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)​

​

=========================================================================================


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.

 

[BattleTank]

Really enjoyed the first Nitro episode!

The Benoit/Anderson era has a lot of potential, as I am glad you deviated from real life and kept Benoit around. Sid will surely be looking for revenge, and now the fun begins as to who else will be in the title picture. I'm sure the nWo will have something to say about this, when their suspension is inevitably lifted.

I'm a massive Vampiro fan, so I am really behind any sort of push you give him. Beating Dustin Rhodes is a great way to establish Vamps as somebody that is going to be a player in this thread. Calling out Sting is the logical thing to do. Spooky guys in paint...can't wait to see how you book the Vampiro/Sting feud down the line.

You inherited quite the mess in the tag division, so really whatever you do and whatever direction you take it, will be better than the state it is in right now.

Juvy and Chavo is a great start to the new era. Two guys that can work, the match writeup was fun. I'm curious as to what Heenan was referring to with the costing people a lot of money line? Possibly Vito, Johnny the Bull and Disco getting some action going on the match? If so, I love it.

Overall my friend, this was a great launching point episode of Nitro. Like I mentioned earlier, there are still a ton of resources and big name talent at your disposal, so it will be very fun to watch this all play out. Great work, looking forward to what's next!!

 

[Stojy]

I really like the choice of Double A as Commissioner. After all the tomfoolery in WCW at this point, getting in a no nonsense Commissioner really does feel like the perfect way to kick off the new era. Arn admitting his mistake and booking the rematch tonight makes sense. I thought Benoit's promo to hype the match was fine later on in the night, but Sid's lacked for me. Way to coherent, way to calm, and not enough YELLING and then whispering AND THEN YELLING AGAIN for no reason lol. Also, to be honest, I don't mind Sid/Arn having issues, it makes sense after last night, but whether it was hinted at during this promo, or the commentators arguing about it later, bringing up their shoot fight where somebody could have died is just a genuine no go for me. It doesn't actually add anything when Sid has enough reasons to be mad at Arn for his officiating mistake last night. Surely no company would never let this be mentioned like this, so many times on the one show. I also wanted to give you props for Benoit mentioning the replay almost made him want to walk out. Haha, that was a nice play on real life events. Main event went as it should, finally establishing Benoit as the man of this new era with the clean win. Can't fault that at all.

Cruiserweight action to kick off the in ring portion of Nitro? Well, this really is WCW. Chavo and Juvi are probably two of the better Cruiserweights around at this time, so I'm happy they're being used. A nice win for Chavo which I have no issues with.

As much as I love Dustin Rhodes, in the year 2000, Vampiro needed to be winning this. The promo afterwards with the intention of calling out Sting surprised me somewhat. It's not a bad surprise by any means, I guess I just wasn't sure you'd have Vampiro associate with Sting considering they had a pretty extensive feud in real life. They do feel like a natural fit though, so I'm looking forward to seeing how you differentiate from real life with that feud... Also The Demon stuff kind of confused me at the end there.

Tag scene is a mess as Battletank mentioned, but credit to you for automatically getting me interested in it. Whilst Team 2000 and the champs are relatively average, the botch leading to the seemingly unplanned match ending has caught my attention. Kind of hoping we get a behind the scenes entry next where your head booker has to deal with the ramifications of David Flair being injured.

As much as it's a new era of WCW, guys like Hall, Nash and Steiner are always going to be my guilty pleasure. Glad to see you'll still be using the NWO in some capacity, and pitting them against the face authority figure with this suspension angle works. Looking forward to seeing how this one develops, a slow burn probably works best so they aren't dominating screen time right away and making the new WCW feel like the old WCW.

A really solid first show. Everything seems to be heading in the right direction. Being as it's such a fresh look, I'm really excited to see who steps up as Benoit's next challenger.

 

[White Rhyno]

Thunder #96​

January 18, 2000​

Roberts Municipal Stadium

Evansville, IND

Attendance

3,121

Commentators

Tony Schiavone, Mike Tenay and Scott Hudson




The show opens with Tony Schiavone and Mike Tenay facing the camera. Schiavone begins to recap the crazy events that happened Monday’s night Nitro’s main event. He runs through the circumstances that led new WCW commissioner, Arn Anderson, to rebook the previous night's Pay Per View’s main event. . He finishes his part by highlighting Chris Benoit’s victory over Sid Vicious in the main event to cement his claim to the WCW world title.


Fit Finlay vs. Perry Saturn (with the Revolution)


The crowd boos The Revolution as soon as the stable appears on the entrance ramp. As the stable follows Perry Saturn to the ring, Tenay explains how they ultimately defeated the remains of the Filthy Animals when Douglas pinned Billy Kidman in the final match of their “Three Stages of Hell” series at this past Sunday’s Souled Out, pay per view. With Eddie Guerrero, Konnan and Rey Mysterio Jr. already on the shelf with injuries (kayfabe) inflicted by Shane Douglas and his compatriots.

Saturn enters the ring with a blank expression and glares across the ring at Finlay. Finlay stares back for a few minutes before he begins to hurl insults at his opponent's attempt to intimidate him. Whatever is being said is obviously not meant for television as the camera cuts away to Schiavone chuckling nervously and awkwardly guessing Finlay was wishing Saturn “good luck”.

Finlay and Saturn circle with intensity, both veterans who don’t shy away from stiff exchanges. They tie up hard, neither man giving an inch. Finlay muscles Saturn into the corner and digs a forearm into the jaw before breaking with a smirk. Saturn fires back with a sharp kick to the thigh, then another, backing Finlay toward the ropes.

Saturn whips Finlay off the ropes—Finlay reverses—but Saturn explodes off the opposite side with a flying forearm that drops the Belfast Bruiser. Saturn follows with a snap suplex, floating over for a quick pin attempt, but Finlay immediately shoves him off.

Finlay rolls to a knee, shakes out the cobwebs, and charges low. He catches Saturn around the waist and drives him backward into the corner, clubbing him repeatedly with forearm shots to the back of the head. The referee warns him, but Finlay doesn’t care—he’s grinding Saturn’s face across the top rope and then drops him with a stiff elbow.

Finlay takes control, slowing the pace. He hits a short-arm clothesline, then drops a knee across Saturn’s upper back. He transitions into a punishing reverse chinlock, wrenching the neck. Saturn fights up, but Finlay cuts him off with a knee to the gut followed by a rolling fireman’s carry slam.

Finlay starts getting nasty, stomping Saturn’s ribs and kicking him under the ropes. He drags Saturn to the apron, hooks the arm, and drops a heavy forearm across the chest. Saturn tumbles to the floor.

Outside, Finlay smashes Saturn face-first into the barricade, then into the ring apron. He tries to whip Saturn into the steel steps, but Saturn counters—Saturn reverses and sends Finlay crashing into the steps instead!

The tide shifts as the Revolution cheers as dangerous looking Perry Saturn stalks the downed Finley.

Saturn rolls Finlay inside and springs onto the top rope, nailing a missile dropkick. Rather than attempting a pin, Saturn drops to one knee and begins pummeling his down opponent with stiff punches. The referee manages to step in a break up the exchange, but Saturn gives him a quick glare before pouncing back on Finlay as he attempts to stand.

Saturn unloads with his trademark martial-arts combo: leg kick, spinning backfist, and a T-bone suplex that throws Finlay almost across the ring. The crowd wakes up as Saturn signals for the end.But Finlay, tough as nails, pops up swinging wildly. Saturn ducks a lariat, grabs the waist, and delivers a bridging northern lights suplex—the referee counts 1…2…-No! Finalay manges to get a shoulder up!

Frustrated, Saturn pulls Finlay up for the Death Valley Driver, but Finlay rakes the eyes and slips out. He shoves Saturn into the ropes and goes for a clothesline—Saturn catches the arm and transitions smoothly into a cross armbar, dragging Finlay to the mat.

Finlay thrashes, trying to roll through, but Saturn tightens the hold, hyperextending the elbow. Finlay grimaces, refusing to tap. He starts to rise, stubborn as always, trying to stack Saturn for a pin. Saturn shifts, transitions to the seat of his pants as he transitions Finlay over into to his Rings of Saturn submission, wrenching Finlay's torso back brutally.

Finlay pounds the mat—but not in submission, just in pain. He won't quit.

The referee repeatedly asks if he wants to submit. Finlay shakes his head, teeth gritted, but his arm is limp and he’s no longer protecting himself.

Saturn torques back one more time—Finlay’s arm flattens, his body goes slack.The referee calls for the bell!

Winner- Perry Saturn via referee stoppage (8:02)​

After Saturn has his hand raised by the referee, Scott Hudson and the rest of the Revolution enter the ring. Perry Saturn raises both his arms dominantly over his head before reverse-clasping his hands together in his Rings of Saturn gesture., Douglas stands directly to his right as Malenko and The Wall flank the announcer; thus surrounding a now visible nervous Scott Hudson.


Scott Hudson Perry, what a big win for you and the Revolution tonight-


Perry Saturn What do you mean by that? Huh?


Scott Hudson Ex-excuse me, Perry?


Perry Saturn What do you mean by “big win”? Why is that?

Scott Hudson Fit Finlay is a tough comp-

Perry Saturn slowly begins inching toward Hudson before Douglas laughs and steps in between the pair. As Saturn inches backwards, Malenko steps across and puts a reassuring hand on Saturn’s shoulder.


Shane Douglas (laughing) WHOA there, big guy! You see Scott, what's bothering my brother-in-arms here is the thought that this match was even in doubt. Fit Finlay was a warm-up for the absolute HELL we are about to unleash on WCW. Ask the Filthy Animals. They will tell you.


Scott Hudson That may be, but-


Shane Douglas You can’t. Do you know why, Scott?


Scott Hudson Excuse me? Wh-why?


Shane Douglas BECAUSE THE REVOLUTION HAS PUT THEM AWAY! Its really that simple. May and these men EXPECT greatness now. If you get in our way, you just become another glorious chapter in the future of the Revolution.

Now someone needs to let Flair’s former lap dog know that I’m not scared to throw my weight around. (Glancing over at Malenko) Sorry, Dean. No offense, but we understand where we are.


As the crowd waits for reaction from Malenko, the Iceman stares at Douglas with an intense blank look for a few tense moments before subtly nodding. As he does, Saturn gives his nod of approval at the gesture.


Shane Douglas One of the first things I’d like to get settled is the US title now that Jeff Jarrett is suspended. How about that? Thanks to the ineptness of the past regime and with this company that is saying a hell of a lot ... .Jarrett got injured and our so-called world champion played a part in it. Tell me I’m wrong.


Scott Hudson You aren’t wrong, but there are some other circum-


Shane Douglas There are no half-truths in a revolution. Let's establish that, Scott. Half measures only get half the results and the men I’ve chosen to surround myself with want to conquer it all. That is something everyone is going to have to get used to.


Perry Saturn steps across and takes the microphone from Scott Hudson before facing the camera


Perry Saturn I’m issuing a challenge to YOU…..CHRIS BENOIT! Face me and show me how bad you are. I think you are a FAKE CHAMPION that got LUCKY. What do you think of that, Crippler?


As the rest of the Revolution throw their fists up in the air behind him, Saturn drops the microphone and glares into the camera before making the Rings of Saturn gesture.



********


A video package highlights the growing rivalry between Diamond Dallas Page and Marcus “Buff” Bagwell. Page has become increasingly suspicious of Bagwell’s friendship with his wife, Kimberly. During their recent match at Soul Out, Bagwell was distracted while apologizing to Kimberly during a break in the action. Page used the opportunity to blindside Bagwell and severely beating him down. The attack was so bad, officials had to pull Page off before forcing him to leave ringside with an obviously upset Kimberly.

The camera opens in the locker room where “Mean” Gene Okerlund stands with a very somber looking Diamond Dallas Page and Kimberly Page.

Gene Okerlund Dallas and Kimberly, thank you for speaking with me tonight. I must say, the WCW fanbase is abuzz with your recent friction with Marcus Bagwell. According to him, he and your wife are simply good friends. Many would say your jealousy is fuling your recent confrontation. What do you two have to say?


DDP goes to speak by Kimberly steps forward. She makes eye contact with her husband before he lightly motions for her to continue.


Kimberly Page It has been awkward, Gene. Marcus has been nothing but a friend to me, but Dallas is my husband. I don’t think there needs to be a choice, but if there is one to be be made…It’s Dallas. I hate I need to say this. I really do.


Dallas Page Hey. This all came to head because of me, Gene. Now do I regret standing up for my marriage? Hell no. Do I regret the way I did it publicly? Maybe. I’ve got a match tonight. If I were a WCW fan, I’d turn in if they want answers. Dig?


Gene Okerlund I understand.


DDP and Kimberly exit before Okerlund can ask another question. As they do, Okerlund visibly looks concerned.



*****



“The Total Package” Lex Luger (with Miss Elizabeth) vs. Curt Henning



The announce team puts over that both men have years of experience and laud that they are both former world champions. Both men milk the early moments of the match as they attempt to psyche one another out by refusing to lock up and flexing at one another.

Henning eventually outmaneuvers and outsmarts Lugar as he attempts to chain wrestle with the second generation phenom. Henning uses his superior wrestling ability to keep the Total Package grounded and unable to break away without using a rope break. The tactics frustrate Lex and Elizabeth. Both complain to the referee from inside and outside the ring.

Henning begins working Lugar’s left leg with a series of kicks, stomps, a spinning toe hold and dropping his full weight across it when it is draped across the bottom rope. The pace is slow and methodical, but Luger does a good job of selling as Henning keeps the crowd focussed on his offense by maximizing each move.

Henning begins taunting and bickering with Liz at ring side as Luger struggles to guard his injured leg. Tenay mentions how Henning is famous for getting under opponent’s skin and his biting sense of humor. Schiavone is quick to point out that Luger has an ego that makes him susceptible to those types of barbs.

Henning’s split concentration costs him when Luger manges to gouge his eyes when he is hurling another insult at Elizabeth. As Henning stumbles backwards, Luger grabs a fistful of his opponent’s hair and drags Henning’s face across the top rope.

With is damaged leg hindering hs mobility, Luger keeps Henning pressed against the ropes and turnbuckle and brutalizes him with stiff chops and punches. Using his slightly larger size, Luger leans on the blinded Henning and attempts to wear his defenses down.

Henning attempts to whip Luger across the ring, but the Total Package reverses the attempt and clips Henning as he rebounds off the ropes with a running forearm smash! Henning turns inside out in midair before landing to the mat with a thud. Luger hobbles over and covers the stunned wrestler. 1…2…3!


Lex Luger defeats Curt Henning by pinfall (6:07)



After the match, Luger has his arm raised by Elizabeth and the referee before helping Curt Henning up. Both men shake hands as Luger heads towards the center of the ring for an interview with Scott Hudson.



Scott Hudson Lex, you just picked up a win over a tough competitor in Curt Henning. What do you have to say?



Lex Luger That was a good win over a quality opponent. Curt Henning is a lot like me…he’s been a high performer in this business for a long time. You can say a lot of things about him and me. We’ve been called arrogant. We’ve been called cheaters. We’ve been called a lot of things I can’t say on television. (he chuckles)

Whatever the fans said, they NEVER said we didn’t give our all every time we got between these ropes. We wanted titles. We wanted fame. We wanted the respect that comes from being dominant in this ring.

Another one of those guys was Sting. Now I don’t need to tell you that Sting and I broke into this business around the same time. We’ve been friends; as close as brothers. We’ve hated each other. Whatever the case, I always respected him.

Which is why when I watched Vampiro and his weirdo buddies running him down, I took a double take. Sting is a former WCW champion. He’s beat the Hogans, the Flairs, the Savages, the Mutas of the world.

Scott…who has Vampiro beat? I hear he was really big in Canada or Mexico….something like that.


Scott Hudson Well Lex, he has had success all over the-


Lex Luger Whatever. He’s beaten no one. Believe me. If Sting says he is recovering from injury; he is. Trust me if he wasn’t scared of me , he isn’t scared of a goof like Vampiro. So my advice to the make up cabinet is to watch what you say because he WILL return. And when he does, all those debts will be paid.

One other thing….IF Jeff Jarrett is suspended….I gotta ask about the US title too. I hate to admit that Douglass is raising good points, but that's a title I’ve held in the past. It should be the title I’ll hold in the near future if I get the chance. So Arn, I just beat Curt Henning. Who is more worthy? I’m just saying, Lex Luger, Miss Elizabeth and the US title; it's the total package.


The Total Package breaks away as the crowd gives him polite applause for his respectful interview. He flexes triumphantly as the announce team speculates on Sting’s injury and Vampiro’s likely response to Lex’s words the show heads to commercial.


**************

When the show returns from commercial, the announce teams show highlights of the recent WCW World Tag Team title match between champions, David Flair and Crowbar, against New Japan Pro Wrestling imports, Masahiro Chono and Super J on this past Monday night’s Nitro.

The segment ends as Flair and Crowbar run to the back with Daffney as Chono and J pick up an unsatisfying count out victory, The announcers look on in disgust as they address the audience.


Tenay and Schiavone bemoan the state of the tag team division as the participants of the number one contenders to the WCW World Tag Team champions make their entrances.


Kronik (Bryan Clarke and Brian Adams) vs. The Mamalukes (Johnny the Bull and Big Vito) (with Tony Marinara and Disco Inferno)


Before the Mamalukes make it to the ring, they are met on the runway by Clarke and Adams. The four powerhouses begin brawling as Disco Inferno and Tony Marinara scramble to get out of the way of the mayhem!

All four men really lay into one another as the crowd cheers the effort. The four men gradually split off and begin brawling on opposite sides of the ring as the referee sprints from each side of the ring to another in a desperate attempt to restore order.

Brian Adams begins to get the better in the exchange between he and Johnny the Bull. He uses his immense strength to ram the younger wrestler’s head into the ring apron and crowd aprons. The camera shifts to the other side of the ring where Big Vito surprises Clarke with an eye poke before whipping him into the crowd barrier!. Clarke slams back first into the barrier and slowly slides to the seat of his pants in pain. Big Vito celebrates with Marinara before entering the ring.

Adams continues to stomp away on Johnny the Bull as the camera catches Disco Inferno wincing at the exchange in the background. Adams notices Vito in the ring and angrily glares down at the stunned Johnny the Bull. He uses his foot to shove his downed opponent out of the way before slowly entering the ring and squaring up with a very serious looking Vito!

The pair begin throwing wild punches and forearms. The pair absorb a variety of heavy blows; with neither man being stunned for long. As they stymie each other's offense and continue to throw punches the action stalls to a near crawl.

The match is a slow crawl for over five minutes as all four men cycle in and trade heavy blows with one another. None of the men fall to their backs or bump; leaning into the turnbuckle or ropes to remain standing.

There one comedy spot happens when the action spills to the outside. Clarke confronts Disco Inferno. Inferno begs and manages to duck a running clothesline, but in doing so leaves Tony Marinara to be obliterated! Rather than checking on his ally, Inferno runs around the turnbuckle! The whole spectacle distracts Clarke as Vito hammers his back with a clubbing double axe handle from behind!

The end of the match occurs when Adams walks into a double running shoulder block from the Italians and is floored. Big Vito goes for the pinfall and Johnny blocks Clarke from interfering. 1…2…3 !


The Mamalukes defeat Kronik by pinfall (5:37)

Disco Inferno runs into the ring to celebrate with Johnny and Vito, but the pair quickly begin questioning where Tony is?! Disco immediately looks around sheepishly and shrugs before suddenly spotting Marinara kneeling at ringside. He quickly rushes down to the hurt wrestler and quickly helps him to his feet and helps him adjust his gear and appearance.

After Inferno helps his ally into the ring, the quartet plays to a very apathetic crowd. As the show cuts to a video package




*********

The package begins with the simmering history of Harlem Heat that led up to their match at this past Sunday’s PPV. The arguments after tag team losses, Stevie Ray’s animosity towards Midnight, the slap from Stevie… the package crescendos into the actual footage of the match where the brothers punch away at one another.

]The match ends when a mysterious wrestler formerly known as Ahmed Johnson in the WWF (although noticeably heavier), runs into the ring destroys Booker T with a heavy boot and a falling powerbomb that shakes the ring. The giant stands and towers over Booker for a few tense seconds before glaring down at Midnight at ringside.

The end of the package ends with Stevie Ray escorting the big man to the back as his brother lies injured on the ground.



The announce team speaks about the situation in solemn terms.


Tony Schiavone You have to wonder where Booker T’s head is going to be here going into this match with Diamond Dallas Page. There is no resolution with his brother in a situation that, frankly, Stevie Ray caused.


Mike Tenay According to many, Stevie has his brother’s best intentions at heart. I’m not going to go into their history, but Stevie has been there for Booker his entire life. Stevie thinks this woman is no good. Booker isn’t listening.


Tony Schiavone What on earth does that have to do with that huge outsider jumping Booker from behind? Why did Stevie back him?


Mike Tenay The gentleman's name is Tony Norris. He wrestled in a rival orginization under the name Ahmed Johnson, but before that he had previously played college football. He’s a former champion that has some ties to Stevie Ray due to their trainer.

Apparently, Big T, as Stevie calls him, felt Booker had slighted his older brother and took exception to his actions in their match that night.


Tony Schiavone What actions? Was he watching a different match?


Mike Tenay I understand, Tony. I’m just passing on what I’ve heard.



Booker T (with Midnight) vs. Diamond Dallas Page (with Kimberly)

Both men circle each other intensely before engaging in an intense collar-and-elbow tie-up. DDP pushes Booker into the corner. The ref calls for the break—DDP gives a clean but smug pat on Booker’s chest before backing away. Booker T steps out with a tense grin, seemingly brushing it off.

The pair lock up again. Booker slips behind into a waist lock, DDP counters with a standing switch, but Booker rolls through and hits a quick arm drag, popping the crowd. DDP nods in frustration as he gets up. Another tie-up—Booker ducks under, but tries a quick Side Kick attempt. DDP pulls back to avoid it and points to his head to indiocate that he’s too smart to fall for that line of attack. Fans cheer the early athleticism and strategy.

DDP forces a more methodical pace, catching Booker with a knee to the gut and a clubbing forearm. He whips Booker into the ropes and drops him with a swinging neckbreaker—a classic DDP setup move.

DDP stays on the neck and upper back with short elbow drops, then applies a reverse chinlock, yelling “ASK HIM!” at the referee while wrenching back. The referee checks on Booker as he struggles to fights through the pain to get to his feet, elbows DDP’s midsection to free himself, and hits the ropes—but DDP nails a big kitchen-sink knee to the midsection. Booker flips over dramatically. DDP goes for another opportunistic cover. 1… 2… kickout!

Booker T struggles to regain his bearing as a locked in Page slowly positions himself out of Booker’s sightline to launch his next attack. As he does both Kimberly and Midnight shout advice from ringside. Advice that neither man seems aware of.

DDP tries for an early Diamond Cutter, but Booker shoves him off into the corner. DDP charges—Booker hits a jumping hook kick! Both men are down!

They rise at the same time—Booker fires off right hands, then a spinning forearm. Whip to the ropes, Booker hits the flapjack, followed by a flashy windmill he uses to get to his feet, bringing the crowd to theirs. DDP struggles to regain his bearings before stumbling back into the center of the ring. Out of nowhere, Booker connects with the Harlem Sidekick!

Booker T quickly goes for the cover as the crowd cheers! 1… 2… DDP gets the shoulder up!

Booker tries for the Book End, but DDP blocks elbows out. DDP swings—Booker ducks—Book End attempt again! DDP counters into a roll-up with tights! 1… 2… Booker kicks out!

DDP looks frustrated as he shakes his head to clear the cobwebs. Standing and cursing in frustration. He signals again for the Diamond Cutter and begins stalking Booker again.

Booker rises groggy. As he does, DDP grabs the head—Booker shoves him off! As he does DDP rebounds off the ropes with bad intentions!
Booker ducks a clothesline! As DDP spins around, Booker tries another Book End attempt that DDP spins out of! As DDP turns his back, Booker surprises him with a roll-up! 1… 2… DDP kicks out!

Both men stand and begin immediately, trading punches—the ferocity of the exchange signals both men are getting desperate. Each blow seems to take a little out of both men before…

Pager hits a knee lift, sends Booker into the ropes. Booker avoids Page’s wild clothesline and tries the Book End one more time—Page blocks the move with both hands and shoves him chest-first into the ropes! Booker hits the ropes back first and stumbles forward into a a DIAMOND CUTTER!!!!

Page collapse and goes for the cover. 1… 2… 3!!!



Diamond Dallas Page defeat Booker T by pinfall (13:47)


Page stands triumphantly after winning this grueling match. As he does, Booker T slowly rolls under the bottom rope and collapses to the floor. Booker T hangs his head in frustration before cursing and angrily pounding the floor in frustration. Midnight rushes over to help Booker, but he angrily shrugs her off as he stands..


Tony Schiavone That guy has been through a lot this past week.


Mike Tenay And he doesn’t have the one person he could always lean on anymore.


Booker T fumes as Midnight nervously stands nearby. Booker stares up in frustration before his head slowly sinks downward as his disappointment sets in. Midnight steps forward and allows Booker to place his arm around her shoulders. The pair mournfully make their way to the back as the camera shifts to DDP and Kimberly in the ring.

Page requests the microphone and addresses the arena as his wife looks on quizzically.

Page- Before we go on, I gotta say something to my wife and I want to say it in front of all of you and the people watching at home. Okay?


Kimberly nods cautiously. In light of Page’s brutal post match attack of Buff Bagwell at last night’s pay per view, everyone seems tense.


Page- “ I’m sorry.”


The crowd cheers as Kimberly stares back at her husband with a neutral expression.


Page- “ Babe. I don’t have an excuse. I’m sorry. You’re my wife, my best friend, my manager….I need you and I wronged you. I might not have trusted Bagwell’s intentions but when I let him get in my head; well I can see where you thought I was doubting yours….


Kimberly’s eyes begin to water as she brings her folded hands up to her face in an attempt to control herself emotionally.


Page- “ I’m sorry. I can’t take it back, but I will make up for it. Which brings me to my next thing…”


Page stares into the hard camera


Page- “ Bagwell. I need to speak with you man to man. I get why you may not want to do it, but give me the chance this Monday night on Nitro. Monday night lets meet in this ring and air this all out for you, me and all the world to see. ”


As the announcers begin to hype up the next Nitro, Page embraces his wife as the crowd cheers.

Quick Results​

• Perry Saturn defeats FitFinaly via referee stoppage (8:22)​

• Lex Lugar defeast Curt Henning via pinfall (7:59)​

• The Mamalukes defeats Khronik via pinfall (5:08) ​

• Diamond Dallas Page defeats Booker T via pinfall (13:47)​