&*t does.’ is my favorite, but you have some good ones, Mr. Rhyno. That being said, my driver also says you and Mr. Carrol have a lot of ideas of how to turn the program around. Is that correct? “

Once again, the tumblers in my brain began twisting into place as he continued.

“Yes, sir. I hate to be too frank, but that was a kinder response to what we have been saying lately. My apologies if that offends anyone. I’m just a fan. My opinions aren’t anything important. I never thought they would-”

Mr. Frye held up a hand to silence me.

“Mr. Rhino. I appreciate your decorum. You aren’t saying anything I do not know. I just want to ask you some questions. Consider this a consultation and you will be financially compensated for it. Does that sound acceptable to you?”

I couldn't say “Yes” quickly enough.”

****​

The next four hours were a whirlwind of questions and answers. Every one of my answers provoked more questions. As the answers kept flowing, Mr. Frye’s questions became grander and grander. I wouldn’t say he liked me or we were becoming friendly, but he did like my “product knowledge”.

“Son, let me be frank with you. Time Warner hates wrestling. They don’t see it as something we need to be associated with. Mr. Turner no longer has the pull to keep it going if we do not see some significant improvement. Ratings are dropping. Advertisers want a more popular product in those time slots and my staff agrees with them. What do you think of that?”

Without blinking I answered.

“People can get reruns and television movies on any channel. Name another program that can be produced as cheaply with a bigger upside. The problem isn’t wrestling, Mr. Frye. The problem is you are trying to sell an inferior version of it. If I may be blunt.”

He smirked with satisfaction.

“This is one of those scenes from a movie where the CEO grabs some intern out of the mailroom and revolutionizes his business. How does that sound?”

I was confused. Was Mr. Frye messing with an interim? Are these the type of games executives play?

“Sir?”

“Mr. Rhino. WCW has a new champion that wants to leave the company with a few of his friends because they were threatened by a backstage employee. Supposedly the man they tried to place in charge is the ex-husband of his current wife. I don’t know….” He trailed off sullenly. For a moment he looked exhausted. It was maybe a half of a breath before I noticed it and he quickly caught my eye and smiled confidently.

“We let Mr. Russo know he would need to change his program and offered to give him more writers to execute that vision. He balked at the suggestion and has been sent home. I could call the man we just relieved, but he is in Wyoming somewhere and really…. What would that do, Whitemire?

If I send you down stairs can you work with my guys to come up with a plan for tonight’s Nitro?”

He must have seen my reaction because he just began laughing as I blinked mutely at him.
Mr. Frye stood and walked over to my side of the desk.

“Whitmire, we are at the point where I’m going to cancel the show and just reruns until the end of the ratings season if we do not do something. I’ve got two members of WCW in a meeting room to come up with a new Nitro tonight. Go down there and just tell them what you would do. If it fails, I don’t think it would matter much anyway.”

In hindsight, I think this was just his way of adding to the story of how he shuttered WCW. “It got so bad I brought up a kid from the public relations department. I tried everything…” Yada Yada. What no one realized (including myself), was that Nitro became the turning point. WCW was no longer going to be Crash TV.

--To be continued--​

 

[BattleTank]

Always love a good WCW 2000 project! There is still a lot of meat on the bone when it comes to the roster and resources, and couple that in with some surprises of your own, you can still save WCW at this point.

I love the creativity right off the bat, and as far fetched as the concept might sound, it is very believable that an intern being overheard at lunch could lead to becoming the next Booker of WCW lol

Great to see you back at it, my friend. Best of luck with this, I will be following along!

 

[Stojy]

You have caught my attention. Fun backstory here and can't wait to see some immediate changes to the dumpster fire that is WCW 2000. As BT mentioned, with the amount of resources around this time, it's crazy the product was this bad. Looking forward to see some immediate changes as the company still has plenty of potential on paper. Good luck, mate.

 

[White Rhyno]

Nitro #226​

January 17, 2000​

Staples Center
Los Angeles, CA

Attendance

13,246

Commentators

Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Bobby “The Brain” Heenan




The show opens with all three commentators facing the camera. Tony Schiavone begins to recap the crazy events that happened at the previous night’s Souled Out, pay per view. He runs through a variety of match results as corresponding photos of last night's action. He finishes his part by highlighting Chris Benoit’s victory over Sid Vicious in the main event to claim the WCW world title.

Tenay interject and informs the crowd that Sid submitted to “The Crippler” Crossface, but did so with his feet under the bottom rope. Special referee Arn Anderson made this crucial mistake and calls the match and the title for his former Horsemen brother-in-arms. He questions the validity of Benoit’s win and wonders what Sid’s reaction will be.

As photos of the WCW locker room streaming into the ring and lifting a triumphant Benoit on his shoulders play across the screen, Bobby Heenan incredously answers Tenay with a rhetorical question.

Bobby Heenan- “Christ, Tenay! What are you going to do? Officials miss calls all the time. Believe me, I had money on last night’s game. It happens. Anderson isn’t a full time official. He was picked because the Enforcer is a man of integrity. Just like you, he did his best and came up a little short. There is no shame in that.”

As Tenay takes exception and begins to argue with his counterpart. As Schiavone attempts to step back in and take control of the booth, the long chords of Arn Anderson’s theme song explode out the speakers as the modest crowd roars.

Clad in a pair of slacks and business jacket, Anderson makes his way to the ring and ignores the crowd that attempts to gain his attention on the ramp. Tenay notes the somber look on his face and questions if he is going to address last night’s mistake.

Anderson takes a microphone and takes to the center of the ring to address the crowd.

Arn Anderson- “Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here tonight. As many of you know as of last we have a brand new WCW champion, a man you all know very well, CHRIS BENOIT!”

The crowd explodes with cheers at the mention of the new champion’s name., but Anderson quickly holds up and hand to quiet them so he may continue.

“Last night, I was convinced that the end was nigh.It did not look good. Let me tell ya folks. I saw the company I helped build going the way of the dinosaur right before my very eyes.”

Anderson pauses and leans on the ropes with a wry smile for a few seconds; milking the moment.

“ Oh how things can change quickly. Let me tell you!

ONE!

We have a new heavyweight champion in CHRIS BENOIT!

TWO!

I am pleased to announce that the nWo have been suspended indefinitely by the new WCW commissioner for their recent actions and for a out of the ring incident that WCW has started an investigation into. Until further notice, all of them will not be on WCW television.

THREE!

I’m the new WCW commissioner. “


Anderson stays in the center of the ring as the crowd explodes in applause with each announcement. The final one sends them over the edge and causes all three announcers to respond excitedly.

“ As the new WCW commissioner, my first act will be to right wrong. You see I was the referee in the match last night. As I was doing that, I made a mistake. A big one.”

The crowd begins to buzz with excitement as Mike Tenay reminds Heenan of his earlier analysis. Heenan huffs indignantly in response.

“ I’m NOT a referee. I have made my living in this ring for three decades. I know it inside and out, but positioning myself to call the action instead of dictating the action was something I couldn’t recognize as it was happening. Thats the truth.”

The crowd begins to groan, but Anderson holds up his hand to silence them.

“Hold on. Hold on. This isn’t something that is negotiable. I’ve seen this company get my best friend fired. I’ve seen them let people like the nWo get away with murder. If I’m calling the shots, this job will be done correctly.”

The crowd cheers as Anderson raises his eyebrows to gauge the audience's reaction. The crowd gives “The Enforcer” their blessing as he turns to face everyone.

“ I missed Sid Vicious's leg under the bottom rope. I should have broken the hold, but I made a mistake. That's the truth. Now don’t get me wrong, I know how it looks. Sid and I have a very public history.

If I were him, I would NOT be giving myself the benefit of the doubt. I understand he is angry. I can promise you all that I’m going to make it right. For Sid, for Chris Benoit and for WCW… I’m going to go ahead and book the rematch tonight in the Main Event of Nitro to settle once and for all WHO is the WCW World Heavyweight Champion!”

AS the crowd explodes again. The announcers quickly begin hyping tonight’s main event and praising the direction of the company as the show head to its first break.

​

Commercial Break​

Chavo Guerrero (with Van Hammer ) vs. Juventude Guerra (with Psicosis)


The commentators still buzz about the announcements in the first segment of the show, both luchadores slowly feel one another out as their seconds stand in opposite corners shouting encouragement.

Chavo gets the early advantage and outsmarts the quicker Juventude by dodging his attacks and countering with deep arm drags, hip tosses and reversals as Gurrera flies at him with everything he has. The flurry ends with Gurrera pinned on the seat of his pants as Chavo maintains a tight arm trap and taunts Pscosis in the corner.

The momentum changes when “Juevy” pokes Chavo in the eye and launches him throat first into the top rope. The crowd boos as Gureera uses perfect timing to rock Chavo with a rapid fire lucha sequence that sees Chavo absorbs damage as Jueventude flies around him. After executing a brutal tilt-a-whirl backbreaker, Guerra almost ends the match with a pinfall.

Mike Tenay “ These two men come from great Lucha Libre families and you can bet those traditional lucha rivalries are factoring into the intensity of this match-up.

Bobby Heenan “ Is that so? “

Mike Tenay “ It is. In fact, these two have faced off against one another going back a decade when both entered the business. “

Bobby Heenan “ So what’s the deal with Hammer? Why is he out here? Does he owe Chavo money or something? “

Mike Tenay “ I don’t know. I think Chavo and he are friends with - “

Bobby Heenan “ You think he married into la familia? “

Tony Schiavone “ Ok! Thats enough! Lets get back to the action. “


In the ring, Juventude continues to maintain his superior advantage by classic rudo tactics like rubbing Chavo’s eyes across the ropes, dropping his arm across the top rope as he jumps to the outside and to the floor with a firm grip on Chavo’s wrist and distracting the referee so Psicosis can inflict some damage of his own. The situation grows chaotic when Van Hammer eventually runs around the ring and decks Pscosis ; kicking off a four way brawl on the floor!

As the four men duke it out on the far side of the floor, Schiavone quickly informs the viewer that Bill DeMott and Hacksaw Jim Duggan and brawling with Silver King and La Parka in the entrance and rampway as the camera makes a hard cut to that chaotic scene!

Arn Anderson appears on the runway with a multitude of referees and backstage crew members and begins directing traffic as he attempts to restore order! Several backstage crew members manage to get in between DeMott and La Park as Silver King and Duggan tumble on the floor! The camera gets a good shot of Duggan rising up on one knee to clock Silver King before it hard cuts back to ring side where Van Hammer is getting pummeled by Pscosis and Guerra. Chavo struggles to use the ringpost to get up, but looks rough for wear as his friend absorbs damage in his stead.

Tony Sciavone “ It looks like referee Billy Silver man is going to call this a Double Disqualification guys. You can see why….No! NO! I HAVE JUST BEEN INFORMED BY ARN ANDERSON TO CONTINUE THE MATCH. WE WILL HAVE A LEGITIMATE ENDING HERE TONIGHT! ORDER HAS BEEN RESTORED BY THE ENFORCER! “

Referees swarm the ringside area and force Chavo and Juventude into the ring as the pry Hammer and Psicosis apart and towards opposite sides of the ring. As the match action picks up and everyone else is herded to the back. Schiavone praises the direction of the new management.

Chavo gets the crowd on its feet with a electric offensive barrage that stun his arrogant opponent and leave him almost out on his feet as he stumbles from rope to post following a high flying head scissors.

As Jventude drunkenly grasps the referee's arm to implore him to do something nonsensical, he fires a sneaky back kick that catches Chavo low. Chavo buckles immediately and falls into the ropes in agony as the referee continues to argue with Juventued.

Juventude brutalizes his injured opponent with brutal overhand chops and knee shots to the body and head. Chavo absorbs the blows and tries to sink to the mat, but Juventude presses him against the ropes and continues to inflict more damage.

The announce trio declare Chavo’s demise as Juventude jeers tot he crowd as he front facelocks Chavo. He attempts to hoist him up for his Juvi-Driver, but Chavo blocks the move and quickly pulls Juventude in tight for a small package! The referee is in perfect position to drop to his knees and execute the three count as Juventude squirms under Chavo’s tight grasp!

Winner- Chavo Guerro via pinfall (9:02)​

Juventude rolls out the ring and immediately begins screaming at the referee as Chavo celebrates his surprise win. Heenan remarks how Chavo cost a lot of people money in the back. Schiavone inquires

Tony Schiavone Who are you referring to again, Bobby?

Bobby Heenan Don’t worry about it.

Mike Tenay Bobby' if you know something-

Bobby Heenan I said don’t worry about it, ok? Big win for Chavo, huh? Bravo!

​

Heenans fellow announcers laugh at his reaction as Chavo exits the ring triumphantly.

​

​

*****​

The camera pulls to the back where Sid Vicious stares into harsh camera light with a white cinder block wall in the background. He glares menacingly and bites his lip before speaking.


Sid Vicious “ So me and Chris Benoit again for the WCW World title? I guess so… it is the LEAST Arn Anderson could do after GIVING BENOIT that belt last night. See?

I’ll be honest, I did not expect Benoit to put up the fight he did. I expected him to run and he came at me like I wasn’t expecting. It surprised me… But was I ever in any real trouble? Psst… (Sid spits on the floor in disgust)

I’m going to cripple The Crippler tonight. Believe me WCW. I’m going to power bomb him through the mat so hard that I’m going to leave a damn crater. Do you hear me? This is all Anderson’s fault. I don’t want anyone to forget that. "


Sid cooly stalks off screen as the shot fades to black.

​

****​

The camera cuts back to the WCW announce desk where Schiavone, Tenay and Heenan stare at the monitor in shock before addressing teh crowd.


Tony Schiavone Well, the video speaks for itself. Sid is coming into this match up with bad intentions and he has a particular problem with Arn Anderson.


Mike Tenay Well, this is nothing new. This goes back to when Sid was in the Horse-


Bobby Heenan Slow down, Cowboy! What are you crazy? Do you want to keep your job?


Mike Tenay What? It is publicly reported that there-

Bobby Heenan Are you crazy? We don't talk about hat on air.


Tony Schiavone Lets just say the two men have a LOT of acrimony between them that has roots outside the ring and leave it at that.




As the theme music of Dustin Rhodes plays, the show gets awkwardly back on track.

Vampiro (With Berlyn???) vs. “The Natural “ Dustin Rhodes​

The crowd buzzes when Berlyn silently walks behind Vampiro as he angrily stalks toward the ring. The announcers react with wild speculation as the German briefly lowers his shades and stares coldly at a fan that is attempting to heckle him. After a few tense seconds, Berlyn raises his sunglasses and walks towards the ring.

The match starts with Rhodes aggressively shooting forward as the bell rings and catching Vampiro off guard with stiff forearms and punches. Vampiro covers up to protect himself as Rhodes uses his experience to lay off and whip Vampiro into the ropes. Vampiro manages to vault over a Rhodes backdrop attempt to sprint into the opposite ropes again. Unfortunately for Vampiro, he runs into a brutal back elbow that drops him groggily to one knee. Rhodes quickly drops to his back and fires off an uppercut that floors his painted opponent.

Rhodes stands confidently and stands Vampiro up to his feet before muscling him into the ring corner. He grabs both middle ropes with each hand and forcefully drives his shoulder into his dark opponent’s midsection several times before Irish Whipping chest first into the opposite turnbuckle! Vampiro crumbles to the mat before flipping to his back and attempting to use the bottom ropes to help himself stand.. As he gets to the seat of his pants, Rhodes charges into the turnbuckle and crushes him with a brutal hip check.


Schiavone Rhodes is a veteran competitor that knows his way around the ring. Vampiro has been forthright with his desire to retire Sting. If I were him, I’d quit worrying about Sting and worry about his opponent in the ring.


Vampiro rolls under the bottom rope and kneels on the floor to recover. Berlyn walks over and places both hands on his shoulders and whispers some words in his ear. The referee quickly leans out through the ropes and orders the German not to interfere. Berlyn steps away stoically. Rhodes works the crowd in the ring as Vampiro uses the rest of the ten count to recover before entering the ring at the last moment.

Vampiro scrambles to his feet as Rhodes rushes forward, but manages to trade punches with him in this exchange. Rhodes begins to get the better of the brawling before Vampiro quickly pokes the second generation star in the throat with the ridge of his hand.

Rhodes falls to his knees gasping for air as Vampiro backs away to have a brief exchange with the referee. Vampiro roughly drapes Rhodes head and neck over the second rope and begins using his foot to choke his opponent again. He works the referee’s 5 count several times; leaving Rhodes red-faced and out of breath.

Vampiro’s blood lust becomes apparent as he tears at Rhodes' eyes as he pushes him into the corner. The referee physically separates Vampiro from Rhodes and angrily confronts Vampiro’s illegal tactics. Vampiro sneers and buckles Rhodes again with a hard kick to his midsection.

Vampiro callously brutalizes Rhodes for a few more moments before hoisting him up on his shoulder and dropping him throat-first over the tope rope as Berlyn applauded politely from ringside.

Vampiro picks up the gasping Rhodes and scoops him up quickly before dropping him in his Nails in the Coffin finisher! Rhodes lands with a nasty thud as Vampiro grabs his legs and rolls over him for the pin. 1…2…3 !!!

Winner- Vampiro via pinfall (7:59)​

​

*****​

The camera pulls to the back where Chris Benoit sits in the locker room. Clad in his ring gear, he stares calmly into the camera with the WCW World title belt slung over his shoulder.



Chris Benoit “ I understand why this match is happening. If it wasn’t, I would insist on it. Last night I saw the replay after getting in the back and I almost considered walking out of the company. I was so sick to my stomach.

My greatest moment in the business was ruined in an instant. Make no mistake Sid, you gave me the fight of my life last night. You gave me all I could take and more, big guy. Lets not forget, however…..I had you locked down and SCREAMING. You tapped. I felt it. You see, Sid.

Now people KNOW that you can be made to give up. You feel pain like any other man. Now YOU know, I can snatch you up and break you in mind, body and spirit. Last night, I felt it when that realization came over you, Sid. I think it broke you. Later on tonight, we shall see.



Benoit stands and confidently strides off camera with the belt in tow.

******​

When the show returns from commercial the announce team continues to hype the main event title match between Chris Benoit and Sid Vicious. Heenan brings up how Benoit may, in fact, be in Sid’s head because of how he was awarded victory at last night’s PPV. Tenay counters that last night’s results may wind up enraging and motivating Sid even more. Schiavone moderates the argument as the theme music of New Japan Wreslting’s TEAM 2000, Masahiro Chono and Super J (formerly the fake Sting) come out to minimal applause.

Tenay quickly tries to get the audience at home up to speed on Chono’s feud against the nWo’s Japanese faction and his feuds with former WCW stars The Great Muta and Scott Norton.

​

​

Team 2000 (Masahiro Chono & Super J) vs. David Flair (champion) & Crowbar(champion) (with Daffney)​

(WCW World Tag Team title match)​

Flair and Crowbar dawdle around the ringside area instead of entering the ring before the match begins. Crowbar grins manicaly as Flair and Daffney nonsensically hand each other the WCW tag belts back and forth to one another.


Tony Schiavone That's a weird way to play hot potato. I have no idea how that is supposed to help them defend those titles, but this is what's happening.


Bobby Heenan Those three aren’t playing with a full deck. Heck, they aren’t even playing the same game as the rest of us


Without warning, the champions rush into the ring and attempt to take their challengers by surprise. Unfortunately for them, both Chono and Super J are ready and begin doling out punishment of their own to the befuddled champions.

The Japanese imports pummel the champions into opposite corners; before whipping them into one another. Both champions crash into one another in the center of the ring. As Flair and Crowbar lie on the mat in daze, Daffney screechs from ringside for both men to get up.

Both men attempt to escape to the outside, but Crowbar is caught by Chono before he can leave the ring. Lifting the tag champion by his hair, Chono quickly begins peppering him with stiff forearms as the referee signals for the match to begin.

Chono and Super J dominate the newly minted champions, much to the delight of the crowd and the announce team. The segment turns into a very one sided match where announce team muse about the main event later in the evening.

Things turn when Chono legitimately lariats David Flair’s head off in response to another botched spot. The impact of the blows caused Flair to bite his bottom lip causing a nasty cut that begins bleeding profusely. Flair numbly rolls under the bottom rope and collapses on the floor as Crowbar and Daffeny rush towards him.

The crowd buzzes as Crowbar tries to grab their attention by finding a folding chair and attempting to get in the ring. (Off camera, medics rushed to work on the floor and staunch his deeply gashed lip.)

The match ends awkwardly when CRowbar drops the chair and gathers the champions belts from the ringside ring announcer. The camera follows him as he runs to catch up with Flair and Daffeny as they have already made half-way up the entrance ramp. The crowd boos as the champions retreat to the back and get counted out.

Team 2000 wins via countout (5:08)​

******

The show cuts to the back loading dock where Kevin Nash, Scott Hall and Scott Steiner angrily argue with a half dozen nervous security guards as they try to enter the building. The guards shakily stand their ground as Hall grins and menacingly sways back and forth before making a goofy face and laughing at the guard's nervous resposnses. Nash furiously points his finger in one guard's face as screams down at him. Steiner glares daggers through his mirror tint shades at the group as his chainmail headpiece drapes his face menacingly. His arms crossed, Big Poppa Pump oozes menace.

The trio let the tension build for a few more seconds before it reaches a boiling point and Steiner cooly removes his sunglasses. When he does, Arn Anderson burst through a door and stands directly in front of the nWo.


Arn Anderson Gentlemen, you have all been informed of your suspension as of 9 o'clock this morning. I know, because I called each and every one of you. I know why you are here. I know what you THINK you’re about to do, but let me give you pause.


Hall smirks and gives a slight chuckle to Nash before confronting Anderson

Scott Hall How’s that Arn? Tell us that.


Anderson grins back a second before answering his nemesis.


Arn Anderson I have been advised by our new management that if you do not COMPLY with my earlier decision that I have the right to void your contracts. Now I’m not a lawyer, but the ones that came to me had a lot of papers that sounded like they were right. How much are you three willing to pay YOUR lawyers to fight it?


Kevin Nash Your lawyers don’t scare ME, Arn! You should know better!


Arn Anderson Go ahead. Hit me and break my neck Nash. I’ll sue the three of you for whatever you have left after Time Warner/Turner bleeds your bank accounts dry. Hows that sound?


Steiner explodes and begins screaming as Nash and Hall put reassuring hands on his shoulders to keep him from lunging forward.


Scott Steiner ENFORCER MY ASS! GO AHEAD ANDERSON! I DON’T GIVE A DAMN! YOU THINK BIG POPPA PUMP GIVES A DAMN!

Nash and Hall gives each other concerned looks as they begins to coax the furious Steiner away. Steiner angrily shrugs their arms away and storms off screen. Nash chases after as Hall cooly looks back and smiles at Anderson and his security.

Scott Hall: Don't mind him. He’s got anger issues. Me and Nash got this, but we’ll be seeing you, Arn. I’ll be back.



Anderson nods solemnly with his hands on his hips as Hall saunters out of the shot. He looks at the men around him and breathes out audibly. The group laughs nervously as Arn breaks the tension.

Arn Anderson Thank you gentlemen. That was not pleasant, but we do have a world title match to get ready for. Lets get to it.


The group agrees as Anderson marches back through the double doors of the building.

*********​

The show returns from the commercial with a tight shot of Vampiro sitting on some steps. Berlyn stands beside the wall beside the staircase . He stares into the camera silently as Vampiro casually speaks.


Vampiro Tonight I showed Dustin Rhodes a lesson, but I’d like to think that it was a lesson that everyone in WCW learned.

I’m coming to burn this place to the ground.

You know who did figure it out before the rest of you? Sting…that's who.

You see I just left the rafters….Sting isn’t up there. He isn’t here. Do you know why that is?

Berlyn gives a tight smile as Vampiro laughs rhetorically-

Sting found out I was looking for him and he decided to call in sick. I’m glad for him because I do find him to be both sick and infected. I know how to fix that, but Sting decided to remove himself before I could cauterize him.

Let that be the lesson, WCW. Vampiro is coming to burn this place down.

As he speaks the final line of his interview, The Demon, aka DaleTorberg, emerges from the shadows in the stairs above Vampiro and vaults over his shoulders into the camera at top speed. The shot distorts in a blur of white face paint and black leather before going out.

******​

Bobby Heenan What in the hell was that?


Mike Tenay I’m afraid it was a warning to the WCW lockerroom, Brain. Vampiro has made no secret of his desire for a match with Sting but it was reported that he has been recovering from an injury at home.


Bobby Heenan What's the injury?


Mike Tenay The report does not specify an injury, Bobby.


Bobby Heenan Well….. Read between the lines. Maybe Vampire is onto something. Sting has had a long career. He’s made a lot of money. He’s no dummy.


Tony Schiavone I highly doubt that, Bobby.

“The Crippler” Chris Benoit (champion) vs. Sid Vicious ​

WCW World Heavyweight Championship match​

As the opening bell rings out, both men slowly take the center of the ring and begin an intense staredown. Sid spits venomous threats as Benoit silently listens with a blank stare. Vicious’ tone and words grow louder and more intense until he’s screaming at the top of his lungs. His huge shoulders bulge and his face grows redder and redder with rage — Sid is the picture of fury! Benoit remains as still as stone through the entire tirade before slowly raising his arm, extending his thumb, and dragging it across his throat while maintaining eye contact with his larger opponent.


The gesture incenses Sid, who throws a wild haymaker that Benoit ducks under. As Sid spins around to find Benoit, he walks into a stiff knife-edge chop across the chest that stops him in his tracks. Sid flinches and takes an uncertain step back as the crowd lets loose with a huge “WHOOOOOO!” à la Ric Flair.


Tony Schiavone: Chris Benoit is making a statement with that chop. He’s letting Sid know that last night was not a fluke!


Bobby Heenan: The bottom rope would disagree, but that was one hell of a chop!


Benoit uses his superior speed and agility to maintain the early edge. Vicious flails wildly at the Crippler, hoping to knock him out with one punch, but the Canadian Wolverine expertly dodges every attack and counters with ruthless effectiveness. Benoit gets the giant to one knee with a basement dropkick that wobbles him. Seeing the opportunity, Benoit quickly takes Sid’s back and latches his arm around the big man’s chin, applying a tight sleeper hold!


Vicious frantically tries to wrench Benoit’s arms away, but the Crippler expertly hops onto the larger man’s back and applies even more pressure! Sid struggles to break the hold for several intense moments before slowly sinking to one knee. The crowd responds with a burst of applause that causes Benoit to flash a gap-toothed grin before tightening his grip. The referee hesitantly lifts one of Sid’s arms, but the massive heel angrily slaps his hand away and unsteadily rises to his feet once again.


The match turns on a dime when Sid staggers backward and falls into the ropes. His enormous size and Benoit’s added weight cause him to mistime the fall, sending both men tumbling over the top rope to the floor!


The announcers gasp along with the crowd, but quickly recover as replays show the tumble from multiple angles. Ringside officials and medics rush to check on both men. After a few tense moments, the show continues as they groggily wave the medics off and slowly stand.


Sid quickly fires off a huge knee to Benoit’s midsection, doubling him over! The referee urges Sid to bring the match back into the ring and begins a ten-count, but Sid just smiles and starts pummeling Benoit’s back and shoulders with clubbing blows and axe handles. Everyone in the arena winces when the large contender slams Benoit’s skull into the crowd barrier.


Benoit collapses to the floor as Sid slowly walks back to the ring with a slight limp and rolls under the bottom rope to re-enter. Benoit slowly makes his way to his knees and violently shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. As the referee’s count gets dangerously close to ten, Benoit manages to sneak back under the bottom rope.


As he does, Vicious places his foot on Benoit’s throat and begins choking him! Benoit violently flails and kicks in a futile attempt to knock the giant’s foot away, but Vicious grabs the top rope to steady himself and apply more pressure! The referee conducts another frantic count to force Sid to release the choke. Benoit rolls to the center of the ring, clutching his throat in agony as his sides heave in and out.


Vicious is relentless and measured as he stomps Benoit before sending a stiff kick to his midsection that lifts him off the ground. Benoit weakly tries to roll away, but Sid roughly lifts him to his feet and punishes him with more stiff punches and kicks. Benoit leans into the ropes to stay upright, but Sid grabs a handful of his hair and presses his throat against the top rope!


Bobby Heenan: That is a very angry man, gentlemen. Things aren’t looking good for Benoit. I know Benoit technically won the title last night, but Sid is out to prove that victory was a gift from Arn Anderson.


Mike Tenay: Sid’s obvious size advantage is playing out right now, but Benoit’s proven to be resilient in the past. Don’t count him out just yet, Brain.


The match continues as Sid muscles Benoit into a corner and begins leaning on the smaller man with punishing blows. Benoit does his best to cover up, but Sid’s power blasts through most of his defense.


Benoit is whipped across the ring into the opposite turnbuckle and crashes into it with bone-shattering force. His face wrenches in agony as he falls to his knees, gripping his back. Sid casually strolls over with that same slight limp — his face blank and ominous. As Benoit attempts to stand, Vicious kicks him hard in the shoulder, sending him back into the corner.


The match suddenly swings when Sid throws two hard punches that seem to hurt the Canadian further, but Benoit suddenly surges out of the corner and shoves Sid into the turnbuckles before unleashing two brutal backhand chops that knock the wind out of the giant!


The crowd roars as Benoit leers at Sid, then lifts his chin and chops him so hard he’s knocked off his feet! Sid leans into the turnbuckle clutching his chest as Benoit plays to the crowd, letting out an intense scream. Sid staggers along the ropes, breathing heavily, as a fired-up Benoit glares at him and rushes forward.


Sid attempts to brawl with Benoit and use his superior size to stifle the momentum, but Benoit’s ferocity blows through each attempt. A short-arm clothesline drops Vicious to the mat!


As the announcers react in shock, Benoit begins stomping away at Sid with savage intensity. When Sid tries to roll under the bottom rope, Benoit quickly seizes the opportunity and applies the Crippler Crossface! The crowd erupts as Sid screams in pain while Benoit cranks back with every ounce of strength!


Benoit’s ring position keeps his body directly between Vicious and the ropes. Sid struggles to maintain his composure as his head is wrenched back even further!


Tony Schiavone: Sid is nowhere near the ropes, and Benoit has the Crossface locked in deep! Things are not looking good for Vicious!


Bobby Heenan: Unbelievable!


Mike Tenay: Benoit is out to prove last night was not a fluke!


As the audience prepares to celebrate, Sid manages to use his free hand to grab the referee and drag him closer. As the official struggles in the large wrestler’s grip, Benoit looks on in concern. Sid suddenly releases the referee, but the resistance causes the official to stumble backward. The few seconds Sid gains allow him to reach across Benoit’s outstretched arms and jam his fingers into the Crippler’s eyes, forcing him to release the hold!


A blinded Benoit stumbles to his feet, searching for the ropes to regain his bearings. Vicious manages to rise, his breathing labored and ragged. Sid snarls as he rushes forward and decapitates Benoit with a running clothesline! Benoit crashes to the mat in a heap as the crowd groans at the impact of the blow. Sid drops on top of Benoits prone form and goes for the cover. 1...2...No! Benoit manges to push his far shoulder up to break the pinfall!

Sid slowly rises to his feet and curses in frustration as the camera cuts away to shot of the turbo charged crowd, Benoit slowly rolls to the cornerand uses the ropes to slowly rise to his feet. As he does, Sid's head snaps in his direction. Sid grits his teeth and prepares to crush Benoit in the corner, as he charges forward, Benoit manages to lift his leg. Sid goes crashing face first into Benoit's boot and falls to the mat


Benoit climbs the ropes and launches himself off the top with a flying headbutt that crashes directly into Sid’s chest, causing the big man’s leg to kick out upon impact! The height of Benoit’s jump makes the aftermath tense as both men lie motionless on the mat — the announcers shouting in amazement and anxiety. A determined Benoit manages to drape his left arm over a downed Sid. 1...2...3!

Chris Benoit wins via pinfall (15:22)​

The hyped Los Angles crowd cheers as Benoit rises to his feet and leans on the ropes in exhaustion and pain. As the referee raises his arm and gives him the WCW World title belt, the annouce team ponders what the future hold in the Chris Benoit/Arn Anderson era of WCW!

​

​

Quick Results​

• Chavo Guerro defeats Juventude Gurrera via pinfall (9:02)​

• Vampiro defeast Dustin Rhodes via pinfall (7:59)​

• Team 2000 defeats David Flair and Crowbar (champions) via countout in a WCW World Tag Team title match (5:08) ​

• Chris Benoit defeats Sid Vicsous for the WCW World Heavyweight title via pinfall (15:22)​

​

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BT and Stojy- Thank you both for the kind words. Its been a while since I've done a project and its always nice to have the encoragement.

The back story was something I threw together to try and explaim how this monster mash came together. The Radicalz departure, for me anyway, was the death knell for WCW. Maybe my bookings could make it something a little better than the shit show that followed.