WCW The Nitro Era rebooked

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

This is something I've had in mind for a long time and I spent a bit of time over the last year mapping out the overview, which is all I was going to do with this. But the project has taken on a life of it's own to the point that I am now booking Nitro, Saturday Night and the PPVs. I'm using this opportunity to refine a few things and officially decide what I want my main event storyline in 1996-1997 to be. But for starters, here's the roster I'm working with at the start:

WCW roster
Hulk Hogan – WCW World Champion
Sting – WCW United States Champion
“Macho Man” Randy Savage
“The Total Package” Lex Luger
“The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
“The Enforcer” Arn Anderson
The Taskmaster
“Flyin’” Brian Pillman
The Giant
Meng
The Shark
Zodiac
Kamala
The Renegade – WCW World Television Champion
Diamond Dallas Page
Johnny B Badd
Jushin “Thunder” Liger (available through a talent exchange with New Japan Pro Wrestling)
“Das Wundekind” Alex Wright
Eddie Guerrero
Dean Malenko
Disco Inferno
Kurasawa
Road Warrior Hawk
Big Bubba Rogers
V.K. Wallstreet
“Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
Dave Sullivan
“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff
Scott “Flash” Norton
Sgt. Craig Pittman
Cobra
Mr. JL
Maxx Muscle
Brad Armstrong
Joey Maggs
Chris Kanyon
Mark Starr
Mike Winner
Bobby Walker
The Gambler
Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater – WCW World Tag Team Champions
Harlem Heat (Booker T and Stevie Ray)
The Nasty Boys (Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags)
The Blue Bloods (Lord Steven Regal and Earl Robert Eaton)
The American Males (Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Scotty Riggs)
The State Patrol (Sgt. Buddy Lee Parker and Lt. James Earl Wright)
The Barrio Brothers (Ricky Santana and Fidel Sierra)
The Armstrong Brothers (Steve and Scott Armstrong)
Colonel Robert Parker – Manages Bunkhouse Buck, Dick Slater and Kuraswa
Sister Sherri – Manages Harlem Heat
Jimmy Hart – manages Hulk Hogan
The Master – Leads the Dungeon of Doom
The Diamond Doll – manages Diamond Dallas Page

Note: Vader was gone from the company at the starting point, but still had one more taped match in the can that aired. Lex Luger debuted on the first Nitro, which is where we'll be picking this up...

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – September 4th, 1995
It was the start of a new era in professional wrestling, when Monday Nitro hit the airwaves. Live from the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Eric Bischoff promised the fans a wrestling show unlike any other, headlined by Hulk Hogan defending the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. The biggest story of the night was undoubtedly the shocking appearance of Lex Luger, last seen working for the WWF and believed to still be under contract to the company. Luger would first appear by walking out during the United States Championship match between Sting and Ric Flair. Bischoff screamed into his headset to get the camera off the “intruder”, as Bobby Heenan and Steve McMichael speculated about why he was there, while never mentioning his name. Of course, by the end of the night, it would become clear that Luger was the newest member of the WCW roster. After Hogan defeated Big Bubba Rogers in the main event, the WCW World Champion was attacked by the Dungeon of Doom. While many expected Sting and Randy Savage to rescue Hogan, it was Luger who would hit the ring first and help Hulk fight off the interlopers. Hogan and Luger then faced off in the middle of the ring, with Luger challenging Hogan to a World Title match next week, which Hogan accepted. There is no doubt that these events have turned the wrestling business and World Championship Wrestling on their very heads and fans will be eagerly looking forward to next Monday night.

Luger wasn’t the only name making their return to the company on Nitro. Jushin Liger faced Brian Pillman in the evening’s opening match, which saw Pillman get the win over his old rival. Scott Norton would attack Sting, then confront Eric Bischoff about broken promises, leading to Randy Savage coming out, and a match being set up for Nitro next week. And V.K. Wallstreet was seen in a vignette, arriving at CNN Tower for an appointment with Turner executives. In addition to the returns, Bischoff would announce that next week, Sabu will make his WCW debut, live on Monday Nitro.

Quick Results
1. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman def. Jushin “Thunder” Liger
2. WCW United States Championship – Sting (c) vs. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair ended in a no-contest
3. WCW World Heavyweight Championship – Hulk Hogan (c) def. Big Bubba Rogers

WCW Saturday Night – September 9th, 1995 Quick Results
1. Handicap Match – Big Van Vader def. Bobby Starr and Scott D’Amore (Vader’s last appearance)
2. Cobra def. The Grappler
3. Diamond Dallas Page def. Eddie Jackie
4. Kamala, Zodiac and The Shark def. Bobby Hayes, Julio Sanchez and Ron Thompson
5. Johnny B Badd def. “Dirty” Dick Slater
6. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman def. Barry Houston
7. Sting and “Macho Man” Randy Savage def. The Blue Bloods


Note: So when it comes to the B-shows (Saturday Night and Worldwide), I will be giving Saturday Night results, but only going into detail when something significant happens on the show. These first couple of shows are going to mostly be the same as they were in real life, but after Fall Brawl, things will start to change a bit.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – September 11th, 1995
Just six days before Fall Brawl, Monday Nitro emanated from Miami, Florida. The story coming out of the show was the big World Title match between Hulk Hogan and Lex Luger, and the Dungeon of Doom trying to weaken their War Games opponents days before the match. It started earlier in the night, when Randy Savage battled Scott Norton. The Shark interfered, trying to cost Savage the match, but inadvertently allowed “The Macho Man” to get the win, earning the ire of Norton in the process. Then, during the main event, The Taskmaster, Zodiac and The Shark attacked Hogan, but Luger would help fight them off before Savage and Sting hit the ring. Hogan and Savage were dubious that the Dungeon didn’t attack Luger, but Sting and Jimmy Hart vouched for “The Total Package”. With Sting’s urging, Hogan and Savage reluctantly agreed to let Luger join their team (replacing the recently-released Vader) as their fourth man when they go to war this Sunday.

As for Sting, he would successfully defend the United States Championship against V.K. Wallstreet in Wallstreet’s first match back with the company. Eric Bischoff and Steve McMichael speculated about the purpose behind Wallstreet’s meeting with Turner execs last week, while Bobby Heenan hinted at knowing more than he probably did. The show also saw Sabu make his WCW debut. The madman from Bombay picked up the win over Alex Wright, but after the match, he put Wright through a table at ringside, resulting in his victory being overturned.

Quick Results
1. “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright def. Sabu by reverse decision
2. WCW United States Championship – Sting (c) def. V.K. Wallstreet
3. “Macho Man” Randy Savage def. Scott “Flash” Norton
4. WCW World Heavyweight Championship – Hulk Hogan (c) def. “The Total Package” Lex Luger by disqualification

WCW Saturday Night – September 16th, 1995 Quick Results
1. Disco Inferno def. Scott Armstrong
2. The Renegade def. Maxx Muscle
3. The Nasty Boys def. Johnny Swinger and Terry Richards
4. The Taskmaster def. An unnamed jobber
5. Dave Sullivan def. Big Bubba Rogers by disqualification
6. The American Males def. The State Patrol
7. Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Gino Caruso
8. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman def. “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Fall Brawl – September 17th, 1995
Fall Brawl took place in Ashville, North Carolina. The show was built around the feud between Hulk Hogan and the Dungeon of Doom, who collided in the 2-ring steel cage War Games match. The Hulkamaniacs team of Hogan, Sting, Randy Savage and Lex Luger defeated the Dungeon of Doom’s Meng, Shark, Zodiac and Kamala, and in the process, Hogan earned himself five minutes inside the cage with The Taskmaster. However, a greater foe would emerge for Hogan in the form of The Giant. Earlier in the night, The Giant drove his monster truck through the parking lot where Hogan was greeting some of his fans, and ran over the Harley Davidson motorcycle Hogan had been gifted by his fan club. But the worst was yet to come, as The Giant would rip the door off the War Games cage and attack Hogan, injuring his neck during his attack. While Sting, Savage and Luger would chase him off, the damage was done. Hulkamania may not be dead, but it was definitely severely injured…

Another major match on the card saw the battle of long-time best friends, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson. The match started off as a chance for Arn to show he was on par with Flair, but soon, tempers began to flare (pun unintended). Ultimately, Arn would pick up the win, but not without an assist from Brian Pillman, who kicked Flair in the back of the head, setting up the DDT. Earlier in the night, Pillman had come up short against Johnny B Badd in sudden death overtime, earning Badd a shot at Sting’s United States Championship on the September 30th edition of WCW Saturday Night.

The event also saw two title changes, starting with the World Television Championship. Diamond Dallas Page defeated the previously-undefeated Renegade, with an assist from Maxx Muscle, to capture the gold. And Harlem Heat regained the Tag Team Titles from Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater, with a little help from their old rivals, the Nasty Boys, who have made it clear that they want the next title shot. The big story coming out of that match, however, was that Colonel Robert Parker and Sister Sherri solidified their relationship with a kiss. Both managers had different ways of explaining themselves to their teams, however. While Sherri claimed to Booker T and Stevie Ray that it was just a ruse, Parker told his men they’d get their titles back, but that he loved Sherri and would stay with her.

The other notable match of the night saw Sgt. Craig Pittman defeat his former comrade in arms, Cobra in quick fashion. Pittman had sent one of his recruits to deliver a message to Cobra, but as Cobra was distracted, Pittman rappelled down from the rafters and attacked Cobra. Less than three minutes later, Pittman was getting his hand raised after submitting Cobra with the Code Red.

Quick Results
WCW Main Event – Big Bubba Rogers def. Mark Thorn
WCW Main Event – Disco Inferno def. Joey Maggs
WCW Main Event – Eddie Guerrero def. Brad Armstrong
WCW Main Event – The American Males def. The Nasty Boys
WCW United States Championship Number One Contenders Match – Johnny B Badd def. Brian Pillman
Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Cobra
WCW World Television Championship – Diamond Dallas Page def. The Renegade (c) (Title change!)
WCW World Tag Team Championship – Harlem Heat def. Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater (c) (Title change!)
“The Enforcer” Arn Anderson def. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair
War Games Match – Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Sting and “The Total Package” Lex Luger def. Meng, The Shark, Zodiac and Kamala

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – September 18th, 1995
The Nitro after Fall Brawl took place in Johnson City and started off with chaos. First, an ambulance arrived in the parking lot, only for The Giant and The Taskmaster to emerge. The two gloated about Hulk Hogan’s injury from the night before, as The Giant said that Hulkamania is now on life support, and soon, he’s going to kill it. “DEAD!” From there, we immediately saw The Nasty Boys brawling with “Dirty” Dick Slater and Bunkhouse Buck in the back, with Earl Robert Eaton already laid out nearby. Harlem Heat then made their entrance for their match, but with the Blue Bloods out of commission, the new Tag Team Champions had no opponents. However, The American Males, who defeated the Nasty Boys last night on the Main Event, came out to take their place. Sister Sherri was protesting, but the referee confirmed that this was a title match. Even with the element of surprise on their side, nobody expected the Males to pull off the upset and actually capture the titles! But indeed, Nitro had it’s first title change, live in Tennessee!

In addition, Johnny B Badd continued to build momentum towards his upcoming US Title match with Sting, as he defeated Paul Orndorff, who has recently been going through a crisis of self-doubt. After the match, Gene Okerlund tried to get a word with Orndorff, who muttered that he just doesn’t know who he is anymore. Meanwhile, the main event saw Ric Flair gain a measure of revenge for Fall Brawl with a win over Brian Pillman. Arn Anderson was in Pillman’s corner and after the match, he said that they weren’t finished with Flair yet…

Finally, we were shown footage from the set of Baywatch, where The Taskmaster attacked Randy Savage while he was lifting weights! Savage would then come out and challenge The Taskmaster to a match next week, before calling out Lex Luger. Savage didn’t believe that Luger hitting him during War Games was an accident, despite Luger’s claims of such. Luger, who will be facing Meng next week on Nitro, warned Savage not to start something he can’t finish…

Quick Results
1. WCW World Tag Team Championship – The American Males def. Harlem Heat (c) (Title change!)
2. Johnny B Badd def. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff
3. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair def. “Flyin’” Brian Pillman

WCW Saturday Night – September 23td, 1995
In an interview segment during the show, V.K. Wallstreet revealed to “Mean” Gene Okerlund that he had been named the Commissioner of WCW by the Executive Committee. Okerlund, as well as Tony Schiavone and Dusty Rhodes didn’t believe it, however, leading Okerlund to say he was going to contact the Committee and get to the bottom of this…

Quick Results
1. Sting def. Lord Steven Regal
2. Johnny B Badd def. Chris Kanyon
3. Disco Inferno def. Mike Khoury
4. Cobra def. Sgt. Craig Pittman

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

I like that you changed the Badd and Orndorff result while also having the Orndorff repackaging later so to not mess with his storyline. Having Badd lose the night after he became #1 Contender for the US Title in a great match was a head scratcher.

I would've changed the set up for the Harlem Heat and American Males match too though. Having the heel champion Harlem Heat volunteer themselves to take the Blue Bloods place and put the belts on the line doesn't make sense. They should've had it where Harlem Heat and Blue Bloods was the scheduled match. Blue Bloods get injured in the Nastys/Buck and Slater backstage brawl that you added. Then American Males replace Blue Bloods and win the titles. Then that way you also give Harlem Heat a legit gripe as they can complain that they weren't prepared to face American Males.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Yeah, I went back and forth on whether or not to even have the Males win the titles. I actually like your idea better. But the way I looked at it was, "well, they're still heels and it was hubris." But yeah, I think you're on the money with that one. I'm going to change it right now.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Apr 5, 2024 18:06:02 GMT -5 Wardlow on Wardlow 54 said:

Yeah, I went back and forth on whether or not to even have the Males win the titles. I actually like your idea better. But the way I looked at it was, "well, they're still heels and it was hubris." But yeah, I think you're on the money with that one. I'm going to change it right now.

The booking of the WCW tag division was definitely a mess with all the title hot potatoing and teams like the American Males and Buck and Slater getting reigns despite being undeserving imo. I liked Harlem Heat but them having four title wins in the calendar year was ridiculous. And the only team who didn't get a reign was the Blue Bloods even though they were probably the best of the bunch.

If I was booking it I would've had the Nasty Boys win them from Harlem Heat at Slamboree like they did. However then I would've had them drop them to the Blue Bloods. Then have Sherri turn on Harlem Heat to go with the Blue Bloods with Harlem Heat turning face and chasing and eventually winning the titles again. However they just loved the Sherri and Colonel Parker romance angle so much and refused to move away from it despite it not being entertaining in the slightest and it just ended up being a detriment to the whole division overall.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Apr 5, 2024 18:23:21 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

Apr 5, 2024 18:06:02 GMT -5 Wardlow on Wardlow 54 said:

Yeah, I went back and forth on whether or not to even have the Males win the titles. I actually like your idea better. But the way I looked at it was, "well, they're still heels and it was hubris." But yeah, I think you're on the money with that one. I'm going to change it right now.

The booking of the WCW tag division was definitely a mess with all the title hot potatoing and teams like the American Males and Buck and Slater getting reigns despite being undeserving imo. I liked Harlem Heat but them having four title wins in the calendar year was ridiculous. And the only team who didn't get a reign was the Blue Bloods even though they were probably the best of the bunch.

If I was booking it I would've had the Nasty Boys win them from Harlem Heat at Slamboree like they did. However then I would've had them drop them to the Blue Bloods. Then have Sherri turn on Harlem Heat to go with the Blue Bloods with Harlem Heat turning face and chasing and eventually winning the titles again. However they just loved the Sherri and Colonel Parker romance angle so much and refused to move away from it despite it not being entertaining in the slightest and it just ended up being a detriment to the whole division overall.

You won't be a fan of one of my main storylines then lol I personally liked it, but I was 10 at the time and new to watching wrestling in general.

EDIT: it's also worth noting that Rob Fuller was on the booking committee at the time, which is partly why that angle got so much focus.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – September 25th, 1995
Florence, South Carolina hosted Monday Nitro, which was focused on the Dungeon of Doom battling members of Hulk Hogan’s War Games team in singles matches. Randy Savage battled The Taskmaster, while Lex Luger took on Meng in the show’s top two matches. Savage would get disqualified thanks to Luger’s interference, while Savage attacked Luger behind the referee’s back, allowing Meng to pick up an upset. After the match, a confrontation between Savage and Luger led to a match between the two being set up for next week.

In addition, we heard from Hulk Hogan, who said that he had visited a doctor about his neck, following The Giant’s vicious attack. He said that the doctor wants him to retire, but Hogan refused. He said that he will be back and when he returns, he wants The Giant in the ring…

Other action saw Kuraswa pick up a win over Sgt. Craig Pittman, with Road Warrior Hawk watching closely. And Alex Wright defeated Disco Inferno in the dancing fool’s first appearance on Nitro. On commentary, Eric Bischoff made mention of the fresh new talent coming to WCW and that there had been talk within the WCW Executive Committee of commissioning a new Championship in the near future.

Quick Results
1. “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright def. Disco Inferno
2. Kurasawa def. Sgt. Craig Pittman
3. The Taskmaster def. “Macho Man” Randy Savage by disqualification
4. Meng def. “The Total Package” Lex Luger

WCW Saturday Night – September 30th, 1995
Johnny B Badd was set to challenge Sting for the United States Championship, but it appeared that the challenger was a no-show. After two attempts to have the match, it was announced that Sting would instead face the man Badd beat at Fall Brawl, Brian Pillman. With help from Arn Anderson, Pillman was able to upset Sting and capture the gold! After the match, Ric Flair helped Sting fight off Anderson and Pillman, but afterwards, Sting rebuffed Flair’s offer of a handshake, clearly not trusting “The Nature Boy” after their long history with one another…

The show would end, however, with Johnny B Badd finally arriving, only to learn he had missed his opportunity. WCW World Television Champion Diamond Dallas Page and his entourage arrived to taunt Badd, only for Maxx Muscle to accidentally let slip that they had slashed Badd’s tires, causing him to miss the show. An enraged Badd would then lay out Page with the Tutti Fruity!

The American Males were victorious in their first outing since winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship, but after the match, they were confronted by The Nasty Boys, who said the Males “owed them” for taking out the Blue Bloods, paving the way for them to be in the match against Harlem Heat. Brian Knobbs said he and Saggs want a title shot and the Males accepted. We will see these teams clash in the very near future…

V.K. Wallstreet interfered in the match between Big Bubba Rogers and Jim Duggan, stealing Duggan’s 2X4 from ringside, distracting “Hacksaw” long enough for Roger to hit the Bubba Slam for the win. “Mean” Gene Okerlund would once again interview Wallstreet and (reluctantly) admit that he was telling the truth about being named WCW Commissioner…

Quick Results
1. “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson def. Mark Starr
2. Scott “Flash” Norton def. Barry Houston
3. The American Males def. The Barrio Brothers
4. Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Cobra
5. Big Bubba Rogers def. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
6. Diamond Dallas Page def. Eddie Jackie
7. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair def. Frankie Lancaster
8. WCW United States Championship Match - “Flyin” Brian Pillman def. Sting (c) (Title change!)

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Apr 5, 2024 18:30:35 GMT -5 Wardlow on Wardlow 54 said:

Apr 5, 2024 18:23:21 GMT -5 ThankGodForSidJustice said:

The booking of the WCW tag division was definitely a mess with all the title hot potatoing and teams like the American Males and Buck and Slater getting reigns despite being undeserving imo. I liked Harlem Heat but them having four title wins in the calendar year was ridiculous. And the only team who didn't get a reign was the Blue Bloods even though they were probably the best of the bunch.

If I was booking it I would've had the Nasty Boys win them from Harlem Heat at Slamboree like they did. However then I would've had them drop them to the Blue Bloods. Then have Sherri turn on Harlem Heat to go with the Blue Bloods with Harlem Heat turning face and chasing and eventually winning the titles again. However they just loved the Sherri and Colonel Parker romance angle so much and refused to move away from it despite it not being entertaining in the slightest and it just ended up being a detriment to the whole division overall.

You won't be a fan of one of my main storylines then lol I personally liked it, but I was 10 at the time and new to watching wrestling in general.

EDIT: it's also worth noting that Rob Fuller was on the booking committee at the time, which is partly why that angle got so much focus.

Well that explains it lol. I kind of had a feeling that was the case.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Apr 5, 2024 19:20:43 GMT -5 Wardlow on Wardlow 54 said:

Monday Nitro – September 25th, 1995
Florence, South Carolina hosted Monday Nitro, which was focused on the Dungeon of Doom battling members of Hulk Hogan’s War Games team in singles matches. Randy Savage battled The Taskmaster, while Lex Luger took on Meng in the show’s top two matches. Savage would get disqualified thanks to Luger’s interference, while Savage attacked Luger behind the referee’s back, allowing Meng to pick up an upset. After the match, a confrontation between Savage and Luger led to a match between the two being set up for next week.

In addition, we heard from Hulk Hogan, who said that he had visited a doctor about his neck, following The Giant’s vicious attack. He said that the doctor wants him to retire, but Hogan refused. He said that he will be back and when he returns, he wants The Giant in the ring…

Other action saw Kuraswa pick up a win over Sgt. Craig Pittman, with Road Warrior Hawk watching closely. And Alex Wright defeated Disco Inferno in the dancing fool’s first appearance on Nitro. On commentary, Eric Bischoff made mention of the fresh new talent coming to WCW and that there had been talk within the WCW Executive Committee of commissioning a new Championship in the near future.

Quick Results
1. “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright def. Disco Inferno
2. Kurasawa def. Sgt. Craig Pittman
3. The Taskmaster def. “Macho Man” Randy Savage by disqualification
4. Meng def. “The Total Package” Lex Luger

WCW Saturday Night – September 30th, 1995
Johnny B Badd was set to challenge Sting for the United States Championship, but it appeared that the challenger was a no-show. After two attempts to have the match, it was announced that Sting would instead face the man Badd beat at Fall Brawl, Brian Pillman. With help from Arn Anderson, Pillman was able to upset Sting and capture the gold! After the match, Ric Flair helped Sting fight off Anderson and Pillman, but afterwards, Sting rebuffed Flair’s offer of a handshake, clearly not trusting “The Nature Boy” after their long history with one another…

The show would end, however, with Johnny B Badd finally arriving, only to learn he had missed his opportunity. WCW World Television Champion Diamond Dallas Page and his entourage arrived to taunt Badd, only for Maxx Muscle to accidentally let slip that they had slashed Badd’s tires, causing him to miss the show. An enraged Badd would then lay out Page with the Tutti Fruity!

The American Males were victorious in their first outing since winning the WCW World Tag Team Championship, but after the match, they were confronted by The Nasty Boys, who said the Males “owed them” for taking out the Blue Bloods, paving the way for them to be in the match against Harlem Heat. Brian Knobbs said he and Saggs want a title shot and the Males accepted. We will see these teams clash in the very near future…

V.K. Wallstreet interfered in the match between Big Bubba Rogers and Jim Duggan, stealing Duggan’s 2X4 from ringside, distracting “Hacksaw” long enough for Roger to hit the Bubba Slam for the win. “Mean” Gene Okerlund would once again interview Wallstreet and (reluctantly) admit that he was telling the truth about being named WCW Commissioner…

Quick Results
1. “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson def. Mark Starr
2. Scott “Flash” Norton def. Barry Houston
3. The American Males def. The Barrio Brothers
4. Sgt. Craig Pittman def. Cobra
5. Big Bubba Rogers def. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan
6. Diamond Dallas Page def. Eddie Jackie
7. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair def. Frankie Lancaster
8. WCW United States Championship Match - “Flyin” Brian Pillman def. Sting (c) (Title change!)

Pillman beating Sting is unexpected but I really like it. Also plays into the Flair thing better and makes Sting look like less of a dummy like usual if he agrees to be Flair's partner since he too now has an axe to grind with Anderson and Pillman. Hoping you do a better job booking the US Title then they did with all those weird title reigns from guys like Kensuke Sasaki and Paid By Appearance One Man Gang.

Really interested to see where the Wallstreet thing is going. As well as the Nasty Boys. Feels like they really fell to the wayside once the Nitro era started.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Yeah, a lot of the stuff I envisioned when I first started this is starting to come to fruition here. I never understood why they had Badd beat Pillman, only to get removed from the match in favor of Pillman, who still lost to Sting. And like you said, it helps justify the Sting/Flair storyline. I hope my US Title booking meets your expectations.

Wallstreet as Commissioner is something I saw someone else do in an EWR diary and I thought it was genius. And it made sense he'd start with Duggan, a fan favorite who carried a weapon to the ring.

I'll admit that a lot of what I'm doing with the tag team division was an audible after your critique of the Males/Harlem Heat episode. I appreciate that feedback, because it made me take a look at what I had written so far to find any inconsistencies/lazy writing on my part. I just went back and changed three episodes of WCW Saturday Night to better reflect the direction I want to go in.

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

Apr 5, 2024 20:00:48 GMT -5 Wardlow on Wardlow 54 said:

Yeah, a lot of the stuff I envisioned when I first started this is starting to come to fruition here. I never understood why they had Badd beat Pillman, only to get removed from the match in favor of Pillman, who still lost to Sting. And like you said, it helps justify the Sting/Flair storyline. I hope my US Title booking meets your expectations.

Wallstreet as Commissioner is something I saw someone else do in an EWR diary and I thought it was genius. And it made sense he'd start with Duggan, a fan favorite who carried a weapon to the ring.

I'll admit that a lot of what I'm doing with the tag team division was an audible after your critique of the Males/Harlem Heat episode. I appreciate that feedback, because it made me take a look at what I had written so far to find any inconsistencies/lazy writing on my part. I just went back and changed three episodes of WCW Saturday Night to better reflect the direction I want to go in.

I guess it got them to Badd/DDP but other then that it really didn't make sense. Seemed like a big step back for Badd too as he instead of moving up to possibly winning the second biggest singles title he went back to holding the third most important singles champion like he did the year before. The rumor was Badd and Pillman were set up to fail by going really long in the Fall Brawl match. However instead they ended up delivering a great match. Then out of spite both were punished for doing their job well. Badd with the weird Orndorff loss on Nitro the next and then going back to the TV Title picture. Pillman was put in the Horsemen but if you watch the TV was needlessly eating a lot of pins despite just coming off a heel turn and being involved in of the more featured angles.

Wallstreet as the commissioner is a good use of him I think. Better then him just being a lower midcard heel having boring matches. Also makes the Duggan against Wallstreet and Bubba feud much better and feel more important then it was with blue collar face Duggan fighting against the odds versus the wealthy heel who has all the power and abuses it. Don't know how involved he will be but Bubba being the enforcer and "The Dragon" that Duggan and other faces have to slay to get to Wallstreet would potentially be a much better use of him too. Kind of similar to the role he was used in WWF with Vince and the Corporation a few years later.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – October 2nd, 1995
Monday Nitro took place in Denver, Colorado. The big story coming out of the show was an announcement for next week. In the main event, Ric Flair defeated Arn Anderson, albeit by disqualification, after the new United States Champion, Brian Pillman, interfered. Anderson and Pillman would beat Flair down, but a defiant Flair demanded a rematch next week. But to keep Pillman out, it will be a steel cage match!

The other major story was the match between Lex Luger and Randy Savage, which left fans with more questions than answers. Despite Luger’s claims that he came back to WCW for the competition, the match ended under very questionable circumstances. After the referee got knocked down accidentally, The Giant stomped down to the ring and laid out “The Macho Man” with a Chokeslam, allowing Luger to then get Savage in the Torture Rack. With Savage limp and non-responsive, the referee had no choice but to declare Luger the winner. Gene Okerlund had questions for Luger after the match, but Luger claimed to be unaware of any interference…

We also saw the Monday Nitro debuts of Eddie Guerrero and Dean Malenko, who went one-on-one. The two have been rivals in other promotions and have now brought their feud to WCW. On this night, Guerrero was the winner, finishing off Malenko with his signature Frog Splash.

Quick Results
1. “The Total Package” Lex Luger def. “The Macho Man” Randy Savage
2. Eddie Guerrero def. Dean Malenko
3. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair def. “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson by disqualification

WCW Saturday Night – October 7th, 1995
The romance between Colonel Robert Parker and Sister Sherri took center stage on this edition of WCW Saturday Night. During Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater’s match against the Nasty Boys, Sherri would come to ringside and flirt with the Colonel. This distracted Slater, who yelled at Sherri to get out of there, but it left Buck to fall victim to a double-team by Jerry Saggs and Brian Knobbs for the win. After the match, Buck and Slater berated Sherri, but Harlem Heat came out to defend their manager’s honor. As the Studs and the Heat had a heated confrontation, Parker and Sherri continued to make goo-goo eyes at one another. However, as the Nasties were leaving the area, the Blue Bloods attacked them! The two teams brawled in the aisle, crossing into the confrontation with Harlem Heat and the Stud Stable, sparking a four-way brawl!

This episode also saw a pair of rematches from recent shows. First, Dean Malenko avenged his loss from last Monday’s Nitro with a win over Eddie Guerrero, rolling up his rival and grabbing the tights for a cheap victory. In the main event, Jim Duggan once again faced Big Bubba Rogers. Commissioner V.K. Wallstreet walked down to ringside during the match and stopped Duggan when he went for the 2X4. But when Wallstreet went to nail Duggan with his own weapon, Duggan ducked and Bubba got clocked with the wood, allowing Duggan to get the win!

Paul Orndorff made an appearance on Saturday Night, joining Tony Schiavone and Dusty Rhodes in the studio for an interview. Orndorff admitted that he hasn’t been “Mr. Wonderful” lately, lamenting recent losses to The Renegade, Alex Wright and Johnny B Badd. He said that he wasn’t sure what was next for him, but Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman would enter the scene. Anderson gave Orndorff a pep talk, calling him one of the greats. Pillman nodded in agreement, but whenever Orndorff and Anderson weren’t looking, the US Champion would roll his eyes in disgust…

After his confrontation last week with Diamond Dallas Page, it was announced that at Halloween Havoc, Badd will challenge Page for the WCW World Television Championship.

Quick Results
1. Alex Wright def. Ray Hudson
2. The Nasty Boys def. Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater
3. Meng def. Mike Davis
4. Dean Malenko def. Eddie Guerrero
5. V.K. Wallstreet def. Chris Kanyon
6. Johnny B Badd def. Dusty Wolfe
7. “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan def. Big Bubba Rogers

[ThankGodForSidJustice]

No Gary Spivey in this universe?

I have no idea how Paul is ever going get over this crisis of confidence and realize he's truly "Mistah Wundahful" now.

[Wardlow on Wardlow 54]

Monday Nitro – October 9th, 1995
Rosemont, Illinois hosted Monday Nitro’s first-ever steel cage match, as former best friends Ric Flair and Arn Anderson did battle in one of wrestling’s most barbaric matches. While the cage was intended to keep intruders out, Brian Pillman would still interfere and impact the conclusion of the match. As Flair was climbing the side of the cage, Pillman climbed up and prevented him from escaping, allowing Anderson to exit through the door. Afterwards, during an interview with “Mean” Gene Okerlund, Anderson gloated that Flair had no allies and would be unable to defeat them…

Randy Savage picked up a win over The Shark, thanks to an unlikely assist from Scott Norton. Back on the second episode of Nitro, Norton faced Savage, only for The Shark to end up costing him the match while going after Savage. During this match, Norton laid out Shark with a big clothesline while the referee was checking on Savage on the outside. This enabled Savage to connect with the flying elbow smash to pick up the win, as Norton had now made enemies out of the entire Dungeon of Doom…

Road Warrior Hawk took on Big Bubba Rogers, but was distracted by the appearance of Kurasawa and Colonel Robert Parker. Hawk would end up going after Kuraswaa at ringside, causing him to be counted out. After the match, V.K. Wallstreet made his way to ringside to have a chat with Big Bubba, who seemed receptive to whatever the Commissioner was saying. And in other action, Sabu made his second appearance on Nitro, defeating Mr. JL by submission, utilizing the Camel Clutch.

Next week, Chris Benoit makes his return to WCW when he takes on Eddie Guerrero…

Quick Results
1. “The Macho Man” Randy Savage def. The Shark
2. Sabu def. Mr. JL
3. Big Bubba Rogers def. Road Warrior Hawk by count out
4. “The Enforcer” Arn Anderson def. “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair in a Steel Cage Match

WCW Saturday Night October 14th, 1995
After last week’s pep talk from Arn Anderson, “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff was in action on WCW Saturday Night, picking up a victory. Orndorff would thank Anderson for restoring his confidence in himself, and offered his assistance in Anderson’s feud with Ric Flair, should Arn ever need a hand.

Ric Flair called out Sting and implored him to join forces to battle Arn Anderson and Brian Pillman, but Sting refused, pointing out his history with Flair. Flair would bring a bunch of kids wearing Sting facepaint out to try and sway the Stinger, but he remained aloof. Sting was successful over Sgt. Craig Pittman in the evening’s main event, but the question as Saturday Night went off the air was will Sting give Flair the answer he wants?

The Blue Bloods attacked Harlem Heat after their match, building off of the four-way brawl from last week. It was also announced that next week on Saturday Night, the American Males will defend the WCW World Tag Team Championship against the Nasty Boys!

More matches were announced for Halloween Havoc: Road Warrior Hawk will take on Kurasawa in a grudge match; Randy Savage will take on the Zodiac; and Lex Luger will face Meng in a rematch of their Monday Nitro encounter from a few weeks ago.

Quick Results
1. Road Warrior Hawk def. Chris Kanyon
2. Harlem Heat def. Rick Thames and Sonny Trout
3. The Taskmaster def. Todd Wilder
4. The Renegade def. Chris Nelson
5. Bunkhouse Buck and “Dirty” Dick Slater def. Eddie Jackie and Todd Morton
6. Meng def. Chris Sawyer
7. WCW United States Championship - “Flyin’” Brian Pillman (c) def. “Das Wunderkind” Alex Wright
8. Scott “Flash” Norton def. Joey Maggs
9. “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff def. Mike Davis
10. Sting def. Sgt. Craig Pittman