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/wrestling /guests /Nieto |
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/wrestling /guests /Nieto |
| Guest Columns | Frank Nieto |
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TUESDAY MORNING BOOKING Everybody it seems has an opinion on WCW and how to fix things, myself not excluded. However, I prefer to look at things from a different perspective, sort of a Monday morning quarterback view, or in this case a Tuesday morning booker's viewpoint. Try and step backwards and fix mistakes before they happened. With that I present my answer to WCW's problems - the time machine version. The place: summer of '98 - August - Road Wild First off, nix the Goldberg-Hogan 7/5 title change. This change basically axed WCW's hottest feud that really hadn't developed yet - nWo Hollywood vs. nWo Wolfpac. IMO, this feud could have saved the nWo and made money and drawn ratings; ie, the name of the game. Secondly, do NOT break up the Outsiders. Dumb idea that any fan could have told you, sort of the same thing with the break up of DX - Nash has gone onto two World title runs, but he hasn't been the same since he and Hall split (though being head booker has had something to do with this). Thirdly, NO fucking Jay Leno, the BATB main could remain the same, but it should have been a shot showdown between Hogan and DDP. Road Wild should have been the long awaited showdown between Hogan and Nash. WCW got it right...a year late. The event: Nash obliterates Hogan in the main event to capture the belt. Here is where the belt should've been spraypainted red nWo. Remember last year's sales of all things Wolfpac? Behind only Austin and DX merchandise? This would've gotten a big response. So now Nash is World champ, which sets up the big blow-off to this feud (BTW I'm mainly concentrating on PPV main events - Nitro matches between both nWo factions should be taking place during this time) the War Games match at Fall Brawl - 9/98 nWo - Hulk Hogan, The Giant, Scott Steiner, Curt Hennig & Bret Hart - Hart has officially joined the nWo vs. nWo Wolfpac - Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sting, Lex Luger & Gonnad During the match someone - Bischoff, Liz, Norton, Vincent, etc. slips a taser into the ring to Hart. With everyone else consumed Hart zaps Nash and lays him out, locks him in the Sharpshooter and gets the win, establishing Hart as a WCW main eventer. This leads to Halloween Havoc - 10/98 Kevin Nash vs. Bret Hart In a return of their WWF title match nearly three years earlier Nash gets the tough win with the Jacknife. Also note Goldberg defeats DDP in the semi-main to retain the US title. A tag match is signed for World War 3 - 11/98 The Outsiders vs. Hulk Hogan & Bret Hart Hogan pins Hall clean for the victory. Re-establishing him as a potential main eventer. Goldberg, still undefeated, wins WW3. Before Starrcade, Nash, Hall & Sting are scheduled to face Hogan, Steiner & Hart in on Nitro two weeks before the PPV, but the nWo attacks Hall or Sting, along with Luger & K-Dick, putting them out for the night. Goldberg steps in for Hall or Sting. During the match Goldberg goes to spear Hogan, but he moves, and Goldberg instead KO's Nash. Steiner then nails Goldberg with a chair, allowing Hogan to roll Nash up for the win. Nash and Goldberg nearly come to blows, setting up some tension for their upcoming match. The week before Starrcade Goldberg beats Steiner to retain the US title and Nash beats Hogan to retain the World title. Nash has been vows to end the win streak and mocks Goldberg, making him the de-facto heel for the match, which leads to Starrcade '98 Kevin Nash vs. Goldberg Same match, but perhaps more anticipation, since Goldberg hasn't won the World title yet. Goldberg has his toughest match yet, but kicks out of the Jacknife, then Jackhammers Nash for the win. The two handshake afterwards and Nash lifts the new champ's arm, sending all home happy (for the most part). Also on the card Flair beats Bischoff for WCW presidency. The following night Hogan demands a shot at Goldberg. He's turned down due to his recent title loss. Hogan & the nWo proceeds to attack Goldberg. A match is scheduled for Souled Out '99 Goldberg vs. Hollywood Hogan Goldberg throttles Hogan, who announces his retirement the following night. Hart defeats Sting in a tournament final for the vacant US title. A rematch between Goldberg and Nash is signed for SuperBrawl X - 2/99 Goldberg vs. Kevin Nash After about twelve minutes of action, Bret Hart jumps the ring and creams them both, then announces that he's the new leader of the nWo and that he's sick and tired of being jerked around. Bischoff nods along with him, Bret and the nWo take him out for losing the power to Flair. The next night on Nitro Bret declares there's a new sheriff in town (I loved that line) and that the outlaw Wolfpac will be brought back into the fold. This all sets up Uncensored '99 Goldberg vs. Bret Hart Hart ends Goldberg's win streak, much the same way he beat Diesel in the WWF. Goldberg dominates the match, but at some point Bret takes his knee out and works it over. Goldberg makes his big comeback - spears Hitman and goes for the Jackhammer. His knee gives out and Hart rolls him up for the victory. The following night the now vacant US title (which with the last two champs becoming World champ is seen as being an important stepping stone once again) is put up for grabs in a triangle match by President Flair. Flair declares he wants to see new blood vie for the belt and names Chris Benoit, Buff Bagwell and Booker T the top contenders. Benoit scores the win. Also note that Flair is slowly becoming less active in the ring and is becoming more of an on-screen personality, ala HBK in the WWF. His matches will start to become one shot deals, ala Roddy Piper. By this time Goldberg is still injured and Nash still hasn't gotten a fair rematch. So he is awarded a title shot at Slamboree - 4/99 Bret Hart vs. Kevin Nash Hart gets the CLEAN victory over Nash with a German suplex, helping re-establish the WCW belt as being truly important. During the weeks before the next PPV Hart successfully beats Hall, Benoit and Sting to retain the belt. Flair declares himself the top contender and faces Hart at Spring Stampede - 5/99 Bret Hart vs. Ric Flair This is really Flair's last stand, as it's his last PPV main event. WCW announcers should hint at this to build up its importance. In the weeks before the match Flair gets impressive wins over Bam Bam Bigelow, Hennig, Scott Steiner and Scott Hall to build his credibility back up. Hart goes over clean by submission with the Sharpshooter. The belt is re-establishing its importance through hard-nosed matches with clean finishes and by being defended consistently. Goldberg has returned by this time. During a Thunder show Benoit challenges Hart and upsets him for the belt - marking the third successive US champ to win the World title, hopefully helping to spike the show's ratings and continuing to raise the US title's level, as well as Benoit's as a future main eventer. An immediate rematch is scheduled for The Great American Bash - 6/99 Chris Benoit vs. Bret Hart Hart goes over clean to regain the belt. Goldberg wins the US title by beating Scott Steiner in a number one contender's match. Hart defends the title against Booker T, Gonnad and Dean Malenko - giving the younger guys a push on Nitro main events - Bret wins clean against all. Sting wins a number one contender match over Benoit to face Hart at Bash at the Beach - 7/99 Bret Hart vs. Sting Sting wins clean, reversing the Sharpshooter into the Scorpion Deathlock. The next night Nash asks for a title shot and Sting obliges, Sting wins the match - Nash & Hall immediately attack and rejoin Hart's nWo, establishing a "super" heel group once again. They declare themselves the three leaders of the group and that the Wolfpac is dead. A six man is scheduled the next week - Sting, Luger & Goldberg vs. The Outsiders & Hart - Nash beats Sting, setting up Road Wild - 8/99 Sting vs. Kevin Nash This would be the first televised singles match between these two, I believe. Nash wins when Hall & Hart interfere. Goldberg is upset by Steiner for the US belt when Gonnad (who has also joined the nWo) interferes. One screw-job card allows angle development. Also title changes help get wrestlers back over after a time when the World title was being re-established. During the next month the WCW vs. nWo feud develops for Fall Brawl - 9/99 nWo - Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Bret Hart, Scott Steiner and Gonnad vs Sting, Lex Luger, Goldberg, Randy Savage (who has returned from injury and begun working his way up the card) and Booker T (Booker T being in the main event moves him up a bit on the card) Goldberg forces Steiner to tap out to his rolling armbar submission (switching things up a bit) for his team's win. His win streak over Steiner continues with his US title win the next night. Leading up to WW3, a mystery man is announced as being the 60th participant. Nash beats Luger and Savage in successive weeks on Nitro, setting up a rematch with Sting at World War 3 - 10/99 Kevin Nash vs. Sting Sting regains the belt, reversing a Jacknife into a DDT, setting up a Scorpion Deathlock tap out. Also on the card - WW3's mystery man is set to be introduced when "n-W-o" is heard and "Voodoo Chile" follows it, marking Hogan's return. WW3 comes down to Hogan and Goldberg. (BTW falls and over the top eliminations count). Goldberg spikes Hogan with the Jackhammer and goes for the cover - the nWo rush the ring and destroy them both. Hart gets on the mic asks Hogan where he gets off returning and that he is no longer in the nWo. The next night Flair declares Goldberg & Hogan co-winners of WW3 and that a triangle match will take place at Starrcade for the belt. Hart protests, stating he hasn't gotten a rematch for his belt. Flair decides to make a triangle match between Hart, Goldberg and Hogan with the winner facing Sting for the belt at Starrcade '99 Hulk Hogan vs. Goldberg vs. Bret Hart Most everyone is picking Goldberg, the US champ, but in the shocker, Goldberg misses a spear, hits the ringpost and is unable to break up Hart's submission win over Hogan (finally ending Hogan's career and giving Hart the win he deserves), which leads to Sting vs. Bret Hart Hart has momentum, but Sting overcomes it to get the win, ending the century as WCW champ. Of course Goldberg's current win streak is still intact, as he was protected in the triangle match, which sets up the first main event for the next century - Sting vs. Goldberg. And that, my friends, is how WCW could've remained at, or at least near the top of the wrestling world. If you look at it I think this style of main events would interest for a lot of fans - it keeps guys over and elevates titles back to importance, as well as slowly elevating young stars, but not at the expense of the established main eventers. It certainly couldn't have been worse than the way things have gone for WCW since Road Wild '98. Frank Nieto freelance Mail the Author |
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