Total Extreme Wrestling: WCCW 1983

[NoSkillz]

I love this dynasty! Keep up the great work molson!

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, December 1984
San Antonio, TX (Midsouth - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Barry Orton & Perry Jackson (w/The Missouri Mauler) defeat Al Perez & Owen Hart in 5:48 when Orton pinned Perez. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Bruno Sammartino drew with Doug Sommers (w/The Missouri Mauler) in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-As the show starts, Bill Mercer interviews Kerry Von Erich, who says it's great to be in San Antonio. He also hypes his main event match tonight, against Bob Backlund. Kerry puts over Backlund, and says that he doesn't feel Backlund needs either Hart, Akbar, or Lord Alfred Hayes as a manager. (C+)

-Gary Hart comes to the ring with his team of Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy. First, Hart calls Kerry an idiot, and says that his managerial guidance is exactly what Bob Backlund needs to reach his full potential. With himself in Backlund's corner, Hart says, Backlund will be the most dominant force in professional wrestling. Hart says that he'll prove his mettle to Backlund at New Year's Revolutions, where he'll slap around Skandor Abkar and Lord Alfred Hayes. (C+). Then, Hart hypes the upcoming match between Bundy & Mendoza, and Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki. Hart tries to stir up a little dissension between Tiger Mask & Kabuki, noting that he heard that Tiger Mask feels that Curt Hennig is a much better tag team partner than Kabuki. (C+).

-Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki defeat Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) in 21:21 after Tiger Mask pinned Bundy. (B-). Bundy seemed off his game, and was tiring towards the end of the match. Hart interfered during the match for the heels. The last several minutes of the match featured several blunders by the heels, including Mendoza falling of the top rope, and Hart accidentally striking Bundy when Tiger Mask ducked. After the match, Tiger Mask and Kabuki could be seen laughing at the heels on their way back to the ringside (Kabuki's reaction can liberally be described as a "laugh"). (B-).

-The Grapplers come to the ring, and cut a promo. They note that even though they've lost twice to the Road Warriors, they claim to have found several "holes" in the Warriors' offensive attack, and plan on exploiting them tonight. (C-). The Road Warriors head to the ring and cut a quick promo, mocking the Grapplers' confidence, and saying that they haven't even prepared for this match at all - they're focused on the Sheepherders match at New Years Revolution. (C)

-The Road Warriors defeat The Grapplers in 9:32 when Animal pinned Grappler #2. (C+). The match was longer and somewhat more evenly contested the previous two between the teams.

-Piper's Pit, w/guest Bruno Sammartino.
In a very tense interview, Piper demands to know when he'll get an answer from David about Piper's offer to replace Bruno in their six-man-tag team. Piper accuses Bruno of threatening to withhold his inheritance to David unless he denies the offer. Bruno says that he's leaving the decision completely up to his son, and in fact, has had no contact with David since the TV show last week. Bruno says that whatever David's decision, Piper won't be able to break their family apart. They'll move on from this. Bruno says he wants Piper out of his life, and out of his career. This has all gone on way too long. Bruno says their matches have been evenly contested, and nothing's been settled. He makes a challenge for one more match, at New Year's Revolution. Sammartino makes the offer: 1 more match, Bruno will choose the stipulation. If Piper wins, Bruno will fulfill his remaining contract obligations, and then retire. If Bruno wins, Piper must leave WCCW. Piper confers with Adrian Adonis briefly, and then balks - he won't put his WCCW career on the line, knowing what a "huge cheat" Bruno is, and how unpredictable their matches have been. In addition, at Bruno's age, he could drop dead at any moment, so Piper would be putting much, much, more on the line. Piper counters - if he loses, he'll wear a funny hat for 2 weeks. Bruno stares blankly. Piper counters again - if he loses, he'll never bother the Sammartinos again, and he'll put it in writing. Bruno agrees, if Piper throws in more more thing - if Piper loses, he and Adonis both have to wear dresses in all of their WCCW appearances for the next month. Adonis smiles, but quickly regains his composure when Piper turns to look at him. Piper agrees. (B+)

-Bob Backlund defeats Kerry Von Erich in 27:55 by pinfall. (B+). After the match, Backlund cut a promo, hyping his win, and the triple threat "manager's challenge" at New Year's Revolution. (B)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Solid show, and we did it with a pretty small group, which will help keep costs down (but will add to the unhappiness in the locker room).

-The main event was only the third ever 1-on-1 match between Backlund and Kerry. Backlund has won all three, and the matches have increased in quality each time. Last October, they had a C+ match, this February, they wrestled to a B-, and here, a B+.

-The Piper's Pit segment was a little weird....and their New Year's Revolution match is a tad convoluted with the stipulations, but I like how the negotiated and came to a compromise that kind of makes sense.

If Piper Wins:
-Bruno retires after fulfilling his current commitments

If Adonis Wins:
-Piper will never bother the Sammartinos again, and must wear a dress, with Adonis, for a month.

-It will also be the final 1-on-1 match between the two, capping their long feud, and Sammartino will pick the match stipulation (to be announced just before the match).

-The Road Warriors have been somewhat heelish during their WCCW run, violently attacking other teams and here, openly admitting that they're "looking past" the Grapplers. They've also avoided associating with any other established babyfaces for the most part.

-The Mendoza/Bundy v. Hart/Kabuki storyline is still technically going on, even though all 4 guys have involved in other things. The feud will continue into the new year, and will continue to focus mainly on in-ring matches, but I'll have to throw in a twist or two at some point.

[molson]

NEWS

-SWCW, who lost their head booker when we signed Kevin Sullivan, has found this replacement.....Vince McMahon. SWCW (along with SECW and UWA) is one of the promotions we're "at war" with. Anybody I sign from those rosters immediately leaves those promotions. If I ever start expanding again, I will screw with SWCW and Vince. His top stars in SWCW are Buddy Rose, Bob Armstrong, Paul Orndorff, Butch Reed, Adrian Street, and Dick Slater.

-St. Louis Wrestling Club has brought in Tiger Mask & Matt Bourne. They probably won't get to use Tiger Mask much, since they plan to run shows opposite us on Wednesday night, and of course we're Tiger Mask's (and everyone's) priority company.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, December 1984
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,726

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski defeats Villano IV in 8:05 by pinfall. (D-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:38 by submission (E+). After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Mike about his win. (C).

-As the show starts, Lance Russell hypes the show and then interviews Bill Mercer, who makes his return to WCCW TV. Mercer says he's going to spend the show roaming backstage, just to get a sense of what's going on in the WCCW locker room, and looking for stories that may be of interest to the WCCW fans. (C)

-Roddy Piper comes to the announce area to break up the interview - he says he wants to make sure that everybody is properly hyping this week's main event: Piper v. Buzz Sawyer. (B). Russell replies that yes, they were just about to talk about that match, and they were also about to show highlights from a WCCW live event show several weeks ago in Orlando, where Sawyer defeated Piper. Piper loudly objects, saying that those highlights aren't necessary - he continues yelling and ranting, while several minutes of the Orlando match play on TV. (B-). After those highlights, Russell introduces and plays another highlight video, this one of Sawyer's wrestling exploits around the country. Russell also notes that Sawyer will be a part of the King of the Texas Deathmatch tournament at New Year's Revolution. (B-)

-The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Al Perez & Owen Hart in 4:05 when Williams pinned Perez. (C-). After the match, Akbar hyped his team, and their no-dq match against The Road Warriors at New Year's Revolution. In order to get that rematch, the Warriors promised to leave WCCW if they lost. (C)

-Lance Russell cuts to Bill Mercer backstage, who says he has a story. Mercer approaches Gary Hart, who is sweating, and pressing a towel onto his bald head. He appears to be extremely stressed out. Mercer approaches, surprising an irritated Hart. Mercer asks Hart what he's stressed about: Is it the implosion of his six-man "dream" tag team? Is it the fact that Mercer has heard backstage rumors that team members Dick Murdoch and Bob Backlund have agreed to a match at New Year's Revolution? Is it the fact that Hart is just over a week away from stepping into the ring with two men who are less-removed from their wrestling careers - Skandor Akbar and Lord Alfred Hayes? Is it the fact that he hasn't managed to lead any of his clients to a championship in over two years? An angry Hart claims he's not stressed - he's simply under the weather. He says he'll get his six-man team back together, that he'll wipe the floor with Hayes & Akbar, and that he'll have championships galore early in 1985, if not sooner. (B-)

-Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Group B, Match 4
Tiger Mask, The Great Kabuki & Tiger Mask defeat Barry Orton, Perry Jackson, and Doug Somers (w/The Missouri Mauler) in 7:48 when Hennig pinned Jackson. (C)

-(Group B Standings)
1. Curt Hennig, The Great Kabuki, & Tiger Mask (2 pinfall wins, 1 loss, 6 points, 1 match remaining)
3. King Kong Bundy, Bob Backlund, & Dick Murdock (1 pinfall win, 1 loss, 3 points, 2 matches remaining)
3. Doug Somers, Perry Jackson & Barry Orton (1 DQ win, 2 losses, 2 points, 1 match remaining)

(The Somers/Jackson/Orton team has been mathmatically eliminated)

-Backstage, David Von Erich hypes his return to the ring tonight...He says it's been killing him to sit out, and tonight's match later on is a tune-up for his battle with Koko B. Ware at New Year's Revolution. (B-)

-Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Mark Youngblood in 0:38 by pinfall. (C-). Koloff looked good. Koloff and Akbar also linger around ringside for the next segment...

-Lance Russell interviews Fritz Von Erich in the ring. Fritz hypes the upcoming election for new WCCW Commissioner, and tells the fans how they can vote. He says starting January 1st, his interim leadership will end, and the new commissioner will take power. He also once again hints at PPV capability in 1985. (C-). Nikita Koloff and Skandor Akbar interrupt the interview. Akbar says that a few weeks ago, Iceman Parsons unfairly surprised Koloff and cheated his way to a win against Koloff and his "3-minute challenge". Akbar demands that Fritz, while he still has power, arrange a match between Koloff and Parsons sometime after January 1st, and that if Parsons is fortunate enough to be World Champion by then (after his New Year's Revolution cage match against Bobby Eaton), that would be a title match. Fritz refuses, saying he's not making any major decisions, and that he'll continue to lay low and leave such issues to the new commissioner. (C+)

-Russell cuts again to Bill Mercer, who has another story backstage. He says he's heard rumors about Adrian Adonis' ongoing experiments with cross-dressing, and is looking to interview him. Mercer asks several passing wrestlers if they've seen Adonis, and one points Mercer in the direction of a utility closet. Mercer approaches, knocks, and enters - he sees Adonis, in full drag, dancing and singing in front of a mirror...He attempts to get an interview, but a terrified Adonis quickly closes the door and claims, "it's not what it looks like!". (C)

-The Road Warriors defeat The Grapplers in 6:57 when Animal pinned Grappler #2. (B-). Immediately after the match, The Sheepherders, with Skandor Akbar, hit the ring and attack the Warriors. The Sheepherders maintain control, and the assault lasts several minutes, and leaves both of the Warriors laying. (C)

-David Von Erich defeats Villano V in 7:43 by pinfall. (A). The two showed great chemistry, but the match suffered from a lack of selling. The match was evenly contested, and David looked somewhat rusty in his first match back from injury.

-Another lengthy video hypes the return of Terry Funk. This one features highlights and commentary from Funk. (B)

-Buzz Sawyer defeats Roddy Piper (w/Adrian Adonis - no longer dressed in drag but back in his "redneck" gear) in 20:12 by pinfall. (B). The two showed good chemistry.

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Disappointing final rating considering those last two matches.

-Sawyer/Piper managed an A+ in Orlando, so the B here was a little disappointing, but of course, Sawyer is a much bigger star in the southeast then Texas, so it makes sense. It probably would have made more sense to have him main event another house show in the southeast to pop a rating there. Now he just has 1 loan appearance left, which will be at the King of the Texas Death Match tournament.

-WOW - David Von Erich/Villano V wrestle an "A" match. Obviously that's the match of Villano V's life - he had only gotten B- or higher twice before in 1-on-1 matches (both with Curt Hennig, a B- and a B).

-The Grapplers haven't done anything yet in WCCW except lose to the Road Warriors. It's kind of a running joke at this point. This was their best match yet, a B-.

-The Adonis cross-dressing angle is going somewhere, after weeks/months of teasing it.

-Bill Mercer's backstage role will give us the opportunity for more angle development. Aside from the Gary Hart/Adonis stories, he "heard rumors" of Backlund/Murdoch agreeing to face each other at New Year's Revolution. That match will indeed happen.

[molson]

NEWS

-Kerry Von Erich arrived late to the last show. I fine him.

-The TV show delivers a 3.23 rating. That's our highest rating in 10 weeks.

-Paul Orndorff & Don Muroco won the vacant Portland Wrestling Tag Team Championship, defeating Greg Valentine and Les Thorton.

-British wrestler Danny Boy Collins is being hyped as a future star in the dirt sheets.

-Mr. Wrestling II, Mike Von Erich, and The Sammartinos complain about their pushes.

-Steve DiSalvo of Stampede wrestling ruptured his Achilles' tendon and will be out 6 months.

-The Final WCCW New Year's Revolution event card is in place. This is one of our biggest shows ever.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Steel Cage Match: Classic Rules (Pinfall or Submission Only)
Bobby Eaton v. Iceman Parsons

-David Von Erich v. Koko B. Ware

-King of the Texas Death Match Tournament
-First Round Matches
-Terry Funk v. Mr. Pogo
-Sika v. Buzz Sawyer
-Kevin Sullivan v. The Great Kabuki
(Winners advance to a Triple Threat Match Final)

-Triple Threat Match
Skandor Akbar v. Gary Hart v. Lord Alfred Hayes

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kerry & Kevin Von Erich v. Curt Hennig & Tiger Mask

-Road Warriors v. Sheepherders
(Road Warriors will leave WCCW if they lose)

-Final match of the feud
-Bruno Sammartino v. Roddy Piper
(Sammartino will retire if he loses, Piper will wear a dress for a month if he loses)

-Bob Backlund v. Dick Murdock

-King Kong Bundy & Arturo Mendoza v. Steve Olsonoski & Mike Von Erich

-New WCCW Commissioner Crowned
Final Election Results Revealed (Jose Lothario v. Mr. Wrestling II v. Ray Stevens)

[Toddzilla]

-Steve DiSalvo of Stampede wrestling ruptured his Achilles' tendon and will be out 6 months.THE Steve DiSalvo? ;) Boy, that names brings back some R.S.P-W memories.

[PilotMan]

That was funny stuff there. I gotta tell you molson. I don't know where you come up with half the stuff that you have here. It is so well written that I get a great visual picture every time.

The manager triple threat reminds me of a time that I had a wrester (Ken Patera I think) no show for a main event match. I made Heenan, who was managing him at the time, wrestle in his place. It was short for a main event, but it had to be funny. I can only imagine how that would have gone down.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, December 1984
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski defeats Dusty Wolfe in 6:34 by pinfall. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
David Sammartino defeats Perry Jackson (w/The Missouri Mauler) in 6:55 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Sammartino, asking him when he's going to make a decision regarding Roddy Piper's offer to replace his father in their six-man tag team. David seemed annoyed by the question, but says he hopes to have an answer this week. (C-)

-As the show starts, Kevin & Kerry Von Erich cut a lengthy promo welcoming the fans, and hyping their main event, non-title, match tonight against Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware. They also talk about the New Year's Revolution Event - and Koko B. Ware's match against David Von Erich, and Bobby Eaton's World Title defense against Iceman Parsons. (B-)

-Iceman Parsons defeats Adrian Adonis in 8:54 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Parsons, who hypes his World Title shot against Bobby Eaton at New Year's Revolution. He says he knows that his previous matches with Eaton have been marred by outside interference, so he's looking forward to doing battle, man-to-man, in a steel cage environment, where the best man will emerge world champion. (B-)

-Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) defeats Al Perez & Owen Hart in 5:50 when Mendoza pinned Hart. (C-). After the match, Gary Hart made reference to his team's embarrassing defeat last week to Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki, and said that they're not done with them yet - they'll be looking for them in early 1985. (B).

-David Von Erich cut a promo hyping his upcoming match with Villano V, who he acknowledges he had some problems with on the TV show this week. He also hypes his match at New Year's Revolution against Koko B. Ware. David exhibits his trademark temper, saying that Ware made a huge mistake, and he's going to pay this Saturday night. After he gets through Ware, David promises, he'll be going after Bobby Eaton to regain his World Title. (B-)

-David Von Erich defeats Villano V in 11:03 by submission. (B). The two showed great chemistry.

-WCCW Commissioner Debate #2
-Moderator: Lord Alfred Hayes
-Participants: Jose Lothario, Mr. Wrestling II, and Ray Stevens.
-Again, the 3 put forth their platforms. Lothario hypes his loyalty to WCCW and his commitment to bringing exciting talent from around the globe to WCCW. Mr. Wrestling II says that WCCW needs a singular, decisive authority figure that calls all the shots. Ray Stevens says he wants to bring wrestling back to the greatness of the sport's past - he'll enforce the rules and bring glory back to wrestling. (C+)

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware came out for the main event, and hyped their match against the Von Erichs. They say that even though they've gone their separate ways, and have succeeded in the singles ranks, they're still the greatest tag tam in the world whenever they decide to compete in tag team competition. (B). Koko B. Ware also cuts a promo hyping his match at New Year's Revolution at David Von Erich. Ware claims he's tougher, meaner, and better than David, and he'll prove it again this Saturday night (B).

-Non-Title Match
Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware defeat Kerry & Kevin Von Erich in 26:38 when Eaton pinned Kerry with a handful of tights. (B+). Eaton and Ware looked good.

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Good, low-key show on the eve of New Year's Revolution.

-Ware/Eaton will still team occasionally, mostly in the main event of house shows like this one. They wrestled a solid main event here against the Von Erichs. This was the first ever tag team match between these 4.

-David Von Erich had another solid match against Villano V, though it didn't reach the greatness of their TV match last week. The Villanos have come a long way in their year with WCCW.

[molson]

NEWS

-Kevin Sullivan arrives late to the last show. I give him a warning.

-Mr. Wrestling II is exhausted after the lasts show (obviously from his other commitments, as he hasn't wrestled yet for us)

-International Championship Wrestling, from Memphis, who was on the verge of bankruptcy last year, as really turned this around. They've risen from "small" to "regional" status. The promotion is currently owned by Randy Savage (who bought it from his father). The current heavyweight champion there is Ronnie Garvin.

-Kevin Von Erich, who's contract is up, has agreed to re-sign at a $1,675/show for 18 months, a reasonable raise from his old $1,525/show deal.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, December 1984
El Paso, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,455

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Doug Somers (w/The Missouri Mauler) defeats Al Perez in 6:40 by pinfall. (C). Perez was exhausted by the end of the match. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed the Mauler about his client's win. Russell also noted that the the Mauler's six-man tag team of Somers/Orton/Jackson has been mathematically eliminated from the six-man tag team championship tournament. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #1 defeated Owen Hart in 3:52 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Lance Russell interviewed the Grappler about his win. (C-).

-As the show starts, Kerry, Kevin, and David Von Erich cut a backstage promo hyping the main event tonight - their six-man tag team match against Bobby Eaton, Koko B. Ware, and a mystery partner. David also hypes his match at this Saturday night's New Year's Revolution event against Koko B. Ware, and says he can't wait to get his hands on Ware (and Eaton), tonight). (B-). Bobby Eaton and Koko B. Ware also cut a backstage promo hyping the match. They also claim that they've found a "mercenary" to help them bring the Von Erichs down tonight. (B-)

-Bob Backlund defeats Mike Von Erich in 7:58 by pinfall. (C). Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Bob Backlund cut a promo, confirming the rumors that he's signed to face Dick Murdoch at New Year's Revolution Saturday night. Backlund said it only took one match teaming with Murdoch in the six-man-tag team championship tournament to realize that he just didn't like the guy. He also says he's tired of carrying the dead weight of Murdoch and King Kong Bundy in the team, and he's quite content to carry on in the tournament by himself. (B-). Gary Hart comes to the ring and grabs a mic. He makes an plea to Backlund to cancel his match with Murdoch, for him to try to see eye to eye with his teammates, and go out and win the tournament! Hart also pleads with Backlund to hire him as his manager right now, so nobody has to go through with this display of the "triple threat manager's challenge" tomorrow night. (C+). Before Backlund can respond, Dick Murdoch approaches the ring. Murdoch says that his match is next, and he's tired of waiting for Backlund to finish talking. Murdoch says that just like in their six-man tag team, Backlund is hogging all the glory for himself. (B-). After a few more mutual insults, Backlund and Murdoch come to blows, to the dismay of Gary Hart. They brawl around ringside, before being separated by staff members. (B-)

-Dick Murdoch defeats Steve Olsonoski in 7:33 by pinfall. (B-). Murdoch looked good. Murdoch was somewhat worn out from his prior brawl with Backlund - that made this a competitive match, but Olsonoski was unable to win.

-Fritz Von Erich came to the ring and cut a promo, hyping the New Year's Revolution event, reminding the fans how they can vote in the WCCW Commissioner election, and thanking them for all of their support during this transition period of the company. He also notes, reflectively, that tonight is his final show as an authority figure in WCCW. (C-)

-Bill Mercer, in his role as "roving backstage reporter", knocks on the locker room of Roddy Piper, who answers. Mercer says he has two questions for Piper. First, has David Sammartino given him a answer yet to Piper's offer to replace his father in their six-man tag team? Piper says no, and that he's getting impatient. Piper says he's making New Year's Revolution the deadline for a decision. Piper says that by that night, young David must decide if he'll have a future in this business, or if he'll follow his father right to the unemployment line. Second, Bill Mercer asks Piper if he saw the footage from last week regarding his bodyguard, Adrian Adonis' cross-dressing. Piper ignores the question, claims a phone is ringing in his locker room, and slams the door on Mercer. (C)

-Six Man Tag Team Championship Tournament Match
-Group A, Match 4
The Sheepherders and Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza (w/Gary Hart) when Williams pinned Villano IV. (B-). The match featured interference by both managers, who also battled with each other, in a preview of this Saturday night's "Triple Threat Manager's Challenge". Butch Miller looked good.

-After the match, the group A tournament standings look like this:

-(Group A Standings)
1. The Sheepherders & Nikita Koloff (1 pinfall win, 2 draws: 5 points, 1 match remaining)
2. The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza (1 pinfall win, 1 draw, 1 loss: 4 points, 1 match remaining)
3. The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons (1 loss, 1 draw, 1 point, 2 matches remaining)

(all teams remain mathematically alive. The Sheepherders/Koloff win the group if they gain a pinfall/submission win over The Sammartinos/Parsons. The Sammatinos/Parsons win the group if they win both of their final matches (with at least one of the wins by pinfall/submission). The Villanos/Mendoza are the only team that doesn't control their own destiny.)

-After the match a lengthy video recaps the Sheepherders/Road Warriors feud, and hypes their match at New Year's Revolution this Saturday (C).

-Sika (w/Gary Hart) defeats Mark Youngblood in 5:23 by pinfall. (C) Sika looked good. After the match, a clearly stressed out Gary Hart hypes Sika's chances in the King of The Texas Death Match tournament on Saturday. Hart rants and raves that he'll prove the skeptics wrong, and will once again take his rightful place as the greatest manager in wrestling history. (C+)

-Kevin, Kerry, and David Von Erich drew with Bobby Eaton, Koko B. Ware, and their mystery partner, the Japanese brawler Mr. Pogo in 22:55 following a double DQ. (B). During the match, David fought with Koko, but was kept away from World Champion Bobby Eaton. Also during the match, Iceman Parsons neutralized the heels' constant cheating by interfering on the behalf of the Von Erichs.

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-OK show...I would have liked a higher rating to close out the year, but sometimes the show prior to a big event can be tough because there's things you HAVE to do.

-The main event was fine, a wild, overbooked brawl between main eventers. Bobby Eaton is clearly avoiding David Von Erich, and Koko B. Ware has no problem taking David on to let that happen. This was Mr. Pggo's WCCW debut. He's in on loan contract, so obviously he's not involved in this storyline, I just wanted to give him a little ring time/momentum going into the King of The Texas Deathmatch tournament.

-The other six-man-tag team match, the tournament match, was also strong. Group A's is still anyone's to win.

-The surprise of the night was Dick Murdoch carrying Steve Olsonoski to a B-. That was the best match of Olsonoski's WCCW career.

-Gary Hart is having something of a mental breakdown due to his various setbacks...He'll have another chance for things to go right at New Year's Revolution.

-Mike Von Erich's constant pleas for a higher place on the card aren't too convincing when he only wrestles a "C" match with Bob Backlund. Backlund could approach that rating with a wooden log.

[molson]

NEWS

-The TV show gets a 3.39 rating. That's our highest rating ever.

-Kelly Kininski won his first singles title, the Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship (which is a midcard title) over the One Man Gang.

-The New Year's Revolution show is SO loaded I decide to make it 3 1/2 hours, which will be our longest show ever. I'm still not sure that'll be enough time.

[molson]

WCCW: New Year's Revolution
Saturday, Week 4, December 1984
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,955 Ticket prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 3,999

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Al Perez defeats Dusty Wolfe in 4:57 by pinfall. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
A visibly distressed and exhausted Gary Hart cuts a promo hyping his team, King Kong Bundy and Arturo Mendoza, and their upcoming match. (C+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Arturo Mendoza & King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) defeat Mike Von Erich & Steve Olsonoski in 8:48 when Bundy pinned Mike. (C+). Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. Mike & Olsonoski showed poor chemistry as a team. Mendoza looked good.

-Bob Backlund cut a promo as the show starts, hyping his upcoming match with Dick Murdoch. Backlund again runs down both of his teammates in the six-man tag team championship tournament - Murdoch and King Kong Bundy, saying neither of them deserve to team with him. He also hypes the upcoming triple threat "manager's challenge" match between Gary Hart, Skandor Akbar, and Lord Alfred Hayes, saying he has a contract ready to go for the winner of the match to be his manager going forward. (B)

-Bob Backlund defeats Dick Murdoch in 15:58 by pinfall in a hard-fought, competitive match (B-). During the match, Gary Hart, in a desperate attempt to suck up to Backlund, interferes on his behalf. After the match, Backlund, impressed with the competitiveness of Murdoch, offers a handshake, which Murdoch accepts (B-)

-King of the Texas Death Match Tournament (Rules: Match continues until one man can't answer a ten count after a pinfall). No-DQ
-First Round Match
Kevin Sullivan defeats The Great Kabuki in 10:28 following a pinfall, and ten-count. (B). After the match, Sullivan cut a promo hyping his win. (C+).

-Lance Russell interviews Buzz Sawyer about his upcoming King of the Texas Deathmatch with Sika. (C)

-King of the Texas Death Match Tournament
-First Round Match
Buzz Sawyer defeats Sika (w/Gary Hart) in 10:39 by pinfall, and 10-count. (B). Hart interfered on behalf of Sika, and got a little roughed up by Sawyer.
The two showed poor chemistry.

-King of the Texas Death Match Tournament
-First Round Match
Terry Funk defeats Mr. Pogo in 4:49 by pinfall and 10-count, in a dominating victory. (C+).

-WCCW Commissioner Election Results.
Fritz Von Erich comes to the ring and announces the three candidates: Jose Lothario, Mr. Wrestling II, and Ray Stevens, who have each campaigned for this position over the last several months, and shared their individual visions for WCCW. Fritz says that three votes were taken: the sponsors, the wrestlers, and the fans, all had a say. Fritz said whoever won the most of those groups would win the election, and in the event of a tie, the fans vote controls. First, Fritz announces the vote of the sponsors:

Mr. Wrestling II: 52%
Jose Lothario: 45%
Ray Stevens: 3%

-Then, Fritz announces the vote of the wrestlers:

Jose Lothario: 60%
Mr. Wrestling II: 30%
Ray Stevens: 10%

-With Lothario and Mr. Wrestling II splitting the votes thus far, the results come down to the fans' vote, which is announced as follows:

Jose Lothario: 78%
Mr. Wrestling II: 20%
Ray Stevens: 2%

-Jose Lothario is elected the new WCCW Commissioner. Mr. Wrestling II shakes Lothario's hand in congratulations. A disgusted Ray Stevens simply waves his hands and angrily storms out of the ring. (C). Fritz interviewed Lothario, who promised to live up to this mandate given to him by the fans and the wrestlers. He says he'll put his staff in place immediately, and new order will come to the company starting next week. (C)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kevin & Kerry Von Erich defeat Tiger Mask & Curt Hennig in 13:59 when Kevin made Tiger Mask submit. (B). The Von Erichs make their 6th defense of the tag team titles. Hennig & Tiger Mask looked good. After the match, the four men shook hands. (B-). Lance Russel interviewed the champions about the win - they said that Hennig/Tiger Mask earned this title shot, and were worthy challengers. (C+)

-Bob Backlund comes back out to the ring for the upcoming triple threat manager's challenge. He cuts a promo, and reference a manager's contract in his hand - he says he'll give it to the winner of this match. (C+)

-Triple Threat Manager's Challenge Match
-One Fall to a Finish
Gary Hart defeats Lord Alfred Hayes and Skandor Akbar in 3:41 after Hart pinned Akbar. (C). A delirious Hart, who had already been beaten up by Buzz Sawyer earlier in the night, celebrated as if he won a championship. Bob Backlund approached an exhausted Hart with the contract, but says that he wouldn't hire Hart if he was the last manager on earth. (B-). Suddenly, Ray Stevens appears from behind and suplexes Hart. (C). Stevens does the same to Lord Alfred Hayes (C-) and Skandor Akbar (C). Stevens then grabs a mic and insults the fans and wrestlers for voting against him in the WCCW Commissioner election. He says that after that debacle, he offered Bob Backlund his managerial services, and Backlund accepted. He says that Backlund has been held down in WCCW too long, and that the fans will see a new, more vicious Backlund, and that Stevens will unleash him on all the wrestlers who voted against him. Stevens also says he's taking over as manager of Gary Hart's "dream team" of Backlund/Bundy/Murdoch in the six-man tag team championship tournament, and under him, that unit will operate as a well-oiled machine (B-)

-Challenge Match: Road Warriors Leave WCCW if they Lose
The Road Warriors defeat The Sheepherders in 9:37 when Animal pinned Williams. (C) The Sheepherders were without their manager, Skandor Akbar, for most of the match, as he was recovering from his own match, and post-match attack from Ray Stevens. Akbar did make a muted effort to interfere towards the end of the match, but that effort was quickly repelled by the Warriors. The match suffered from a lack of selling. Road Warrior Animal looked good. After the match, The Road Warriors celebrated in the ring. (C+)

-Lance Russell interviews Bruno Sammartino about his upcoming match with Roddy Piper. (C+). David Sammartino is by his father's side, but refuses to answer any questions about Roddy Piper's deadline regarding his offer to replace Bruno in their six-man tag team. Bruno Sammartino says this match isn't about the Six-Man Tag Team Championship, or Piper wearing a dress, it's about family pride.

-Challenge Match. Sammartino will retire if he loses. Piper will leave the Sammartinos alone forever, and wear a dress for a month if he loses.
-Roddy Piper (w/Adrian Adonis) defeats Bruno Sammartino (w/David Sammartino) in 11:31 by submission, via sleeperhold. Piper seemed off his game. (B+). As Sammartino lay in the center of the ring, Piper addresses David - Piper says that he just retired David's father, that after he fulfills his remaining contractual obligations, he'll never wrestler again. Piper asks David - does he still want to associate with a washed up loser, or will he join forces with Piper, win the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championships, and then go on to even greater heights? David enters the ring, and after several seconds, answers the question by attacking Piper and Adonis. (C+). Piper and Adonis start to regain control after David's initial onslaught, until Bruno Sammartino comes to, and David/Bruno fight off Piper/Adonis from the ring. (C). The two Sammartinos embrace in the ring, as Bruno realizes his career is coming to an end.

-Lance Russell interviews Terry Funk about the upcoming finals of the King of the Texas Death Match Tournament. Russell points out that Funk had, by far, the easiest first-round match of the three finalists, and that that should be an advantage for him. Funk says that when he stares across the ring and sees Buzz Sawyer, Kevin Sullivan, and a ring-full of weapons, it doesn't feel like he has much of an advantage. (B)

-King of the Texas Death Match Tournament
-Finals: Triple Threat Match (Match Continues until two men simultaneously can't meet a 10-count)
Buzz Sawyer defeats Terry Funk and Kevin Sullivan in 22:49 in a weapons-filled brawl to win the 2nd annual King of the Texas Death Match Tournament. (B-). After the match, Buzz Sawyer celebrates his win during the trophy presentation. (C)

-Lance Russell interviews Iceman Parsons, who hypes his "big chance" at the World Title. Parsons notes that this time, there can be no interference, as they'll both enter a steel cage, and one man will leave as the World Champion, fair and square. (B-)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Steel Cage: Classic Rules (Pinfall or Submission Only)
Bobby Eaton defeats Iceman Parsons in 9:49 by pinfall to make his 2nd defense of the World Title. (B). Bobby Eaton celebrates his win in the ring. (B)

-David Von Erich cuts a promo hyping his upcoming main event grudge match with Koko B. Ware, briefly recapping the lengthy issues between the men that go back to last summer, most recently, Koko costing David the World Title and putting him out of action (B+). Koko cuts a promo as well, claiming that he's the new big thing in WCCW, and David will learn that painfull lesson shortly. (B)

-David Von Erich defeats Koko B. Ware in 18:56 by pinfall, after Ware's attempts at cheating backfire, allowing David to strike Ware with a chair and gain the victory. (A+). After the match, the four Von Erich brothers celebrate in the ring. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS:

-Great show to cap off the year, even though a few things didn't go as planned.

-I need to figure out what's gone wrong with these end-of-month show attendance numbers, they never meet expectations. I'm not sure why that is - maybe Saturday night isn't the best night to run these shows.

-My decision to run Ware/David as the main event was a good one, as the two wrestled a spectacular match. I had originally planned for Koko to cheat to a win here, but in the end, I felt like there was just too much heel success on this card. Hopefully Koko's momentum isn't hurt too much, as he's obviously a legitimate main eventer for us.

-The World Title Cage match, though relegated down the card one spot, was still very solid. Parsons can cut a good interview, and he can wrestle a very strong 10-minute match. He delivered both tonight. That's about his peak though. He'll go back down the card to settle unfinished business with Nikita Koloff.

-I was planning on going the predictable route and having Terry Funk wim the Texas Deathmatch tournament. However, Buzz Sawyer, who has creative control in his loan contract, veto'd that. I thought about pulling him out and replacing him last minute, but decided to give him the win. He follows last year's tournament winner, Bruiser Brody. So Funk's return to WCCW is somewhat tainted, though he did get a squash win in the first round. I'll look to rehabilitate him starting the next show. Sawyer is now gone. In the end, I guess I like the unpredictability of a guy on a 3-shot deal winning such a huge event.

-The Piper/Sammartino feud finally ends with Piper winning, and Sammartino keeping his family together. Sammartino is allowed to "fulfill his remaining contractual obligations", including participation in the six-man-tag team championship tournament, before he retires. Piper and Bruno wrestled six 1-on-1 matches since August. Piper won 4 (including the last 2), and Sammartino won twice. This last match tied their highest rating in the series, B+.

-I had planned on the Road Warriors losing this match and ridding myself of their contracts. But on closer inspection of the resume, I let them stick around, based largely on their strong B+ with the Sheepherders their last time out. And then of course here, the four have a terrible match, and I regret my decision. In the future with these guys, I need to set a road agent note for "script" instead of "call in the ring", because clearly, when I set it as the latter, none of them want to sell for anyone else. The feud will continue to a third "rubber match", but the Road Warriors still aren't in my long term plans.

-The faces v. faces tag team title match was great - it's nice to see that I can pull off matches like this from time to time. Without the face v. face penalty, this probably would have been one of our highest rated tag team matches ever.

-I like how the manager's triple threat match went down. Gary Hart, everything going against him, dealing with a mental breakdown, miraculously pulls out a victory. Then Bob Backlund turns on him and hires Ray Stevens as his manager instead, who proceeds to destroy all three managers. Backlund, of course, has been a "tweener" for months, fighting both faces and heels, so this was an opportunity for a full face turn, (say, if he hired Mr. Wrestling II, instead), but now he's back to being a full-fledged heel, under the guidance of his former WWF co-worker.

-Lothario is the new commissioner - he'll mostly be behind the scenes, but with this election comes come new structure to WCCW. There will be a championship committee that determines mandatory title defenses for champions. I've always wanted to "pull the curtain back" a little bit in terms of who gets title shots, how matches are made, how wrestlers are ranked, and now I'll have the opportunity to do that.

-Overall, the King of the Texas Death Match tournament was a success, as 2 of the 3 first-round matches were very strong.

-Bob Backlund had a solid match with Dick Murdoch, and afterwards, the two finally saw eye to eye. This apparently means trouble for everyone else in the six-man-tag team tournament. And it's another blow to the mental stability of Gary Hart, who may take a leave of absence for the purposes of some kind of gimmick/role change.

[molson]

NEWS

-I was glad to see a beta DOTT come out for TEW08. I own TEW08, but I'm sticking with this dynasty for now, as I'm far too attached. Maybe down the road, after DOTT08 goes through some revisions, I'll try something else.

-Mr. Wrestling II, Sika, Buzz Sawyer, and Terry Funk are exhausted after the last show. Sawyer and Sika aren't my problem anymore - both are gone from WCCW after their loan contracts expired. I'm not sure what Mr. Wrestling II's role will be going forward, if any.

-Mr. Wrestling II, Mark Youngblood, The Sammartinos, and Mike Von Erich complain about their pushes. Youngblood has shown me nothing, he's on thin ice. The Sammartinos will be gone soon. Mike just doesn't deserve to be the midcarder he wants to be yet. I do switch Mr. Wrestling II's role from "Personality" to "occasional wrestler". Maybe he'll get involved in a short feud with someone (Backlund?), and I'll see how he does.

-Jose Lothario joins a host of wrestlers that announce upcoming in-ring retirements as 1985 kicks off. He joins Giant Baba, Abdullah The Butcher, Mad Dog Vachon, Blackjack Lanza, Killer Karl Krupp, Jay Strongbow, Adrian Street, Dean Ho, Tojo Yamamoto, and Toru Tanaka.

-A number of wrestlers also enter the universe, including Ludwig Borga, Fatu, Del Wilkes, Pat Tanaka, Damian 666, and Big Van Vader. I do request negotiations with Vader, who's obviously green and completely unknown at this point, and probably not ready for WCCW.

-Now that it's 1985, PPV capability is available. I request negotiations will all the PPV carriers. If I can get on PPV, I'll restructure my event schedule - maybe go with 5 annual PPVs, and then major end-of-month house shows on the months without PPVs.

-In major wrestling news, two more promotions fold: New Japan, and Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libra. That leaves the UWA as the only remaining promotion in Mexico, and rumor is they'll fold by the end of the year. There's a lot of wrestlers out on the street - hopefully this somehow leads to a deflation of worker salaries. 11 promotions have now closed since the dynasty began.

[molson]

1984 AWARDS

-Wrestler of the Year: David Von Erich
-Young Wrestler of the Year (22 or Under): Villano V
-Veteran Wrestler of the Year (45 or Older): Nick Bockwinkel
-Female Wrestler of the Year: Dump Matsumoto
-Promotion of the Year: New Japan
-Most Improved Promotion of the Year: WCCW
-Match of the Year: Bob Backlund v. Buddy Rose (WCCW House Show)
-Show of the Year: WCCW May House Show

That's the second year in a row we've won Wrestler of the Year, Match of the Year, and Show of the Year. New Japan wins promotion of the year the same day they close down. I have to think about bringing Buddy Rose back sometime, he really clicked here.

[condors]

congrats on the A+ main event, it was a good show.

I am messing around with dott08.

[PilotMan]

When I saw Backlund and Murdoch on so early on I thought to myself that this must be one stacked show.

I have a feeling that you are getting a penalty for running your TV show, house and EOM show the same week in the same state. You are getting killed with overexposure. I would try and see if moving your events away from your scheduled EOM show helps. In fact in this case, I almost 100% that is what happened.

Good show that I had been looking forward to for some time. Now gimmie more! Oh, and I need your writing and creative juices in my MMA dynasty.

[molson]

I have a feeling that you are getting a penalty for running your TV show, house and EOM show the same week in the same state. You are getting killed with overexposure. I would try and see if moving your events away from your scheduled EOM show helps. In fact in this case, I almost 100% that is what happened.



That's a good tip...I've gotten in the habit of running that week 4 Monday house show in Dallas to develop storylines in front of a friendly crowd for the end-of-month card, but I'll have to mix that up a little.

[molson]

-I advanced one day too far to do my "end of year recap" before booking the next show...So here's our debut in the southwest region first

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, January 1985
Las Vegas, NV (Southwest - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,115 Ticket prices: $1 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Al Perez defeats Dusty Wolfe in 6:28 by submission. (D-). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Perez about his win (E+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Perry Jackson drew with Owen Hart in 5:40 following a double countout. (D+). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Hart. (E)

-Mr. Wrestling II came to the ring to start the show and hyped his upcoming WCCW debut match against another masked man, The Grappler #1. Mr. Wrestling II also made reference to Saturday night's WCCW Commissioner election, which was won by Jose Lothario. Mr. Wrestling II put over Lothario, and said that he knew he'd do a great job for WCCW. (C). Grappler #1 comes to the ringside area as well, where he's interviewed by Bill Mercer. (C-)

-Mr. Wrestling II defeats Grappler #1 in 11:55 by pinfall. (C+). The two showed great chemistry.

-King Kong Bundy came to the ring for his match, without his manager Gary Hart. Bundy says that he hasn't seen Hart since they landed in Vegas. Bundy also hypes his match with Terry Funk. (C+).

-Terry Funk defeats King Kong Bundy in 9:39 by pinfall. (C+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Funk about his win. Mercer asked Funk if he knew anything about the disappearance of Gary Hart, and Funk denies any knowledge, but said that it's not the first time a guy got lost in Vegas. (B)

-Ray Stevens came to the ring with his new client, Bob Backlund. The two hyped their main event match against Curt Hennig. Stevens put over his client as a wrestling machine, and put down Las Vegas. (B-).

-Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Curt Hennig in 34:47 by submission after interference from Stevens. (B+). After the match, Backlund and Stevens continued attacking a weakened Hennig for several minutes. (B-). This continued until Mr. Wrestling II and Terry Funk, now wearing street clothes, hit the ring to make the save. The brawl continued for several minutes until Stevens and Backlund were driven from the ring (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-This was a simple, relatively inexpensive show that must have increased our overness significantly in the southwest, where we only have D+ popularity.

-Guys like Perez, Owen Hart, Perry Jackson, and Dusty Wolfe are going to get a lot of ringtime in the next few weeks as I try to cut costs.

-I'd love to move Mr. Wrestling II into full-time active face wrestler mode, but I don't know if I can afford him.

-Gary Hart is missing in Vegas! This is a subtle start to a new storyline. Hart was on the verge of an nervous breakdown even before losing out on the Bob Backlund managerial chase to Ray Stevens.

-Great stuff around the main event, which time-wise, took up a good chunk of the show. Hennig's relatively cheap considering what he brings to the table, so he's likely to see a lot more action in the upcoming weeks as well.

[molson]

NEWS

-Roddy Piper arrived late to the last show. Even though he wasn't booked, I take this opportunity to suspend him for a month. That will save me his from his $3,375/show fee (he's the most expensive guy I have). I'll only be stuck with his $2,375/month downside.

-Terry Funk is exhausted after the last show.

-Bob Backlund suffered a sprained angle...He'll be able to work through it, but it will be some indeterminate time before he's back to 100%.

[molson]

1984 WCCW W/L Records (W-L-D)
(Includes those on roster at end of year, in order of $/show cost. Tag matches and Battle Royals are included)

-Roddy Piper: 21-14-5
-Terry Funk: 6-3-0
-Tiger Mask: 29-16-7
-Bob Backlund: 34-14-6
-Adrian Adonis: 14-16-4
-Lord Alfred Hayes: 0-1-1
-David Von Erich: 44-12-10
-Bruno Sammartino: 13-24-4
-Kerry Von Erich: 24-11-2
-Kevin Sullivan: 2-1-0
-Bobby Eaton: 34-12-7
-Luke Williams: 23-21-6
-Dick Murdoch: 14-11-0
-Road Warrior Hawk: 25-6-1
-Koko B. Ware: 22-7-5
-Road Warrior Animal: 24-7-1
-Kevin Von Erich: 37-16-16
-Curt Hennig: 16-6-5
-The Great Kabuki: 19-17-8
-Iceman Parsons: 28-23-10
-Arturo Mendoza: 19-17-8
-Butch Miller: 27-19-6
-King Kong Bundy: 22-29-3
-Jose Lothario: 9-30-6
-Skandor Akbar: 0-1-0
-Nikita Koloff: 27-14-4
-Grappler #1: 1-4-0
-Mr. Pogo: 0-1-1
-Gary Hart: 1-0-1
-Villano V: 11-38-4
-David Sammartino: 7-10-1
-Grappler #2: 0-4-0
-Mike Von Erich: 32-32-3
-Steve Olsonoski: 5-17-1
-The Missouri Mauler: 0-1-0
-Villano IV: 12-46-4
-Doug Somers: 13-28-9
-Mark Youngblood: 0-17-2
-Owen Hart: 10-55-2
-Perry Jackson: 5-19-1
-Al Perez: 9-47-3
-Barry Orton: 4-19-1
-Dusty Wolfe: 0-21-1

[molson]

WCCW - END OF DECEMBER 1984 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 65.7% (up from 65.5% last month)
-Midwest: 62.5% (down from 62.6% last month)
-Southeast: 54.0% (up from 52.8% last month)
-New England: 50.1% (up from 48.7% last month)
-Southwest: 49.5% (up from 47.7% last month)
-North West: 49.4% (up from 48.0% last month)
-Great Lakes: 49.2% (up from 47.8% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 49.2% (up from 47.8% last month)
-Tri-State: 49.2% (up from 47.8% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 37.6% (Same as last month)

-That's the second straight monthly increase in Texas. And the first time I can ever remember losing popularity in the midwest. The rest of the country continues to catch up in popularity with the help of my national TV. PPV, if we can get it sometime soon, may help speed it up even more. The magic number is still 71.1%....I need to get 8 of these regions there to reach "national status". Still an eternity away...

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

Ticket Sales: 502,425 (447,766)
Sponsors: 76,601 (76,983)
Merchandise: 12,640 (14,286)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 360,416 (360,142)
Show Costs: 113,500 (106,500)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 25,179 (25,197)
Production: 40,000 (75,000)
Misc: 150,485 (139,553)

Total Profit: $-122,914 ($-191,375)
Cash in Bank: $336,275 ($459,189)

-Another big money-losing month (though we were $70k closer to breaking even than we were in December). I'm simply not doing enough to save money. At last month's pace, I'll be out of money in three months. I need to make some major changes.

-I temporarily cancel the home video business....I need every penny I can get back to financial stability. That will cost us some type of benefit in terms of spreading overness of the product.

-Otherwise, we're already rock bottom in merchandise and music quality/expense.

-A round of talent cuts is most definitely on the way. And any of the big stars I sign for the King of the Texas Deathmatch tournament will probably be let go immediately following that tournament. That'll prevent them from working for me again for at least 6 months, I'll have to take that into account.

-I'm putting together a comprehensive "corporate restructuring" before I run any new shows...

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Koko B. Ware
-Roddy Piper
-Tiger Mask
-Curt Hennig
-Bruno Sammartino

-I cut back on merchandise production, hoping to find a magic formula that allows me to make money here. I've stopped making merchandise for Buzz Sawyer, Fritz Von Erich, and The Great Kabuki. I've dropped The Von Erichs from "Low" to "Very Low", to be with everyone else. Where previously, I had sold every type of merchandise for every worker, I'm only selling half of the available types for the Von Erichs, and only shirts for everyone else.

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - End Of December 1984

-World Heavyweight Champion - 96.5% Prestige (Up From 95.7% Last Month)
Main Event Title
Bobby Eaton (2 title defense, 3 month reign).

-Television Champion - 70.0% Prestige (same as last month)
Midcard Title
Kevin Von Erich - (10 title defenses, 4 month reign)

-World Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (Same as last month)
Midcard Title
Kerry & Kevin Von Erich - (6 title defenses, 4 month reign)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 64.5% Prestige (Down from 66.5% last month)
Midcard Title
Vacant

-Cruiserweight Championship - 36.5% Prestige (Same as last month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 1 month reign

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF DECEMBER 1984

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Eaton/Koko hides the belt from David: Eaton/Koko/David Von Erich (October)
2. Tag Team Title Storyline: Mendoza/Bundy v. Kerry/Kevin v. Kabuki/Tiger Mask (April, recently evolved to include Kerry/Kevin)
3T. Bob Backlund's manager: Backlund/Akbar/Hayes/Hart/Stevens (September)
3T. Piper v. Bruno: Piper/Bruno/David Sammartino/Adonis) (July)
5. Road Warriors v. Sheepherders (January)
6. Nikita Koloff's 3-minute challenge: Koloff/Parsons (September)
To Debut: Mike Von Erich v. Villano V
To Debut: Hennig/Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan
To Debut: Steve Olsonoski v. Doug Somers

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-None

-The Eaton/Ware/David Von Erich storyline is the first one I've had reach "A+" overness....It will continue as the focus of the company. The Sammartinos/Piper and Backlund managerial saga are basically done, I'll just touch upon them a bit in the next few weeks to take advantage of the overness those feuds have developed. Road Warriors/Sheepherders and come around in overness slightly, but probably not enough to save the Warriors' jobs.

-I'll start a few of new storylines in the next few weeks: Villano V v. Mike Von Erich over the Cruiserweight Championship (basically a reward for Villano V and his superb matches with David Von Erich), a Funk/Hennig/Murdoch/Sullivan storyline that gives those 4 top guys something to do, and a Somers/Olosonoski that will take place largely at house shows, which will allow me to use the required storyline elements at those smaller shows without using as many big stars.

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in October, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

NONE

-I'm still the most prestigious company in the world, stretching my lead over Mid-Atlantic to 2.3%. The AWA has closed the gap on me (I think), as they're only 0.7% behind me, and have taken their spot as the world's #2 promotion.

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Barry Orton
-Bill Mercer
-Bronco Lubich
-Curt Hennig
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-David Sammartino
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Iceman Parsons
-Jose Lothario
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Road Warrior Animal
-Steve Olsonoski
-The Great Kabuki
-The Missouri Mauler
-Villano IV
-Villano V

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Bruno Samartino is furious about how he's being pushed
-David Sammartino is extremely annoyed about how he's been pushed
-Mark Youngblood is extremely annoyed about how he's being pushed
-Mike Von Erich is extremely annoyed about how he's being pushed
-Mr. Wrestling II is extremely annoyed about how he's being pushed
-Roddy Piper is unhappy about how many losses he's taken
-Steve Olsonoski is unhappy about how he's being pushed

-This is a much happier locker room than previous months. Olsonoski was recently promoted, so he should be content by next month. Mr. Wrestler II will either be a major part of the roster or fired soon. The Sammartinos are probably off to the sunset soon as well.

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *).

-David Sammartino thinks he should be a midcarder
-Dick Murdoch thinks he should be a main eventer
-Grappler #1 thinks he should be a midcarder
-Grappler #2 thinks he should be a midcarder
-Luke Williams thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Mark Youngblood thinks he should be a Lower midcarder
-Mike Von Erich thinks he should be a midcarder
-Mr. Wrestling II thinks he should be a main eventer
-Owen Hart thinks he should be an opener
-Perry Jackson thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Road Warrior Animal thinks he should be a main eventer
-Road Warrior Hawk thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Roddy Piper thinks he should be a main eventer
-Steve Olsonoski thinks he should be a midcarder
-Tiger Mask thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-The Missouri Mauler wants to be an occasional wrestler

-A lot of people with disagreements this month. I haven't changed anybody yet, but will likely change a bunch during my "corporate restructuring".

-All of the lower-level guys who want to be a notch higher may soon have their shot, as I try to make my roster more affordable.

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of December, 1984), with last month is parenthesis.

B+
Koko B. Ware (A)
Mr. Pogo (N/A)
David Von Erich (B)
Bobby Eaton (B-)
Terry Funk (N/A)

B:
Kevin Von Erich (B)

B-:
Bob Backlund (C+)
Road Warrior Hawk (C)
Roddy Piper (B-)
Iceman Parsons (B-)
Kerry Von Erich (B)

C+
Kevin Sullivan (N/A)
Curt Hennig (B)
Tiger Mask (C+)

C:
The Great Kabuki (C)
Arturo Mendoza (C+)
Butch Miller (C+)
Bruno Sammartino (C)
Luke Williams (C+)
King Kong Bundy (C+)
Road Warrior Animal (C-)
Dick Murdoch (C+)
Mr. Wrestling II (N/A)
Nikita Koloff (C+)

C-:
Doug Somers (D+)
Grappler #1 (N/A)
Grappler #2 (N/A)
Mike Von Erich (C+)
Adrian Adonis (C-)

D+:
David Sammartino (D-)
Al Perez (D+)
Villano V (D+)

D:
None

D-:
Steve Olsonoski (E)
Dusty Wolfe (D-)

E+:
Villano IV (E+)

E:
Perry Jackson (E+)

E-:
None

F+:
Mark Youngblood (F+)
Owen Hart (F+)

F:
None

F-:
None

Rising in December: David Von Erich, Bobby Eaton, Bob Backlund, Road Warrior Hawk, Road Warrior Animal, Doug Somers, David Sammartino, Steve Olsonoski,

Falling in December: Koko B. Ware, Kerry Von Erich, Curt Hennig, Arturo Mendoza, Luke Williams, Butch Miller, King Kong Bundy, Dick Murdoch, Nikita Koloff, Mike Von Erich, Perry Jackson

[molson]

WCCW CORPORATE RESTRUCTURING

-Looking back, there's been many, many times where I've written, "I need to cut back on costs, and make more money". Outside of that two months where I somehow managed to make completely ridiculous money on merchandise, I haven't done a great job of doing that. Now that we're in a new year, and my cash on hand is at my lowest point ever, it's time to get serious.

-Of course, I still want to be moving forward, and taking steps towards the goal of national status. Staying flat in popularity, and not making money, just isn't an option. I have to be doing one or the other, preferably both. I know that whenever I make my last push to national, I'll have to bring in high-priced talent and run loaded shows. I'll need cash on hand and be prepared to lose money once I get there.

-So here's the plan.

1. TALENT

-Talent Cuts. Not really the most important thing at cult level, since outside of their downside guarantee, I only pay them when they're actually working. Still, I'm well above my ideal roster size, and I need to cut back here.
-Letting Contracts Expire. Letting a contract expire is preferable to firing a guy. The latter can cause relationship problems. So when a contract is up, the guy's going to be let go unless there's compelling reason to do anything else. As a guy approaches his contract end, he'll be phased out, bringing me further savings
-Suspensions. This isn't a good time to piss me off. Anyone who misses a show will be suspended immediately for one month. Anyone who is late for a show will also receive harsher punishment. If he's not a first-time offender, he'll be suspended a month unless I really need the guy in the meantime. First-time offenders will be suspended a week. Fines will be given only if I absolutely need the guy during the next week. This will put some guys on the shelf for a while without having to deal with "unhappiness" issues (though, it may earn my user character a "dislike" relationship with the disciplined worker)
-Wrestler Gimmick Change Sabbaticals: The game allows you to keep a wrestler off screen for a certain period of time while the change gimmick. During this time, they won't complain about not being used.
-Cheaper Shows: It's hard to put a specific rule on this. In particular, any shows outside Texas will really have the scrape the barrel.
-Misc Tweaks: Involving Managers and Announcers, detailed below
-Super-Cheap Talent: I want to find guys that can work the occasional B- match for under $1,000, and guys that can wrestle occasional C- matches for under $500. Some of my lower card guys might be close to that point.

II PPV REVENUE

-This could be HUGE for me. Hopefully it pans out in the next few days

III SHOW COSTS

-In the past, when I've needed more money, I've stayed in Texas. But a cheap show in Texas will hurt my popularity. A super-cheap show in Las Vegas or Seattle, on the other hand, can actually help my popularity in those areas. So I'm going to mix it up.

ACTIONS

-Roddy Piper suspended for one month. He's likely to only make periodic appearances after that. It's tough to let him go entirely, but his salary may warrant that.
-Arturo Mendoza's contract will not be renewed when it expires in 59 days. I've demoted him to "occasional wrestler" so he can be phased out.
-Terry Funk's contract will not be renewed when it expires in 60 days. He'll remain a main eventer until then.
-The Great Kabuki's contract will not be renewed when it expires in 97 days. I've demoted him to "occasional wrestler" so he can be phased out.
-Tiger Mask's contract will not be renewed when it expires in 111 days. I've demoted him to "occasional wrestler" so he can phased out.
-Lance Russell is gone from the broadcast booth, with the exception of any PPVs that I might run. When he was working every show, he was costing me $22,000/month.
-Lord Alfred Hayes has been fired. He had been making $1,925/show. For now, Bill Mercer will handle the broadcasts alone - he may have occasional guest commentary from random people on the roster. This will definitely have a negative effect on our overall show ratings (all the more reason to run shows outside of Texas)
-The Missouri Mauler has been fired.
-Mr. Wrestling II has been fired.
-Adrian Adonis has been fired.
-Bronco Lubich has been fired. That leaves Ricky Romero as our only road agent.
-The Road Warriors will be fired by the end of the month
-Gary Hart will be on sabbatical for 28 days with a gimmick change
-King Kong Bundy will be on sabbatical for 28 days with a gimmick change

I've also requested negotiations with John Tolos, Roy Shire, Edouard Carpentire, John Heath, George Cannon, and JR Foley, in the hopes that one of them might be willing to replace Lord Alfred Hayes for cheap.

[PilotMan]

Wow, you are serious. Question, what happens to your story lines that involve a guy that you let go, and how does that affect you overall?

[BYU 14]

Ouch, thats a lot of talent. Though I guess this route beats a slow hemmorraghe of all your cash.

[molson]

Wow, you are serious. Question, what happens to your story lines that involve a guy that you let go, and how does that affect you overall?

That's a great question. I'm not sure. I know there's some kind of penalty when you end a storyline early. When you fire a worker who's involved in one, the storyline just disappears - I don't know if there's a penalty involved with that or not.

The only storyline immediately impacted by the recent moves is the Sammartino/Piper storyline, since Adrian Adonis was a part of that, and he's now gone. That storyline just disappeared, and there was no prestige drop, so I think I'm in the clear.

Of course, that storyline was "unchained", and I was just about to end it anyway. (I should have ended it before I formally fired Adonis, just to be on the safe size).

The Von Erichs v. Kabuki/Tiger Mask v. Mendoza/Bundy storyline will obviously not be able to play out either, but I'll be able to "evolve" that one into something else (carrying over the Von Erichs), without penalty.

The other thing I'm not sure of the effect of is the "occasional wrestler" status. How do wrestlers react when I demote them there? Obviously, they won't expect to be on as many shows as they would be as an uppermidcarder. But will they be upset about that designation? Are there any other effects? I don't know if it's a "cheat" to store a guy like Tiger Mask there for 4 months, dusting him off for only occasional use. I know the roster requires a certain amount of guys who have each push (main eventer, uppermidcarder, etc), otherwise you're subject to a severe penalty. So maybe it's just a "legitimate" roster management exercise to designate certain guys in those spots, based on their use of them.

Of course, at the end of the day, I just book this thing as real-life as possible, don't worry too much about AI vulnerabilities and it's kept me entertained for almost two years now. It's had definite staying power.

[molson]

If anyone out there has a spare pwtorrents invite, I'd be your bff if you send me one.

I've had an account for years, had a great ratio, but my account has apparently been deleted due to inactivity - it's only been two months, but they're a little intense over there.

Thanks

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF DECEMBER, 1984

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Terry Funk
Curt Hennig
Bobby Eaton
Koko B. Ware

-Same group as last month, except that Buzz Sawyer is gone, and Terry Funk is in. Hennig & Ware are the best values here, both making only $1,675/show...That will guarantee them a lot of of ringtime as we recovery financially.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

Kerry Von Erich
Roddy Piper
Kevin Von Erich
Dick Murdoch
Iceman Parsons
Kevin Sullivan

-Since last month, Sika and Adrian Adonis are out, Kevin Sullivan debuts here, and Iceman Parsons moves up. Parsons has bounced back and forth between the Upper Midcard and the midcard, but he deserves this promotion after his performances with Bobby Eaton. He's also the cheapest guy in this group, at $1,500/show. Piper may become a mere "occasional wrestler" when he returns from suspension.

MIDCARDERS

The Road Warriors
The Grapplers
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
The Sheepherders
King Kong Bundy

-Many changes in this group since last month. The Great Kabuki, Arturo Mendoza, and Tiger Mask are out, demoted to "occasional wrestler" status. It will be hard to see them all go. Particularly, Mendoza, who I built up from the very bottom of the card to a guy who could easily be a main eventer. Tiger Mask is consistently great, but expensive. Kabuki is aging, and a historical WCCW mainstay. Hopefully they'll all be back someday down the road.

-The Grapplers, Mike Von Erich, and Steve Olsonoski benefit from the talent cuts and all move up to this group. Mike Von Erich is the best value here at $850/show, so he'll continue to see lots of ringtime. Iceman Parsons has moved out of this group up to the upper midcard. Olsonoski and Mike had been whining about their pushes, so hopefully this leads to a happier locker room.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Mr. Pogo (loan contract)
Doug Somers
David Sammartino
Villano V
Mark Youngblood

-Mike Von Erich, The Grapplers, and Steve Olsonoski have moved out and up out of this group. Mr. Pogo joined the group of the month via loan contract, he has one more match with us then he's gone. Mark Youngblood makes a huge jump from Enhancement Talent up to the Lower Midcard, even though he hasn't won a match. Again, I've made locker room morale a priority for the time being, and he was bitching down where he was. He's also very cheap ($550/show), and the recent talent cuts/demotions have created some room for upward momentum on the roster. Doug Somers gets a tough break as his manager, the Missouri Mauler, has been fired. Somers had particularly great chemistry with the Mauler, and the Mauler's firing may have been the only thing to keep him from moving up to the midcard with Mike and Olsonoski.

OPENERS

Al Perez
Villano IV
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton

-Same group as last month. Villano IV is probably the class of the group right now, but all of these guys have shown the ability to wrestle C- matches and above.

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Owen Hart
Dusty Wolfe

-Younblood has moved up and out of this group. Owen Hart could be close to a promotion. He's only 19 years old.

OCCASIONAL WRESTLERS

Bruno Sammartino
Tiger Mask
Arturo Mendoza
The Great Kabuki

-Bruno is two tournament matches away from retirement (unless his team can manage to win, then new commissioner Jose Lothario will have to make a decision). Tiger Mask/Kabuki/Mendoza will complete their roles in that tournament, and then they'll make only sporadic appearances until their contracts expire.

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
The Missouri Mauler
Ray Stevens
Ricky Romero

-Going with only one road agent (Romero) is a bit of a risk. We have some "character issue" guys in the locker room.

CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-Bob Backlund (51 Days)
-Arturo Mendoza (58 Days)
-Terry Funk (59 Days)

-I've already made my decisions on Mendoza and Funk.

-Backlund is a huge concern. He currently makes $2,000/month, and will surely be looking for a raise. Fritz may cap my offer out and make it impossible to re-sign him

[kislingbury]

this is my favourite dynasty ever on here. Well done for making some difficult decisions even if Mendoza was my favourite guy on your roster...

More updates please!

[molson]

ROSTER PERSONALITIES & RELATIONSHIPS, END OF DECEMBER, 1985

I don't think I've ever tracked this, but with my new attention to locker room morale (to compensate for the talent cuts), it's worth looking at here.

PERSONALITIES

-Al Perez: Professional
-Arturo Mendoza: Locker Room Leader, Very Nice, Professional
-Barry Orton: Very Nice, Professional
-Bill Mercer: Normal
-Bob Backlund: Locker Room Leader, Professional
-Bobby Eaton: Locker Room Leader, Very Nice, Professional
-Bruno Sammartino: Locker Room Leader, Professional
-Butch Miller: Very Nice, Professional
-Curt Hennig: Locker Room Leader, Joker, Professional
-David Manning: Normal
-David Sammartino: Normal
-David Von Erich: Locker Room Leader, Professional
-Dick Murdoch: Locker Room Leader, Joker, Professional
-Doug Somers: Professional
-Dusty Wolfe: Professional
-Fritz Von Erich: Locker Room Leader, Driven, Professional
-Gary Hart: Manipulative, Politician
-Grappler #1: Very Nice, Professional
-Grappler #2: Very Nice, Professional
-Iceman Parsons: Professional
-Jose Lothario: Politician
-Kerry Von Erich: Free Spirit
-Kevin Sullivan: Free Spirit, Professional
-Kevin Von Erich: Locker Room Leader, Free Spirit
-King Kong Bundy: Locker Room Leader, Professional
-Koko B. Ware: Locker Room Leader
-Lance Russell: Locker Room Leader, Very Nice, Professional
-Luke Williams: Very Nice
-Mark Youngblood: Normal
-Mike Von Erich: Normal
-Mr. Pogo: Very Nice
-Nikita Koloff: Very Nice, Professional
-Owen Hart: Normal
-Perry Jackson: Very Nice, Professional
-Ray Stevens: Locker Room Leader, Free Spirit, Professional
-Ricky Romero: Locker Room Leader, Very Nice, Professional
-Road Warrior Animal: Driven, Professional
-Road Warrior Hawk: Free Spirit
-Roddy Piper: Free Spirit, Selfish
-Skandor Akbar: Very Nice, Professional
-Steve Olsonoski: Very Nice, Professional
-Terry Funk: Locker Room Leader, Joker, Professional
-The Great Kabuki: Locker Room Leader, Very Nice, Professional
-Tiger Mask: Locker Room Leader, Free Spirit, Master Politician
-Villano IV: Very Nice, Professional
-Villano V: Very Nice, Professional

WORKER RELATIONSHIPS (Workers who have defined relationships with other members of the WCCW Roster)

-Arturo Mendoza, Villano IV, and Villano V are blood relatives
-Bill Mercer and Fritz Von Erich have a strong friendship
-Bruno Sammartino and David Sammartino are blood relatives
-Fritz, David, Kevin, Kerry, and Mike Von Erich are blood relatives
-Dick Murdoch and Terry Funk are best friends
-Gary Hart and The Great Kabuki have a strong friendship
-The Grappler #1 and Grappler #2 are best friends
-Iceman Parsons and Kevin Von Erich have a strong friendship
-Jose Lothario is the mentor of Kevin Von Erich
-Butch Miller and Luke Williams are best friends
-molson (my user character) has mutual strong dislike of Kevin Von Erich and Tiger Mask
-Ricky Romero and Mark Younblood are blood relatives
-Road Warrior Animal and Road Warrior Hawk are loyal to each other.

-So generally, we have a pretty happy locker room. There were a lot more at the start of the game, but the exists of The Freebirds and Chris Adams, in particular, separated a lot of good friends.

[molson]

this is my favourite dynasty ever on here. Well done for making some difficult decisions even if Mendoza was my favourite guy on your roster...

More updates please!

Thanks-

Mendoza's definitely the toughest cut I've made thus far.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 1, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-As planned, Bill Mercer will serve as the lead announcer of this show. He'll be joined on color commentary by....Fritz Von Erich. I can't believe I didn't think of this earlier. I have to pay Fritz a flat monthly rate anyway, might as well throw him out there with Mercer. Definitely a cheaper combo than Russel/Hayes. Russell remains on the roster for any PPV duty.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Dusty Wolfe in 7:55 by submission. (D+). Mike was visibly tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Mercer interviewed Mike about his win, and also the upcoming triple threat match later on to determine the #1 Contender to Mike's Cruiserweight Championship. Mike says he looks forward to competing against the winner next week, and is glad to see that Jose Lothario's administration is off to a fast start. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Al Perez defeats Villano IV in 4:52 by submission. (C+).

-As the show starts, Bill Mercer introduces his broadcast partner, Fritz Von Erich. The two recap all of the results from the New Year's Revolution event, and tonight's show. (C)

-Jose Lothario comes to the ring. Staff members set up a rolling drum with ping pong balls next to him. Lothario thanks the fans for all their votes, and says that he's proud to serve the company he's given his soul to, as WCCW Commissioner. Lothario announces the formation of two of the bodies he discussed during his campaign: The Champion Committee, and the Discipline Committee. The former will govern all championships, and championship defenses. Lothario says that from now on, every champion must defend their title every 30-days or they will be stripped of their title, no exceptions. Lothario says that each month, a the championship committee will determine a #1 Contender for each title. That contender receives a mandatory title shot. Each champion is free to defend their titles more often, if they wish. While the committees are getting settled, Lothario will call the shots. (C-)

-Lothario says that all the fans will learn about about these committees and Lothario's vision for WCCW as the weeks progress, but tonight, he's going to give them a sneak peak. Lothario introduces the reigning WCCW TV Champion, Kevin Von Erich, who comes to the ring. Lothario congratulates Kevin on his impressive reign as TV Champion. Lothario says that as a former TV Champion himself, he understands how prestigious that title is. Lothario says that starting tonight, things will be taken to another level, and that the WCCW Title will be the most unique, and hotly contested title in the history of professional wrestling. Lothario lays down the rules for the title, as determined by the WCCW Championship Committee:

WCCW Television Championship Rules
1. There will be a WCCW TV Title Match on TV every single week, no exception.
2. If at any time, for any reason, the champion is unable to defend the title in a given week, the belt is immediately vacated.
3. Each TV show, any WCCW wrestler on the active roster, who is in the arena that night, may place his name into a pool of contenders.
4. Each week, a name from that last of contenders will be chose at random - that man will get a shot, that week, at the TV title
5. All WCCW TV Championship matches will continue to have a 10 minute time limit.
6. If the TV Champion is unable to compete any given week, two names will be drawn from random, and those two men will compete that week for the vacant title.

-Lothario hypes the rules. While the rules put the champion in a tough situation - he must defend the title every single week against a "surprise opponent", the rules also continue to give the champion the advantage of the short 10 minute time limit. To win the belt, a challenger must quickly and decisively defeat the champion. With that, Lothario reference the rolling drum of ping pong balls, and asks Kevin to pull one out at random, to determine his challenger tonight. Kevin draws...Nikita Koloff. (C+)

-Kerry Von Erich defeats Perry Jackson in 6:53 by pinfall. (C-)

-Mark Youngblood defeats Doug Somers in 5:31 by pinfall. (C). Somers seemed off his game. The announcers note that his match was Youngblood's first victory in WCCW. Youngblood celebrated after the match in the ring. (D)

-The Grapplers defeats The Road Warriors in 10:27 by DQ after the Warriors lost their temper and refused to follow the referee's instructions. (C+). The referee had to step between the Warriors and The Grapplers to prevent the attack from continuing. After the match, the Road Warriors cut a heelish promo. They say it's a joke that they had to wrestle the Grapplers yet again after their dominating victory over The Sheepherders at New Year's Revolution. The Road Warriors say that their next match must be the match they deserve - a shot at the Von Erichs and the World Tag Team Championship. They demand that Jose Lothario come out and make that match. Jose Lothario indeed comes out to the ringside area, but says that he's not rewarding the Warriors with a title shot - after all, they just lost a match to the Grapplers. Instead, Lothario says, he's booking a rematch for next week, on TV, between The Road Warriors and The Sheepherders. Lothario says that for the Warriors to earn a title shot, they'll have to show that they can beat the Sheepherders in a regular wrestling match (not just in the no-DQ environment that took place at New Year's Revolution). (C+). The angry Warriors storm off. (C)

-#1 Contender's Match: Cruiserweight Championship
-Triple Threat Rules: One Fall to a Finish
Villano V defeats Owen Hart and Steve Olsonoski in 7:54 when Villano IV sneaked into the match and pinned Olsonoski. (C-). Villano V had been incapacitated outside the ring after missing a high-risk move. Villano IV, who was wearing identical ring attire and mask, entered the ring fresh and made the pinfall. Bill Mercer hypes next week's Cruiserweight Championship match between Mike Von Erich and Villano V. (C)

-Skanor Akbar cuts a promo backstage with his Destruction Inc. stable of The Sheepherders and Nikita Koloff. (C+). He hypes their upcoming tournament match with The Sammartinos and Iceman Parsons. He notes that if his team scores a pinfall or submission victory, they win Group A, and will advance to the final championship match in the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament. He also hypes Nikita Koloff's TV Title Match later on tonight, claiming that this will be a huge night for Destruction Inc. He talks about the match setup next week by Jose Lothario: His Sheepherders against the Road Warriors. Akbar suggests that that match be the a #1 Contender's match for the World Tag Team Titles. He also makes passing reference to the mysterious disappearance of Gary Hart in Las Vegas, saying Hart has clearly finally gone insane. (C)

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament Match
-Group A, Match 5

-The announcers note that if Destruction Inc. wins by pinfall or submission, they clinch the group and will advance to the final match. The announcers also mention that despite Sammartino losing the retirement match to Roddy Piper at New Year's Revolution, he will be allowed to compete for the rest of the tournament, and if his team wins, he will be allowed to compete as long as his team holds the gold.

-Bruno Sammartino, David Sammartino, and Iceman Parsons defeat The Sheepherders & Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) in 9:58 when Parsons pinned Miller after botched interference from Akbar. (B-)

-(Group A Standings)
1. The Sheepherders & Nikita Koloff (1 pinfall win, 1 loss, 2 draws: 5 points, 0 matches remaining)
2. The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons (1 pinfall win, 1 loss, 1 draw, 4 points, 1 match remaining)
3. The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza (1 pinfall win, 1 draw, 1 loss: 4 points, 1 match remaining)

(Any winner of the final Sammartinos/Parsons v. Villanos/Mendoza match will win the group. If that match ends in a draw, it will be a 3-team tie, to be decided by a triple threat six-man tag team tiebreaker match)

-The announcers introduce and play a video showing highlights the Sheepherders/Road Warriors feud, including their match at New Year's Revolution. The video hypes the match next week on TV between the two teams. (C-)

-Backstage, Kevin Von Erich hypes his TV Title defense against Nikita Koloff. He notes that it will be Koloff's second match of the night, and he'll try to wear him down. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Kevin Von Erich drew with Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C). Kevin makes his 11th defense of the TV title. Kevin's plan worked to perfection, he wrestled defensively, and wore down an already tired Koloff. After the match, a frustrated Koloff and Akbar try to attack Kevin, who easily repels the attack.

Overall Show Rating: C

THOUGHTS:

-That was a pretty bad show, but still good enough to increase our popularity outside of Texas and the midwest. It was also a cheap show - I didn't use a single main eventer

-I know some of this show was a little wordy, but there were a few things to catch up on and explain. Most important is the new TV title rules. I've had that idea in my head for a while. The champion has to defend the title against a random opponent every single week. Lots of opportunity for drama and storylines there. The names of the wrestlers who "enter" each weekly drawing will remain secret. The structure will inevitably wear any TV Champion down eventually, but they only need to hold on for 10 minutes to retain. The TV Title match won't be the main event every week, sometimes the challenger will be a jobber. Here, I clearly should have used the six-man match at the main.

-The Road Warriors were definitely heelish tonight, getting DQ'd and calling out the Von Erichs. No full-fledged heel turn yet, but if they can beat the Sheepherders next week, then that's the way they'll probably go against the Von Erichs.

-The six-man tag team championship tournament has been long, and kind of complicated, but it's winding down now and Group A is basically a dead heat. Bruno has been given a reprise - he'll be allowed to wrestle not only for the rest of the tournament, but for as long as he's champion if he's fortunate enough to win. Some real dram also exists over in Group B - what will happen to Gary Hart's "dream team" of Backlund/Murdoch/Bundy, now that Hart is missing, and Ray Stevens is managing Backlund?

-The low-level Cruiserweights were given a a shot tonight in the triple threat match, and they didn't really deliver. I even allowed to them to "go all out", a rare opportunity for lower-level wrestlers.

[molson]

NEWS

-The mediocre TV show delivered only a 3.05 rating. That's down from last week's all-time high of 3.39, and our lowest number in 6 weeks.

-Steve Olsonoski was late for the last show. I've advertised him for a match at next week's house show, so he gets by with just a fine here.

-Ray Stevens was late for the last show. That's a first offense for him, and he's particularly important right now, so he gets by with just a fine.

-Charlie Cook is being hyped in the dirt sheets as a future star. He hasn't worked regularly since July of 1983. Thinking he might work cheap, I request negotiations.

-AWA, All Japan, Mid-Atlantic, Portland, UWA, and Georgia strike deals to carry shows on PPV/closed circuit. AWA and Georgia sign with a "Big" sized carrier. That's relevant for me, as the first PPV provider who wants to talk with me is "Very Small". That's too much smaller than what the AWA and Georgia are doing, so I hold off for something better (though they do manage to sign with Mid-Atlantic).

-A day later though, I manage to sign with a rival "big" carrier that has coverage throughout the USA (I'm rejected by the bigger carries that have more worldwide reach).

-I immediately set our January Star Wars event to be on PPV. I don't know if I'll necessary run PPV every month, but I'm anxious to try it out and see what kind of revenue it will generate. It will also be interesting to see how the AI handles PPV.

-JR Foley has rejected negotiations, since I just recently let his last contract with us expire.

-Tiger Mask, The Great Kabuki, Arturo Mendoza, and The Sammartinos complain about their pushes (I guess that answers the question about weather guys will complain about an "occasional wrestler" push).

-Roy Shire, John Tolos, George Cannon, and John Heath do accept negotiations. Shire is far too expensive at $1,725/show. The others are much more reasonable, but now that I have Fritz in place as color commentary though, I take a pass.

-I sign newcomer Big Van Vader for 9 months at $475/show. While he has no overness anywhere, he has decent skills. "A" rating in Intensity, Stiffness, and Menace, and "B+" in Toughness, Looks, and Star Quality. He'll start as an "Opener" and as a babyface. He has a "mountain man" gimmick. (I envision it as a former-NFL player/Colorado outdoorsman who doesn't yet know much about wrestling). I can't bring myself to job him too much, so he'll wrestle almost exclusively in dark matches for a while.

-Bob Backlund is back at 100%, so we avoid any kind of nagging injury with him.

-A dirt shirt poll named The Grand Wizard as "the best manager in wrestling"

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Small Venue) Dallas Arena
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,395

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviewed former NFL player Leon White, who is about to make his professional wrestling debut. (D). Bill Mercer also interviews his opponent, Dusty Wolfe, who says that he's insulted that White thinks he can just come in off the street and wrestle. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White drew with Dusty Wolfe in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C)

-As the show starts, Jose Lothario comes to the ring and welcomes the fans, cutting a brief promo. He makes the much-rumored announcement - WCCW will make its PPV/closed circuit debut in three weeks at January Star Wars. He asks the fan to turn into the TV show to get more details. (C-)

-Steve Olsonoski drew with Doug Somers in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Owen Hart & Al Perez in 5:32 when Williams pinned Perez. (C). Miller looked good. After the match, Akbar & The Sheepherders hyped their upcoming match on the TV show this week against the Road Warriors. Akbar says that he got the official word from Lothario before the show - this will be a #1 Contender's Match for the World Tag Team Championship, with the winners to challenge the Von Erichs at January Star Wars. (C)

-Iceman Parsons defeats Perry Jackson in 6:42 by pinfall. (C-). After the match, Parson talks about his match with Nikita Koloff several weeks ago, when he successfully met Koloff's "3 minute challenge". Parsons said that starting on the TV show this week, he'll start his own challenge, but he'll defeat any opponent in 2:45. (C+)

-The Villanos defeat The Road Warriors in 7:54 by DQ. (C-). During the match, The Sheepherders and Skandor Akbar surrounded the ring, and attempted interference several times. Soon, the Warriors lost their temper, and attached The Sheepherders. In the melee, Road Warrior Hawk, out of frustration, struck one of the Villanos with a steel chair, after he couldn't connect a chair shot with either of the Sheepherders. After the match, a lengthy teased brawl between the Sheepherders and Road Warriors takes place around ringside, but the Sheepherders are able to escape while road agents break things up. (D+). The frustrated Road Warriors return to the ring, and attack the Villanos instead. (D+)

-Terry Funk cuts a lengthy promo, saying he has unfinished business with Gary Hart from his last WCCW run, which is why he arranged this main event match tonight with Hart's client, Arturo Mendoza. Funk, however, says Hart is still nowhere to be found after disappearing in Las Vegas last week. (B)

-Terry Funk defeats Arturo Mendoza in 22:31 by pinfall despite interference by The Villanos. (B+). Funk overcame 3-1 odds (though the Villanos were significantly weakened from the previous match). After the match, Terry Funk celebrated in the ring for several minutes. (B)

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-That was something of an intentionally bad (and cheap) show.

-I accidentally booked this show in a "small" instead of a "very small" venue. That will screw up any profitability of this show, but at least the fans were roomy.

-Obviously the main event saved us from disaster here. I wanted to build Funk some momentum against the soon-to-depart Mendoza

-The Sheepherders/Road Warriors stuff was shockingly bad. Not sure why.

-This was the Warriors' 2nd straight DQ job to a masked team, after their loss against the Grapplers last week. I'm trying to give some other teams a little momentum on the Warriors way out (which actually might explain whey the Warriors' segments have been so bad - it also definitely compromises our Sheepherders/Warriors #1 Contenders match this week)

-It's too bad Olsonoski and Somers have bad chemistry, as they're set for a series of matches against each other. Oh well - I can live with Cs from them.

-Leon White makes his debut on the pre-show and pulls a very decent C with Dusty Wolfe. The AI still, as far as I can see, annoyingly doesn't sign any worker who debuts in the universe, because of their low overness. I guess as guys retire, they'll have to give them a shot eventually. Wrestling a "C" match with Dusty Wolfe is not bad at all. Wolfe recently wrestled a D+ match with Mike Von Erich, and a C match with Kerry Von Erich.

[molson]

NEWS

-Tiger Mask arrived very late to the last show. I'll need him soon for the six-man tag team championship, but not for the next week, so I suspend him for that long.

-I sign another former NFL-player, Charlie Cook, for 9 months at $500. Cooks seems to be a decent enough jobber-level guy. He gives me another option at the bottom of the roster, and maybe he and White can have a lower-level feud. I assign him as an "Opener" heel.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 2, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,585

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Mr. Pogo defeats Al Perez in 6:57 by pinfall. (C). Perez was exhausted by the end of the match. The two showed poor chemistry.

-Non-Title Match
WCCW World Champion Bobby Eaton defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:28 by pinfall. (C+). Eaton looked good.

-Iceman Parsons comes to the ring - the announcers show a quick clip from Parsons' announcement of his "2:45 challenge", in response to Nikita Koloff's "3 minute challenge", which Parsons' successfully overcome several weeks ago.

-Iceman Parsons 2:45 Challenge.
Iceman Parsons defeats Charlie Cook by pinfall in 1:43. (C-)

-Doug Somers, Barry Orton, and Perry Jackson came to the ring for their scheduled WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament Match against Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and King Kong Bundy. The announcers hyped the uncertainty of the "dream team", with the disappearance of Gary Hart, and the recent dissension amongst the team members. Bob Backlund then comes to the ring with his new manager, Ray Stevens. Stevens claims that he has taken over as manager of the "dream team" - and that he has two official orders of business. 1st, King Kong Bundy is fired from the team. Stevens runs down Bundy as a fat, unmotivated, slob. 2nd, Dick Murdoch is fired from the team. Stevens spends even more time running down Murdoch as a "backwards redneck" who doesn't deserve to team with Backlund. Therefore, says Stevens, Bob Backlund will continue in the tournament by himself. (C)

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Group B, Match 5
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Barry Orton, Perry Jackson, & Doug Somers by DQ in 9:48 following interference from Dick Murdoch. (B-). Somers seemed off his game. Backlund looked good. During the match, Dick Murdoch came down to ringside and attacked Perry Jackson. He then climbed the apron and stood in the corner of the Orton/Somers team, apparently joining that team. After much persuasion, Somers tagged an angry Murdoch into the match. Backlund immediately bailed to the outside, while Stevens yelled at the referee. After Murdoch refused to leave the ring, the referee called for the bell. After discussion at the ringside area, the announcement was made - Backlund won by DQ, because Somers tagged in an "unauthorized match participant". Backlund and Stevens quickly fled back to the dressing room.

-(Group B Standings)
1. Curt Hennig, The Great Kabuki, & Tiger Mask (2 pinfall wins, 1 loss, 6 points, 1 match remaining)
3. Bob Backlund (apparently now wrestling alone) (1 pinfall win, 1 DQ win, 1 loss, 5 points, 1 match remaining)
3. Doug Somers, Perry Jackson & Barry Orton (1 DQ win, 3 losses, 2 points, 0 matches remaining)

-Group B will come down to the final match between Bob Backlund and Kabuki/Tiger Mask/Curt Hennig. Any winner, by any means (pinfall, submission, pinfall, countout), wins the group. If the match ends in a draw, Kabuki/Tiger Mask/Hennig win the group.

-WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario enters the ring with Kevin Von Erich, and the rolling drum filled with potential challengers to Kevin's TV Title, per the new TV Title championship rules setup last week. Lothario says that before we get to the TV Title lottery, he has a major announcement - he has signed the main event match for January Star Wars. It will be the 1st ever main event carried live across the country on PPV and closed circuit TV. Lothario said that he has watched Bobby Eaton's World Title reign with annoyance. Lothario says Eaton hasn't defended the title like a true champion. So, starting at January Star Wars, he'll get his chance. He'll defend the World Title against the man Lothario deems the #1 Contender - David Von Erich. (In the ring, Kevin reacts positively). But, Lothario, says, David won't be the only challenger. The match will be a triple threat match. The third man in the match, says Lothario, will be determined next week, when the other co-#1 Contender is determined. That man will be the winner of a 4-way match, featuring: Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and the two finalists of the King of the Texas Death Match tournament: Kevin Sullivan & Terry Funk. Those four men, says Lothario, deserve this shot. (C-)

-Next, Jose Lothario instructs Kevin to draw a name out of the rolling drum - every name in the drum is a WCCW wrestler who is in the arena tonight, and has chosen to put his name into the running. Lothario also says that the TV title match will occur immediately, so everyone in the back should pay attention. Kevin draws a name - Owen Hart. (C-)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Kevin Von Erich defeats Owen Hart by submission in 4:49 to make his 12th defense of the TV title. (C). Kevin looked good.

-Backstage, Villano V cuts a promo hyping his upcoming Cruiserweight title shot against Mike Von Erich, a shot he earned last week in a triple threat match. (C). Bill Mercer then introduces a special video package look at short history of the WCCW Cruiserweight Championship - featuring Mike Von Erich's domination of this division. (C+). Another short video feature hypes past matches between Mike Von Erich and Villano V. (C+)

-Mike Von Erich comes to the ring for his title defense, and he grants a brief interview to Bill Mercer. (C). Villano V comes to the ring soon after, and also gives a brief interview. (C).

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Villano V defeats Mike Von Erich in 7:07 by countout. (C-). Mike retains the title. Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. The two showed poor chemistry.

-Dick Murdoch defeats Villano IV in 5:47 by pinfall. (C). Murdoch looked good. Murdoch played the face in the match. After the match, Dick Murdoch cut a promo, hyping the Co-#1 Contender Match next week - he says he can't wait to get his hands on Bob Backlund. (B)

-Backstage, The Road Warriors cut a promo hyping their upcoming #1 Contenders Match with The Sheepherders. (C-). Bill Mercer introduces a hype video recapping the long feud between the Road Warriors and The Sheepherders. (C-)

-#1 Contender's Match: WCCW World Tag Team Championship
The Road Warriors defeat The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) after Road Warrior Hawk struck Butch Miller with the ring bell, allowing Animal to gain the pin. (B). The Road Warriors are the #1 Contenders for the World Tag Team Championship, and will face the Von Erichs at January Star Wars.

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-OK show, saved by a surprisingly good main event. This was the official final chapter in the Road Warriors/Sheepherders storyline, which may have given us a boost. It's probably a surprising finish, considering the Warriors and Von Erichs are both babyfaces, and I've said that the Road Warriors will be out of WCCW soon. Still, this is the best way to go about this, storyline-wise. The Road Warriors continued their recent trend of heelish behavior, cheating to the win here. They're still officially babyfaces, but that could change before January Star Wars. The slumping Sheepherders have now suffered two straight high-profile losses.

-Dick Murdoch was a babyface tonight, being verbally attacked by Ray Stevens, showing up in the six-man tag match to physically confront Backlund, defeating Villano IV, and cutting a promo on Backlund.

-Owen Hart gets the TV title shot tonight - the "random" contender drawing will feel somewhat random - a mix of stars/jobbers and faces/heels. Any man who holds the TV title will eventually be worn down.

-I'm hoping that Eaton v. David Von Erich v. Backlund/Murdoch/Funk/Sullivan will give us an A+ main event in our first PPV. It's also the collision of a lot of different storylines. Lothario's decision to include Funk & Sullivan is controversial.

-The Cruiserweight Championship match was given a lot more hype then your typical WCCW Cruiserweight Championship match. That's just because I had some storyline elements I had to work in before I got to the advertised match. After all that, the match wasn't all that good.

-Bobby Eaton impressively carried Dusty Wolfe to a C+ match. I actually allowed the two of them to go "all out", only because there was no other obvious candidates to give that designation to, other than the main event. It was Wolf's best-ever match.

-Mr. Pogo won on the dark match segment just to complete his loan contract with us. He needed a win per house rule (no loaned wrestler can have a losing record while with WCCW). Mr. Pogo went 1-1-1.

[molson]

NEWS

-Bruno Sammartino arrived late to the last show. I'll need him soon for the six-man tag team title tournament, so he's fined.

-The TV show gets a 3.29 TV rating. That's a good rebound from last week, and it's our 2nd highest rating ever.

-Perry Jackson suffered a leg injury at the last show, but he'll be able to work through it (perhaps Dick Murdoch was too rough on him when he took Jackson out of the match).

-Dory Funk Jr. won the NWA United States Championship for the first time, defeating Dick Slater.

-In Calgary Stampede, Bret Hart & Ricky Steamboat defeated Bad News Allen & The Dynamite Kid for the tag team championship. (Sounds like a fun match)

-Giant Baba, of all Japan, has suffered multiple concussion syndrome, and will be out for over a year. At the age of 46, this could be it for his wrestling career. In his apparently final match, he teamed with Jumbo Tsurtua to retain NWA International tag team championship against Bruiser Brody and Mr. Saito.

-Mr. Wrestling II suffered a more minor injury while wrestling with Mid-South. We just recently released him.

-There's a new NWA World Heavyweight Champion - Greg Valentine ended Dusty Rhodes' 4th reign with the belt. That's his first world title, after 4 US Title reigns.

-Tiger Mask/The Great Kabuki, Arutro Mendoza, and The Sammartinos renew their complaints. All will be gone in due time.

-The results of two big dirt sheet fan polls were released. Ricky Steamboat won the award for "best overall worker" and Jess Ventura won for "most entertaining worker".

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, January 1985
Fort Worth, TX (Midsouth- Very Small Venue) Dallas Arena
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews Doug Somers about his upcoming match with Steve Olosonoski. Mercer references last week's time-limit draw between the two, and how tensions seemed to increase throughout the match. (C-). Mercer also interviews Olosonoski. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski drew with Doug Somers in 8:50 by Double DQ after the referee lost control of the match. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Before the show officially starts, Bill Mercer conducts a lengthy interview with David Von Erich. David Von Erich talks about finally getting a shot at the World Title at January Star Wars. He also hypes tonight's main event - a rematch of the main event at New Year's Revolution between himself and Koko B. Ware. David says none of his brothers are here tonight, and he knows Koko will try to "soften" him up for his friend Bobby Eaton.

-Fritz Von Erich welcomes the Forth Worth fans to the show with a brief promo. (C-)

-Arturo Mendoza came to the ring to cut a dejected promo. He said that a few months ago, he thought he had it all. An elite manager in Gary Hart. A great tag team partner with King Kong Bundy. And a spot, with his brothers, the Villanos, in the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship tournament. Now, Hart and Bundy have vanished, and he finds himself in a losing streak. He says all he has left is his family, and that they'll do whatever it takes to defeat The Sammartinos and Iceman Parsons in the final Group A match in the tournament. (B)

-Terry Funk defeats Arturo Mendoza in 22:08 by pinfall. (B+). The announcing quality wan't up to the standard of the match. After the match, Funk cut a long, rambling promo. He said that Mendoza wrestled a great match, and that he doesn't need scum like Gary Hart and King Kong Bundy around to succeed. He also hypes this week's co-#1 Contender match between himself, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, and Bob Backlund. (B+)

-Dick Murdoch came to the ring for his match against Kevin Sullivan. Murdoch cut a promo hyping this match, and the co-#1 Contender match set for later this week. Murdoch again, was especially focused on Bob Backlund. (C+)

-Kevin Sullivan drew with Dick Murdoch in 11:31 following a double-DQ after the referee lost control of the match. (B+)

-Koko B. Ware came to the ring and hyped the upcoming main event match between himself and David Von Erich. Ware said tonight, it's all about him and David, since there's no other Von Erichs in the building, and no Bobby Eaton. Ware points out that before he was injured by David, he was in line for a World Title shot, a world title shot that David had guaranteed him back in June. Ware says he still hasn't gotten that shot, and that Jose Lothario should take David out of the triple threat match at January Star Wars and put Ware into it. Koko says that to make the decision easy, he'll put David out of commission tonight, again. (B+).

-David Von Erich drew with Koko B. Ware in 27:50 following a double DQ. (A+) After about 20 minutes of high-impact wrestling, Ware decided to commence his "Soften David up for Bobby Eaton" Strategy. Ware introduced weapons into the match, but all attacks were repelled by David, who eventually used some of the weapons against Ware. After the match, the two brawled for several more minutes, with Ware aggressively trying to injure David, but David successfully repelling every attack, and eventually winning the fight. (B)

Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS:

-Nothing fancy about this show, just great matches top to bottom. The only drawback was that it was pretty expensive, and it didn't use a whole lot of workers (which leads to unhappiness backstage).

-3 out of the 4 matches ended in a double DQ. Some fans may not of liked that, but it was just one of those nights.

-David and Koko matched their A+ rating from New Year's Revolution. Ware has a point that he never did get the World Title Shot that David has contractually promised him last summer. Lothario will have to address that.

-Murdoch/Sullivan was just a wild, spirited brawl between 2 of the participants in the 4-way co-#1 Contender Match this week. That match will be elimination-rules, losers are eliminated until there's only one man left standing.

-Mendoza cut a very sympathetic promo, and Terry Funk gave him some kind words at the end of the match. It was a great, "B" rated promo, which is pretty rare. I noted the road agent note I got after that match - that the announcing quality wasn't up to the caliber of the match. That might have kept that match from reaching A- or higher. That's one of the sacrifices I had to make with a Fritz/Mercer booth instead of Russell/Hayes (why I even have announcers at house shows is another story, but that's just how the game works)

[molson]

NEWS

-Bruno Sammartino was late to his second straight show. I'm tempted to just fire him. It would be kind of funny, after all that Sammartinos/Piper drama to have Bruno just walk out on his son. Instead, I suspend him for a week. We'll do that Group final match at January Star Wars, he'll be back by then.

-Tiger Mask has returned from his suspension, he'll be available at the TV show this week. I also bump him back up to the midcard from "occasional wrestler" status. He still has 97 days on his contract, a little too long for him to be pissed off.

-The St. Louis Wrestling Club held their first show. Billy Jack Haynes defeated Jim Brunzell to win the first St. Louis Championship. King Kong Bundy defeated Buddy Landell for something called the "St. Louis Arena Championship". Tiger Conway Jr. and Bob Roop won the tag team championship.

-Butch Reed won the Southeastern Heavyweight Championship, the main event title of SECW, from Super Olympia

-Englishman Frank Manley is hyped in the dirt sheets as a future star. It seems there's a lot of "future stars" in the UK. Without Lord Alfred Hayes, my British stable is on indefinite hold

-Perry Jackson's injury has proved to be minor, as he's back at 100%.

[JonInMiddleGA]

(why I even have announcers at house shows is another story, but that's just how the game works)

Heh. Glad to see I'm not the only person that twitches just a little when dealing with that.

I do my best to justify it to myself with a couple of things, using them as announcers for the old school ringside interviews that used to be so common on weekly TV (we just happen to be doing them at house shows) and for taping all our house shows with live commentary in case we want to use highlights on an upcoming TV show (which we then never do). It's kind of like my own personal kayfabing or something, trying to come up with some mental explanation for something that really doesn't need to be there.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,694 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews Doug Somers about his upcoming match with Steve Olsonoski. Mercer notes that the last two times these two men have faced each other, the match has ended in a draw. (D+). Mercer then interviews Olsonoski, who says he won't leave anything to chance this time, and he'll finally get past Somers. (C-)

-Pre-Show Darm Match
Steve Olsonoski drew with Doug Somers in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Mark Youngblood in 6:46 by pinfall. (B-). After the match, Akbar cut a promo on Iceman Parsons, claiming that Parsons has made a "huge" mistake my trying to humiliate Koloff in recent weeks. (B-)

-Bill Mercer interviewed WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, who announced the current card for next Saturday Night's "January Star Wars" event, the first ever WCCW card to be broadcast on PPV and Closed Circuit TV (C):

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Triple Threat Match
Bobby Eaton v. David Von Erich v. TBD (Winner of tonight's 4-way main event)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kerry & Kevin Von Erich v. The Road Warriors

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Group B, Final Match
The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza v. The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons

-#1 Contender's Match, WCCW World Tag Team Championship
The Sheepherders v. Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki

-Bill Mercer then introduces WCCW Television Champion Kevin Von Erich, who comes out to draw his random challenger for the TV Title this week. First though, Mercer asks Kevin about his grueling schedule of recent weeks, defending two championships. He also asks him about the new #1 Contenders for the Tag Team Championship, the Road Warriors. Kevin says he saw what the Warriors did to the Sheepherders last week to earn this title shot, and that they'll be a huge challenge for he and Kerry. The, Kevin draws the name of his challenger for this week - Sheepherder Butch Miller. (C+).

-Iceman Parsons defeats Mr. Pogo in 9:29 by pinfall. (B-) The two showed great chemistry.

-Just as the match ends, Nikita Koloff and Skandor Akbar hit the ring in attempt to attack Parsons. Parsons however, is ready for them, and sends both from the ring. He then grabs a chair, and chases them back to the locker room. (C+).

-Kevin Von Erich came to the ring for this TV title defense, and cut a promo. He admits that his recent schedule is wearing him down, but that he has plenty left for Butch Miller. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Kevin Von Erich defeats Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) in 7:35 by DQ when Luke Williams interfered after Kevin seemingly had the match won. (B-). Kevin makes his 13th defense of the TV title. The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, The Sheepherders continue the 2-on-1 attack on Kevin.

-While the 2-1 attack continues, the Road Warriors storm to the ring and attack The Sheepherders, driving them from the ring, to a huge ovation (C-). The Road Warriors appear to help a weary Kevin to his feet, only to clothesline him back to the mat, and then set him up for their finisher, the Doomsday Device. (C+) This completes the Warriors' heel turn. The Warriors continue to beat on Kevin for several minutes, until Iceman Parsons tries to make the save. The Warriors though, easily repel him from the ring, and complete the beating on Kevin, before leaving on their own. (C)

-A hype video hypes tonight's main event, a 4-way elimination match to determine who will complete the Triple Threat Match for the World Title at January Star Wars. The hype video features:

-Ray Stevens' verbal attacks on Dick Murdoch, and the firing of Murdoch from the six-man-tournament tag team.
-Murdoch's interference in Backlund's tournament match, and their subsequent brawl
-highlights from the King of the Texas Death Match tournament finals, involving Terry Funk & Kevin Sullivan, where Sullivan costs Funk the match.
(B)

-Backstage, Kevin Sullivan (B), Dick Murdoch (B-), and Terry Funk (B+), hype the match, all verbally target Bob Backlund.

-4-Corners Match, Elimination Rules.
-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Co-#1 Contender Match
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, and Terry Funk to become the #1 Contender, and earn his place into the January Star Wars main event. (B) When the match started, Backlund, Sullivan, and Murdoch immediately attacked Terry Funk 3-on-1. Funk held off the attack and managed to survive in the match for nearly 20 minutes, but he eventually was overwhelmed and was pinned by Backlund. Sullivan, Murdoch, and Backlund then, to the shock of the fans, all shook hands in the ring. Murdoch and and Sullivan then exited the match, and were counted out, giving the win to Backlund. After the match, the three men joined Ray Stevens in the ring - Stevens cut a manic promo hyping his new stable. He says they had a plan and outsmarted Funk, and now Bob Backlund will become the World Champion at January Star Wars. Murdoch and Sullivan will be rewarded for their efforts, with money, the managerial services of Stevens, and championship opportunities. (C)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-There were a couple of major storyline developments on this show. First, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, and Bob Backlund have formed some kind of alliance under Ray Stevens, which leads to Backlund getting into the championship match at January Star Wars. It's unclear at this point why Sullivan, and especially Dick Murdoch, have agreed to this, after the apparent rivalry that has developed between those two in recent weeks. Where this storyline ultimately goes depends on whether we kind re-sign backlund, who's contract is up in a little over a month.

-After the show, two more matches for January Star Wars are announced. Terry Funk will have a chance for revenge against Kevin Sullivan (from both the results of the last tv show, as well as the King of the Texas Deathmatch tournament finals), as they have signed to face off in a "falls count anywhere" match. Also, the WCCW Championship Committee has ruled that the next #1 Contender for the World Title will be determined by a #1 Contender's Match between Dick Murdoch and Curt Hennig.

-The Road Warriors completed their heel turn in classic 80s fashion. They make the "save" for Kevin, then beat him down. The Warriors had been slowly going in this direction for months, and have much better "heel" performance ratings, so hopefully they can give us a good match at January Star Wars.

-The Sheepherders have been in a real slump as of late...They'll get another chance in a #1 Contender's Match at January Star Wars against Tiger Mask & The Great Kabuki.

-I was kind of surprised to see that Mr. Pogo was still on the roster, I had thought that he was on loan contract and finished up his three appearances. But I had actually signed him to a short-term 3 month contract, so he'll be around a while longer. He had a solid match with Parsons here tonight, who had a good night. He gets the win, repels the attack from Koloff, and then got face time trying to save Kevin from the Road Warriors attack. I like to throw out occasional reminders of wrestler relationships - for example here, Parsons is a close friend of the Von Erichs.

-Koloff wrestled a very solid match with Youngblood. He's come a long way.

[molson]

NEWS

-Kevin Von Erich was injured at the last show, either during his match with Butch Miller or during the attack by the Road Warriors. He's having some shoulder pain, and while he'll be able to work through it, he won't be at 100%. Which causes some problems, since he's in the middle of a storyline where he's having a "grueling schedule", and he's just about a week away from the Road Warriors match

-The TV Show gets a 3.66 rating. That shatters our previous all-time high. We haven't maxed out our rating potential on this network and time slot yet, but I'm sure I'll be looking to upgrade here later in the year.

-Don Muraco won the annual "Salem City Cup" tournament with Pacific Northwest Wrstling, defeating Jerry Lawler in the finals.

-In Calgary Stampede, Bret Hart won the North American Heavyweight Championship for the 6th time, defeating The Spoiler.

-Dusty Rhodes in making noise in the dirt sheets again, claiming that he "caries" Mid-Atlantic single-handedly.

-Giant Baba, who suffered a major concussion in a match where he won the NWA International Tag Team Championships with Jumbo Tsuruta last week, has announced his retirement.

-The Great Kabuki, Arturo Mendoza, and The Sammartinos renew their standard complaints about pushes.

[Swaggs]

Hard to believe, but this dynasty is almost two (real) years old. :)

[molson]

Hard to believe, but this dynasty is almost two (real) years old. :)

I'm hoping that by the time I reach the two-year mark, I will have advanced two years in the game....

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, January 1985
Rochester, MN (Midwest- Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,852 Ticket prices: $1 under Default
Actual Attendance: 1,923

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Dusty Wolfe in 6:35 by pinfall. (C). White looked good

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviewed Owen Hart & Al Perez about their upcoming tag team match against Barry Orton & Perry Jackson. (E)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Barry Orton & Perry Jackson defeat Owen Hart & Al Perez in 7:01 by pinfall when Orton pinned Perez, while grabbing the ropes for leverage. (D). Perez was tiring towards the end of the match

-WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario comes out to start the show, as he welcomes the Rochester fans. Lothario runs down the announced card for this Saturday night's "January Star Wars" card, available nationwide on PPV and closed circuit TV. He says that the next #1 Contender for the World Title was scheduled to be determined this Saturday night, when Dick Murdoch faces Curt Hennig. However, in recognition of Terry Funk's gutsy performance on the TV show last week, when he withstood 3-on-1 odds for nearly 20 minutes, the WCCW Championship Committee has decided that in tonight's main event, Dick Murdoch will put his spot in the #1 Contender's match on the line against Terry Funk. The winner will advance to face Hennig this Satuday night. (C-)

-Bill Mercer interviews Doug Somers about his upcoming match with Steve Olsonoski, again noting that the two have faced each other several times over the last few weeks, with every match ending in a draw thus far. (D+). Mercer also interviews Olsonoski. (D+)

-Steve Olsonoski drew with Doug Somers in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C-) The two showed poor chemistry.

-The Road Warriors come to the ring to massive boos from the crowd. They mock Kevin Von Erich, saying he barely put up a fight against them on TV last week. They say they've steamrolled thorough everyone in their path in WCCW, and finally, they'll be able to be recognized as champions after this Saturday night. (C+).

-Mike Von Erich comes to the ringside area, where he is interviewed by Bill Mercer. Mercer points out that Mike was so angry over the events of the TV show last week, that he signed for this match before he even had a tag team partner lined up. Mercer asks, where's Mike's partner? Mike says that he did line a partner up, but unfortunately, due to the poor weather outside, his partner hasn't yet arrived. Mike says that he's ready to compete against the Road Warriors anyway, and while he might not be able to win, he's going to show the Warriors that the Von Erichs are fighters. (C)

-Road Warriors v. Mike Von Erich & ?
The match stars, and the Road Warriors dominate Mike Von Erich...until Mike's partner, his brother David Von Erich, suddenly arrives at ringside, wearing street clothes. (B-)

-The Road Warriors drew with Mike & David Von Erich in 9:54 by double countout. (B-) The match suffered from a lack of selling. David looked good. After the match, the brawl continued, until the Road Warriors gained the upper hand. They hit their doomsday device finisher on both Mike & David, and left them laying in the ring. (C)

-Curt Hennig defeats Villano V in 7:33 by pinfall. (B+). The two showed good chemistry. After the match, Hennig cut a promo to his home-state fans in Minnesota. (B)

-Hennig very slowly leaves the ringside area, as he shakes hands with nearly every fan. Dick Murdoch and Ray Stevens lose patience, and come out for the main event while Hennig is still lingering around. The three appear to argue briefly, before quickly being separated by security. (B-)

-Dick Murdoch and Ray Stevens get to the ringside area, where Bill Mercer desperately tries to secure an interview. He quickly asks Murdoch - why has he decided to align himself with Stevens, Bob Backlund, and Kevin Sullivan? Why did he give up his shot to be in the main event at January Star Wars? Stevens jumps between Mercer and Murdoch, and doesn't allow the interview to proceed - Stevens says Mercer can arrange such interviews in advance, but he won't allow his client to be ambushed. (C+)

-#1 Contender Elimination Match
Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Terry Funk in 29:49, with the help of interference from Stevens. (A+). The announcer quality wasn't up to the standards of the match

Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS:

-A home run show, especially considering we were in the midwest. I still haven't cracked the elusive A- barrier for show ratings...I wonder if there's some block to that that I haven't discovered yet.

-A+ main event - That's the 2nd A+ match Murdoch has been involved with for WCCW, the last was a triple threat match involving Bob Backlund and Curt Hennig in October. It's the first A+ for Funk.

-I knew Hennig/Villano V would be good, but B+ exceeded expectations. Villano V, for some reason, is actually somewhat over in the midwest, compared to other lower midcarders. I think its because he's had a bunch of good matches here.

-The Hennig/Murdoch confrontation is the genesis of a new storyline between the feud. This resumes their feud from last year, which was won my Murdoch.

-The Road Warriors v. David/Mike was pretty good as well, though it might have lost a point or two on a technicality - Animal is still a face. Minor bug in the game - you can only turn one wrestler per segment, not both members of a tag team. So Hawk has been turned, but not Animal. I tried to turn Animal tonight, but in turns out I have to reset his "prepare for turn" status. So I'll "officially" turn him on the TV show this week, and then we'll have pure heel v. face in time for the big match with the Von Erichs on Saturday.

-Olsonoski/Somers must be the least exciting storyline in the history of professional wrestling. But it's fast, easy, and it helps to give us our "minimum" number of storyline developments on a show like this.

-Leon White looked good in his match against Dusty Wolfe. I'd love to ship him off to Japan in a talent trade, to expand his horizons, but I don't think he has any value to them at this point.

[molson]

Heh. Glad to see I'm not the only person that twitches just a little when dealing with that.

I do my best to justify it to myself with a couple of things, using them as announcers for the old school ringside interviews that used to be so common on weekly TV (we just happen to be doing them at house shows) and for taping all our house shows with live commentary in case we want to use highlights on an upcoming TV show (which we then never do). It's kind of like my own personal kayfabing or something, trying to come up with some mental explanation for something that really doesn't need to be there.

Yup, that's one of the "justifications" you have to develop when you play this, or probably any other text sim.

Another is that how these weekly house shows HAVE to have storyline development and angles, even though I'd rather just run matches top to bottom. So I tell myself that even though these things aren't happening on TV, the announcers mention the events over the course of that week's TV show. So that saves the work of trying to remember what happened on TV and what didn't.

It's kind of funny how any of this matters in a fictional universe.

[molson]

NEWS

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show.

-Bruno Sammartino has officially returned from his suspension, in time for January Star Wars.

-Speaking of suspended wrestlers, Roddy Piper won a dirt sheet award for "Best Overall Worker in Wrestling Today". If only he wasn't so damn expensive and unreliable.

-Now that we're within 30 days of the end of Bob Backlund's contract, I request negotiations. Obviously, our short and long term booking will be profoundly impacted by how those negotiations turn out. I'm not optimistic we'll resign him. Fritz has been capping me out on offers to the major stars recently, and Backlund will surely be asking for the moon. Hopefully there will be some kind of resolution before January Star Wars.

[molson]

It's interesting to see how the universe has developed in terms of major superstars. Only nine wrestlers currently are rated "B" or higher in US popularity:

-Superstar Billy Graham
-Andre the Giant
-Buzz Sawyer
-Sgt. Slaughter
-Steve Keirn
-Stan Hansen
-Manny Fernandez
-Jerry Stubbs
-Curt Hennig

-This list definitely reflects the demise of the WWF and the prominence of the AWA. Stubbs, Fernandez, and Sawyer have all held the AWA World Title during this dynasty. It also appears that injured wrestlers/wrestlers on sabbatical don't drop their popularity like merely unemployed wrestlers do. Andre The Giant has been injured for almost a year, and he's still on this list, while guys like Hogan have dropped off. Billy Graham has been filming a movie, and also hasn't wrestled in nearly a year. Steve Keirn is probably the weirdest name on the list - he's worked non-stop over the last 2 years for both AWA and Georgia, and he wrestled 176 matches last year.

-While Hennig is the only guy to crack the list from WCCW, 3 others are at B- overall US popularity: David Von Erich, Bobby Eaton, and Roddy Piper.

-It will be interesting to see what happens over the next year or so, with far more wrestlers than jobs. The US wrestling economy is still in the tank, with no signs of improvement. Canada has started to recover. Mexico also appears to have hit rock bottom, but there's only one promotion left there (and that one is in serious financial danger). Japan is in even worse shape than the US.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 12,037; Ticket Prices: $3 more than default
Actual Attendance: ?

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
The Grapplers come to the ring and cut a hype promo before their match. (C).

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
The Villanos come to the ring and hype their six-man tag team tournament match at January Star Wars. They say they still haven't heard from Gary Hart since he disappeared in Las Vegas, and they've also tried to contact Hart client King Kong Bundy without success. They say that while there'll still hopeful that Hart will emerge on Saturday night and be a difference-maker, they're not relying on him. (C) Instead, they'll rely, as they always have, on each other, as brothers. They say that while the Sammartinos haven't seen eye to eye in recent months, the Villanos (and Arturo Mendoza), have been on the same page their whole lives. (D+).

-Pre-Show Dark Match
The Villanos drew with The Grapplers in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C). The Grapplers looked good.

-As the show starts, Curt Hennig cuts a backstage promo, with Tiger Mask and The Great Kabuki by his side. They hype tonight's main event, the final match in group B of the six-man-tag-team championship tournament. Hennig says the tournament has been wild, filled with twists and turns. The latest turn, says Hennig, is that after the events of last week, Dick Murdoch has been rehired onto Gary Hart's former "dream team", and they will be joined by Kevin Sullivan, who fills the spot formally held by King Kong Bundy, who has vanished. Hennig says he, Tiger Mask, and Kabuki are ready for whoever comes through the curtain, and they'll take their last step to the championship match tonight. (B-)

-Bill Mercer and Fritz Von Erich run down the card for this Saturday Night's January Star Wars event. (C).

-Kevin Von Erich and Jose Lothario come out to ringside, as Kevin prepares to draw this week's random challenger for the TV Title. First, Mercer interviews Kevin about his medical condition. Kevin confirms that he has suffered a shoulder injury, but he's still determined to defend the TV title tonight, and defend the World Tag Team titles with his brother Kerry against the Road Warriors this Saturday night. He admits though, that his grueling schedule is starting to wear him down. (C+). Kevin then draws the name of tonight's TV Championship Challenger: Kevin Sullivan. (C+). Kevin takes a deep sign, and says he'll be ready for the match.

-A hype video recaps the Iceman Parsons/Nikita Koloff feud, which has primarily featured Parsons humiliating Koloff on several occasions (Parsons defeating Koloff's "3 minute challenge", and Koloff's thwarted attempts at revenge). (B-)

-Nikita Koloff defeats David Sammartino (w/Bruno Sammartino) in 5:39 by pinfall. (C).

-The Road Warriors defeat Owen Hart & Al Perez in 4:55 when Animal pinned Perez. (C). Road Warrior Animal looked good. After the match, the Road Warriors continued their attach on Hart & Perez. (D+). Then, the Warriors cut a promo hyping their World Tag Team Title Shot against the Von Erichs on Saturday night. (C+). Finally, the Road Warriors wander down to the announce table, and tell Bill Mercer that they're going to "scout" the next match involving Kevin Von Erich

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Kevin Von Erich drew with Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (D+). Kevin makes his 14th defense of the TV Title. Von Erich somehow held off Sullivan's aggressive offense, and interference from the Road Warriors. Kevin was limited by injury. The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, The Road Warriors immediately attack a weakened Kevin Von Erich. (C). Soon, Iceman Parsons and Bruno Sammartino attempt to make the save, but they are easily repelled by the Warriors. (C). A few minutes later, Curt Hennig and David Sammartino also charge to the ring, but the Warriors quickly destroy them as well. (C+). Finally, after several minutes, the faces regroup, and use their 5-2 numbers to hold off further assault. The Road Warriors leave the ring on their own.

-Iceman Parsons defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:23 by pinfall. (B). The two showed great chemistry, but the match suffered from a lack of selling. Parsons was (kayfabe) tired from the previous segment involving the Road Warriors, which led to a highly competitive match here. The announcers had noted that Mr. Pogo had asked for this rematch from last week's show. After the match, Parsons, still weak, is attacked by Nikita Koloff. However, once again, Parsons is ready, and he send Koloff and Akbar retreating with a steel chair. (C+). On their way back to the locker room, Akbar grabs a mic and challenges Parsons to a match with Koloff next week, on TV. (B-)

-Backstage, Ray Stevens and his new stable of Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan hype their upcoming match with Tiger Mask, The Great Kabuki, and Curt Hennig. (C+). Murdoch also hypes his #1 Contender's Match with Hennig at January Star Wars.

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Group B, final match
(The announcers note that the winner tonight wins the group, and if the match ends in a draw, Tiger Mask/Kabuki/Hennig will advance)
-Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeat Curt Hennig, Tiger Mask, and The Great Kabuki in 22:49 when Backlund pinned Tiger Mask. (B-). The Murdoch/Hennig confrontations in the match were particularly heated.

-Final Group B Standings:
1. Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan (2 pinfall wins, 1 DQ win, 1 loss, 8 points)
2. Curt Hennig, The Great Kabuki, & Tiger Mask (2 pinfall wins, 2 losses, 6 points)
3. Doug Somers, Perry Jackson & Barry Orton (1 DQ win, 3 losses, 2 points, 0 matches remaining)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Hopefully I just didn't run into a game-killing bug. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the "expected attendance" number was increased a ton - suddenly my people were recommending a "medium" size venue, enough to seat 10,000 fans! I figured that maybe I crossed some kind of overall popularity threshold, or maybe I passed a point where there's so few promotions that everyone benefits from the vacuum, or maybe this is just something plugged into the DOTT mod to reflect the boom in the industry around this time....Unfortunately, the actual attendance of the show came up blank, and now in the "history" section, it shows "unknown". From my finance screen, it appears I didn't get credit for ANY attendance (but had to pay the higher cost of the medium venue).....SO...perhaps this is the end of the dynasty - I guess I won't know for sure until I advance to the next TV show (if it isn't made obvious before then).

-As for the show, it wasn't really a typical "build-up" show, considering our first ever PPV is in a few days, but that's just how things worked out.

-This six-man tag team tournament has been INSANE. You could probably release an entire DVD on it. Between the David Sammartino almost firing his father, to Bob Backlund firing his entire team, winning a match without them, only to hire back Dick Murdoch and bring in Kevin Sullivan. Wacky. Finally, we have the 1st half of the final match: Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan.

-Parsons/Pogo had another excellent match, and the Koloff/Parsons segments together have been pretty strong.

-The Road Warriors destroyed pretty much everything in their path tonight, and they get to face an injured Kevin at January Star Wars. Kerry has been oddly absent recently. That's not intentional, but it's possible that it becomes worked into the story somehow.

-I was counting on Sullivan/Von Erich to give us a good rating, and the match completely tanked due to bad chemistry and Kevin's injury. I'm obviously not going to be able to keep the TV title on Kevin much longer. This also doesn't bode well for the World Tag Team Title match at January Star Wars. I actually thought about substituting Mike into that match, or maybe even Terry Funk.

-The Villanos continue to cut sympathetic promos about family, and their sadness at being apparently abandoned by Gary Hart. Not sure where I'm going with that - of course Arturo Mendoza is currently scheduled to depart us over the next couple of months.

[molson]

NEWS

-The oddness continues, at it appears I scheduled January Star Wars for Wednesday, the same night of the TV show I just ran. I'm 95% sure I didn't do that, but that would explain the weirdness with attendance.

-So I'm going to book the show, and see what happens. I'll come up with some kind of universe explanation for whatever happens

-I didn't have a chance to adjust the show length, and the show is only scheduled for 2 hours. It will be difficult to squeeze what I have advertised into that amount of time.

[molson]

WCCW: January Star Wars: PPV/Closed Circuit
Saturday, Week 4, January 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Medium Venue)
Expected Attendance: 12,037 Ticket prices: $2 more than default
Actual Attendance: 10,000 (SOLD OUT)

-I had intended to use Lance Russell as the announcer, but thanks to my scheduling screw-up, I was stuck with Mercer. Still, Russell makes an appearance here in some interviews.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Al Perez in 3:36 by pinfall. (C-). After the match, Bill Mercer interviews Cook, the former NFL player, who says he'll be watching the next match, involving Leon White, closely. Cooks says that White wasn't half the football player he was, and he's not half the wrestler either. (E+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Perry Jackson in 7:52 by pinfall. (C). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Mercer interviewed White about his win, though White refused to comment on Charlie Cook. (D+)

-As the show starts, Bill Mercer interviews The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza backstage about their upcoming match in the six-man-tag-team championship tournament against The Sammartinos and Iceman Parsons. Mendoza reveals that Gary Hart, once again, is nowhere to be found. Mendoza hypes his brothers, and and claims that they will overcome and prevail. (C).

-At ringside, Lance Russell introduces a brief video recapping the career of Bruno Sammartino, who, Russell points out, must retire when he is done with this tournament (due to losing a retirement match with Roddy Piper). (C). After the match, Russell says that such a brief video can't begin to tell the story of Sammartino's career. (C) Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews The Sammartinos and Iceman Parsons. Bruno Sammartino says that if tonight is the last night of his career, he's proud that his son will be by his side. They also reference the missing Gary Hart, and claim that the Villanos & Arturo Mendoza are better off without him. (C).

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Group A, Final Match
(The announcers note that any winner of tonight's match wins the group, and will advance to the championship match against Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan. However, if the match ends in a draw, there will be a three-way match between these teams and The Sheepherders/Nikita Koloff. That tie would be broken on TV next week, in a 3x3x3 triple threat match)
-The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons defeat The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza in 8:09 when Bruno pinned Villano IV. (C-)

Final Group A Standings:

1. The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons (2 pinfall win, 1 loss, 1 draw, 7 points)
2. The Sheepherders & Nikita Koloff (1 pinfall win, 1 loss, 2 draws: 5 points)
3. The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza (1 pinfall win, 1 draw, 2 losses: 4 points)

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews Kerry & Kevin Von Erich about their tag team title defense later on tonight against the Road Warriors. Kevin reveals that doctors have ordered him to sit tonight's match out due to his shoulder injury. Kevin says that he and Kerry went to Commissioner Lothario to request that their brother Mike be allowed to take Kevin's place. Lothario, however, ruled that Kerry & Kevin must defend the title together, or relinquish the titles. Thus, Kevin has decided to give it a shot tonight. Kerry states that he knows he'll have to carry his brother tonight, and he relishes the opportunity to do that, after all the difficulties he put his family through last year. (C)

-#1 Contender's Match: World Tag Team Championship
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat The Great Kabuki & Tiger Mask in 7:49 when Miller pinned Tiger Mask. (C+).

-A video recaps last year's feud between Dick Murdoch & Curt Hennig, the two men who will face off next in the #1 Contender's Match for the World Heavyweight Championship. (B-)

-#1 Contender's Match: World Heavyweight Championship
Curt Hennig defeats Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) in 17:39 by pinfall. (B+).

-A highlight video hypes the Road Warriors v. Von Erichs match - the video particularly highlights Kevin's heavy workload and shoulder injury, and the Road Warriors path of destruction and heel turn. (C+).

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kevin & Kerry Von Erich defeat The Road Warriors in 6:44 after Kerry pinned Hawk following interference from Mike Von Erich, to retain the tag team championship (Mike was responding to illegal tactics employed by the Warriors earlier in the match). (C+). Kevin stood on the apron almost the entire match. An inspired Kerry carried the load, and improbably bested the Warriors. The Von Erichs make their 7th defense of the tag team titles. Kevin was limited by injury.

-Backstage, Terry Funk cut a promo hyping his upcoming "Falls Count Anywhere" match with Kevin Sullivan. Funk talked about his battles with Sullivan in the finals of the King of the Texas Death Match tournament, and the 3-1 ambush on him last week involving Sullivan, Backlund, and Murdoch. (B)

-No-DQ/Falls Count Anywhere
Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Terry Funk in 17:14 by pinfall. (B)

-Backstage, David Von Erich (C+), and then Bob Backlund (B), cut promos hyping the main event World Title match. Both seem to focus on each other, and ignore Bobby Eaton.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Triple Threat Rules: 1 Fall to a Finish
Bobby Eaton defeats David Von Erich and Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) in 23:49 by pinfall on Von Erich to retain the WCCW World Heavyweight Championship. (A+) Eaton makes his 3rd defense of the World Title. Eaton "stole" the match after Backlund incapacitated David with his chicken wing hold, and then Koko B. Ware interfered against Backlund, allowing Eaton to pin David. After the match, Eaton and Ware immediately retreated from ringside with the belt. Cameras followed them out to the parking lot, where they briefly celebrated, before leaving in their car. (B)

Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS:

-It appears that the attendance issue was my mistake, scheduling both of these shows on the same night (so the AI ran them one after another). I'm not sure if the higher attendance is based on running a PPV, or the fact that I ran two shows. In the universe, I'll still write it down as a Saturday show. Hopefully I didn't screw myself financially.

-Our first PPV delivered a terrific rating - perhaps I may have even been able to cross the A- barrier if I had a stronger undercard.

-The main event was predictably awesome. If I had been able to sign Backlund prior to tonight, I might have given him the gold. Since that hasn't happen yet, I wanted to do the less obvious win and have Eaton escape with the gold yet again. The chase continues.

-Sullivan over Funk is definitely an upset - and it was somewhat disappointing ratings-wise. Funk will be gone in a little over a month, so I wanted to give Sullivan, who will be around longer, the momentum with this kind of win (especially since stablemates Backlund and Murdoch lost). I won't be jobbing Funk out, but he'll probably lose again on his way out.

-The Von Erichs were setup to lose, but since I've already decided that the Warriors aren't worth their paycheck, they retain. I considered having the Warriors win and then lose the belts back at the next show, but then I decided I liked the "Kerry overcomes impossible odds" angle. The match was just OK.

-Murdoch/Hennig will be feuding again, along with numerous supporting players in that storyline. So it was good to see the B+ rating here. That's better than both of their matches last year (probably due to the rapid improvement of Hennig). Hennig is also now guaranteed a World Title shot in February, as the #1 Contender.

-The Sheepherders rebound from their recent slump and defeat Tiger Mask/Kabuki to become the #1 Contenders for the tag team title. They'll kick off a feud with the Von Erichs.

-And finally, we're down to the championship match of the six-man-tag-team tournament. Bob Backlund/Dick Murdock/Kevin Sullivan v. The Sammartinos/Iceman Parsons. The Villanos again cut a sympathetic promo - I've kicked of an unchained storyline involving them, Gary Hart, and King Kong Bundy - there'll be some drama once Hart finally emerges again.

[molson]

NEWS

-The PPV generated $461,472 in revenue. Assuming that number isn't inflated by the fact I accidentally ran two shows in one night, my financial problems are OVER. (Though I won't do any crazy spending until I this continues for a few months. I learned my lesson from the merchandising tease).

-UWA, the last surviving promotion in Mexico, has closed. There a LOT of unemployed Mexican wrestlers, and WCCW would be a natural place for many of them, if I was hiring. Which I might be soon, depending on how the PPV revenue holds up. Any Mexican overness any wrestler had is currently worthless, so it will probably be difficult for many of them to find jobs. That's the 12th promotion to close in the last two years. I believe it would be possible for me to add a Mexican promotion via the editor, but I'll hold off on that, and see how the AI handles this.

-Al Perez and Dick Murdoch are exhausted after the last show.

-The TV show scores a rating of 4.15, shattering last week's all time high of 3.66. It was a great show, but again, I'm not sure if this is anomaly based on my scheduling screw-up.

-Our PPV earned a buyrate of 1.15. That's easily the highest-rated PPV in wrestling in January (the first month of PPV availability). It looks like AWA, Georgia, and Mid-South are running weekly, or semi-weekly PPVs. That might explain their lower PPV buyrate numbers. Perhaps the promotions that have survived this long will now thrive.

-Jesse Ventura suffered a PCL tear in a loss to the Junkyard Dog, he'll be out a couple of months.

-Roddy Piper is officially available after his month-long suspension ends. He, Perry Jackson, The Sammartinos, Arturo Mendoza, and The Great Kabuki complain about their pushes.

-The dirt sheets report that All-Japan will likely close in a few weeks. They did manage to run a PPV last month, so perhaps that revenue will save them.

-Roddy Piper won the NWA Canadian Heavyweight Championship, the main event title of Maple Leaf Wrestling, defeating his former WCCW bodyguard, Adrian Adonis. Adonis had held the title for almost 10 months.

-Giant Baba, Abdullah the Butcher, and Mad Dog Vachon officially retire. I've mentioned Baba's final match that led to his career-ending injury, but here's the final matches for these three:

-Giant Baba & Jumbo Tsuruta defeat Mr. Saito and Bruiser Brody to win the NWA Intentional Tag Team Championship (All Japan)
-Abdullah The Butcher defeated Seiji Sakaguchi (New Japan)
-Nacho Berrera defeated Mad Dog Vachon (AWA)

-Jose Lothario also officially retires from active wrestling, though I haven't used him in that capacity since November, when he teamed with Steve Olsonoski and Al Perez in a loss to Perry Jackson, Doug Somers, and Barry Orton. It's hard to believe that he had a brief run as TV champion for us just a year and half ago.

-I'm still waiting on Bob Backlund to respond to my requests for negotiation.

[molson]

WCCW - END OF JANUARY 1985 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 66.4% (up from 65.7% last month)
-Midwest: 63.6% (up from 62.5% last month)
-Southeast: 55.4% (up from 54.0% last month)
-New England: 52.2% (up from 50.1% last month)
-Southwest: 51.6% (up from 49.5% last month)
-North West: 51.5% (up from 49.4% last month)
-Great Lakes: 51.3% (up from 49.2% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 51.3% (up from 49.2% last month)
-Tri-State: 51.3% (up from 49.2% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 37.6% (Same as last month)

-Strong increases throughout the country. PPV will accelerate our race towards national level (and that of our competitors)

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

PPV Revenue: 461,472 (0)
Ticket Sales: 558,518 (502,425)
Sponsors: 140,157 (76,601)
Merchandise: 233,600 (12,640)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 252,700 (360,416)
Show Costs: 164,000 (113,500)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 27,310 (25,179)
Production: 64,000 (40,000)
Misc: 438,587 (150,485)

Total Profit: $422,150 ($-122,914)
Cash in Bank: $758,425 ($336,275)

-It's a pretty insane balance sheet on all levels. Obviously, PPV makes a huge difference. But that number is offset somewhat by greatly increased "misc. expenses". We got $461k in PPV revenue, and a $288k increase in misc. expenses. Complicating that picture, we doubled our sponsorship income (that may have been related to PPV, but probably also our record TV ratings), and also increased our production and show cost expenses, due to PPV.

-Most surprisingly though, the insane merchandise numbers that were teased a few months ago are back! We see a $221k increase. I still have no idea what that's based on. Either I can thank PPV, some kind of national popularity threshold, or perhaps this just has something to do with my merchandise settings - that I sell a bunch of crap every few months for some reason.

-Last month, after our financial picture appeared bleak, I re-structured the whole company, cutting talents and expenses. I'll stay somewhat conservative for at least two months, to see if these numbers hold.

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise, unless noted)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Koko B. Ware
-Roddy Piper
-Tiger Mask
-Curt Hennig
-Bruno Sammartino

-I don't touch these levels, after the money I made last month

[kislingbury]

Nice to see lots of updates here. Good luck with the new cashflow. Hope it'll keep Mendoza around after all...

[PilotMan]

Long live this completely awesome dynasty! I still want to see the Road Warriors get totally manhandled by the Villianos.

On a totally unrelated note. I was watching AWA on ESPN the other night, and it was Jerry Blackwell v. Stan Hansen. Blackwell sold and sold, and Hansen was bloodied, and it reminded me of the good ol days.

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - End Of January 1985

-World Heavyweight Champion - 97.2% Prestige (Up From 96.5% Last Month)
Main Event Title
Bobby Eaton (3 title defense, 4 month reign).

-Television Champion - 69.1% Prestige (down from 70.0% last month)
Midcard Title
Kevin Von Erich - (14 title defenses, 5 month reign)

-World Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (Same as last month)
Midcard Title
Kerry & Kevin Von Erich - (7 title defenses, 5 month reign)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 62.5% Prestige (Down from 64.5% last month)
Midcard Title
Vacant

-Cruiserweight Championship - 37.2% Prestige (Up from 36.5% last month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 2 month reign

This is the most stability I've had in the title picture so far in the dynasty. Eaton has miraculously been able to hold onto the World Title for 4 months. Since Fritz vacated the TV title in his retirement match back in November 1983, Kevin Von Erich and Buddy Roberts are the only two wrestlers to hold that title. To put that in perspective, 8 different wrestlers held that title in 1983 (some of them obviously before this dynasty started). Kevin/Kerry are the longest reigning World Tag Champions yet, since that title was formed last January. In fact, they're the longest reigning WCCW tag team champions of any kind since Killer Tim Brooks and Arman Hussein held the old American Tag Team titles for 6 months in 1981-1982.

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF JANUARY 1985

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Eaton/Koko hides the belt from David: Eaton/Koko/David Von Erich (October)
2T. Tag Team Title Storyline: Sheepherders v. Kerry/Kevink (April, recently evolved to include The Sheepherders, and to eliminate Tiger Mask/Kabuki, Mendoza/Bundy)
2T. Nikita Koloff's 3-minute challenge: Koloff/Parsons (September)
4T. Hart Limited Drama: Gary Hart/Mendoza/Bundy/Villano IV (January)
4T. Olsonoski v. Somers: Olsonoski/Somers (January)
6. Cruiserweight Title Feud: Mike Von Erich/Villano V (January)
7. Hennig v. Murdoch Part II: Hennig/Murdoch/Funk/Sullivan/Grappler #1 (January)

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-Bob Backlund
-Roddy Piper
-The Great Kabuki
-Grappler #2
-Tiger Mask
-Road Warriors
-Mark Youngblood
-Mr. Pogo
-David Sammartino

-Three pretty long storylines ended in the last month - Sammartino/Piper, and Sheepherders/Road Warriors, and Backlund's managerial search.

-The three team Kabuki/Tiger Mask v. Bundy/Mendoza v. Von Erichs feud was shelved before the Von Erichs really got involved. Instead, I've evolved the feud to take out the first two teams and include the new #1 tag team contenders, the Sheepherders. The Tiger Mask/Mendoza feud has been going on and off for more than a year now, I think it's safe to say its finally over.

-Eaton/Ware/David Von Erich continues to carry the company, but it might be a little tricky to keep coming up with stuff, now that the championship title defenses are mandated. David will be positioned as the one guy Eaton doesn't want to face.

-The "Hart Lmt. Drama" storyline started a few days ago...It will involve Hart's disappearance, and return.

-Koloff and Parsons have done a good job in the their feud - good segments, decent matches. Unfortunately, its just about out of steps.

-Bob Backlund is obviously the biggest name without a storyline at the moment - I'll wait to see if he re-signs before I commit him to anything. There's nobody too appealing to pair him up with at the moment (except maybe Piper, which would require a face turn for someone).


WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in October, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

NONE

-AWA has edged ever close in surpassing me as world's most pretigious company, they're now 0.6% behind me. Mid-Atlantic dips a bit, as they're now 2.6% behind me. We're clearly the "big three" in the world right now, with All-Japan and Georgia just off the pace. (And All-Japan may be out of business by the end of the month)

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Barry Orton
-Bill Mercer
-Charlie Cook
-Curt Hennig
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-David Sammartino
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Iceman Parsons
-Jose Lothario
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Leon White
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Road Warrior Animal
-Steve Olsonoski
-The Great Kabuki
-The Missouri Mauler
-Villano IV
-Villano V

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Arturo Mendoza is unhappy about he's being pushed
-Bruno Samartino is furious about how he's being pushed
-David Sammartino is furious about how he's been pushed
-Lance Russell is unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Roddy Piper is unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-The Great Kabuki is unhappy about how he's been pushed

-The locker room continues to improve somewhat in happiness. As a result of my better financial situation, I've decided to hold off on all planned firings. So Kabuki and Mendoza should be happy again soon. The expensive Lance Russell, also, will see more time and should be happy shortly. Bruno will end his in-ring career soon.

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *). This doesn't include start-of-month changes.

-Barry Orton thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Bruno Sammartino doesn't want to be an active wrestler
-Charlie Cook thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-David Sammartino thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Grappler #1 thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Kevin Sullivan thinks he should be a main eventer
-Leon White thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Luke Williams thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Mark Youngblood thinks he should be a midcarder
-Mr. Pogo thinks he should be a midcarder
-Owen Hart thinks he should be an opener
-Perry Jackson thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Road Warrior Animal thinks he should be a main eventer
-Road Warrior Hawk thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Roddy Piper thinks he should be a main eventer
-Tiger Mask thinks he should be an upper midcarder

-A lot of guys on the roster sure have an inflated opinion of themselves....the most ridiculous - David Sammartino thinks he should be an upper midcarder....I don't see him lasting long past his father's retirement.

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of January, 1985), with last month is parenthesis.

B+
Bobby Eaton (B+)
Koko B. Ware (B+)

B
Kevin Von Erich (B)
David Von Erich (B+)
Curt Hennig (C+)
Kevin Sullivan (C+)
Iceman Parsons (B-)

B-
Mr. Pogo (B+)
Kerry Von Erich (B-)
Roddy Piper (B-)
Bob Backlund (B-)

C+
Butch Miller (C)
Grappler #1 (C-)
Road Warrior Hawk (B-)
Luke Williams (C)
Dick Murdoch (C)
Terry Funk (B+)
Road Warrior Animal (C)

C:
The Great Kabuki (C)
Tiger Mask (C+)
King Kong Bundy (C)
Nikita Koloff (C)
Villano V (D+)
Grappler #2 (C-)
Bruno Sammartino (C)
Arturo Mendoza (C)

C-
Charlie Cook (N/A)
Leon White (N/A)
Doug Somers (C-)
Mike Von Erich (C-)

D+
David Sammartino (D+)
Al Perez (D+)

D
Villano IV (E+)
Steve Olsonoski (D-)

D-
None

E+
Dusty Wolfe (D-)

E
Perry Jackson (E)

E-
Mark Youngblood (F+)

F
Barry Orton (?)
Owen Hart (F+)

Rising in January: Curt Hennig, Kevin Sullivan, Iceman Parsons, Grappler #1, Grappler #2, Luke Wililams, Butch Miller, Dick Murdoch, Road Warrior Animal, Villano IV, Villano V, Steve Olsonoski, Mark Youngblood

Falling in January: David Von Erich, Mr. Pogo, Road Warrior Hawk, Terry Funk, Tiger Mask, Dusty Wolfe, Owen Hart

-More guys rising than falling this month. Mr. Pogo, even though he went down some, stands out as as B-. Perhaps I should do something with him before he leaves. Eaton/Ware are the hottest guys in the company. It's nice to see Parsons so high.

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF JANUARY, 1985

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Terry Funk
Curt Hennig
Bobby Eaton
Koko B. Ware

-Same group as last month. Terry Funk has taken some losses lately, but he's still a huge deal and will wrestle in huge matches for the rest of his contract. Hennig's been quiet for the last few months, but he's set now to main event February Star Wars with Bobby Eaton, and Dick Murdoch also has his sights set on him.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

Kerry Von Erich
Roddy Piper
Kevin Von Erich
Dick Murdoch
Iceman Parsons
Kevin Sullivan

-Also the same group as last month. A number of these guys definitely have claims to be main eventers (especially Piper, Murdoch, and Sullivan), and they'll have their chance to impress over the next few weeks. I like to keep the main event and the upper midcard as light as possible. I'm actually 12 wrestlers over my "ideal" game limit, and half of those 12 are hoarded in the midcard. Only 1 each are in the main event, and upper midcard.

MIDCARDERS

Tiger Mask
The Great Kabuki
Arturo Mendoza
The Road Warriors
The Grapplers
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
The Sheepherders
King Kong Bundy
Mr. Pogo

-Mr. Pogo is promoted up into this book after his solid work as of late. Arturo Mendoza, Tiger Mask, and The Great Kabuki all return to the midcard from "occasional wrestler" hell, where I intended to keep them until their contracts expired. Now, with the new cash I've been able to generate, they're all back on the active roster....I hope to re-sign them all, but I won't break the bank. It's kind of weird to see the Road Warriors at the same level as the Grapplers and Steve Olsonoski, but they simply haven't been that great, and I don't see them at the level as the other upper midcarders. I had planned to fire them at the end of the month, but they also get a reprieve.....Still, they're a little overpaid.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Doug Somers
David Sammartino
Villano V
Mark Youngblood
Leon White
Charlie Cook

-Mr. Pogo is promoted up and out of this group, Charlie Cook and Leon White are promoted here after one month. White has been better than expected (though he hasn't been on TV yet), and Cook is basically going with him. The two will either feud or start a tag team.

OPENERS

Al Perez
Villano IV
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton
Owen Hart

-After a full year on the roster, Owen Hart is finally promoted into this group. The 19-year old Hart is slowly getting better all the time.

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Dusty Wolfe

-I might be looking for a new guy to come in and join Wolfe here, if he's as cheap as Wolfe ($75/show).

OCCASIONAL WRESTLER

Bruno Sammartino

-Bruno is ever closer to retirement.

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
Ray Stevens
Ricky Romero
Bill Mercer

-Ray Stevens has been something of a disappointment in his managerial role. If Backlund doesn't resign, I might just let Stevens go also. Now that I have a little more cash, I'm in the market for a second road agent. I'd love to just bring Lubich back, but the game makes you wait 6 months before re-signing guys you've fired. I request negotiations with: Gorilla Monsoon, Jerry Jarrett, Killer Karl Krupp, Don Fargo, Bob Ellis, George Cannon, and Jackie Fargo. Maybe I can find a replacement for Ray Stevens in there too, along with a Road Agent.

CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-Bob Backlund (25 Days)
-Arturo Mendoza (32 Days)
-Mr. Pogo (33 Days)
-Terry Funk (33 Days)
-Al Perez (47 Days)

-I'll sign Backlund if Fritz lets me.....I'd love to bring Mendoza back, I've built him up throughout the dynasty. I'm assuming Terry Funk walks after his short term deal - but he's around long enough to be involved at February Star Wars.

[BYU 14]

I agree on the Road Warriors, they just can't seem to get going in any of the DOTT dynasties :)

Even a little more surprising to me is Eatons success as a singles wrestler, he is definitely a solid worker, but is doing better than I would have expected as a solo act.

Great stuff as always Molson!

[molson]

I agree on the Road Warriors, they just can't seem to get going in any of the DOTT dynasties :)

Even a little more surprising to me is Eatons success as a singles wrestler, he is definitely a solid worker, but is doing better than I would have expected as a solo act.

Great stuff as always Molson!

Ya, Eaton's surprised me too...His tag team with Koko B. Ware was great last year, and he just kind of stumbled into a main event match and I put the belt on him just to do a "coward heel hides the belt" storyline. He's a tier below David and Backlund, but can wrestle great matches with them or anyone else. I've also noticed that guys who wrestle for multiple major promotions are improving faster - Eaton has been a big player in AWA during this dynasty, and some southern promotions before that....he's worked a TON and its paying dividends.

I think its a decent strategy in this game if you have limited funds...Instead of using the expensive main eventer, find a cheaper guy with talent and push him to the moon...He'll want the big bucks eventually, but until his contract is up, he's a great value.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, February 1985
Jackson City, TN (Southeast - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,499 Ticket prices: $3 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Mr. Pogo in 8:16 by countout. (B-). The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed White about his upset win. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
The Grappler #2 defeats Mark Youngblood in 5:58 by pinfall. (C)

-Curt Hennig defeats The Grappler #1 in 11:18 by pinfall. (B). After the match, Hennig cuts a promo in the ring about his win, and about his world title shot against Bobby Eaton at February Star Wars. (B+). Hennig is interrupted by Dick Murdoch, who insults Hennig, and says that Hennig doesn't deserve a world title match, and has only gotten by in wrestling with the help of his father pulling the strings. Hennig shoots back at Murdoch for his association with Bob Backlund, Ray Stevens, and Kevin Sullivan. Hennig says he understands why Backlund and Stevens wanted to surround themselves with talent, and he understand why Sullivan, a WCCW newcomer, wanted to associate himself with such a group, but Hennig says he doesn't understand why a guy like Dick Murdoch threw away a world title shot by laying down for Bob Backlund....Hennig says that he's lost any respect that he ever had for Murdoch....(C+). The argument eventually escalates into a shoving match, which is quickly joined by Kevin Sullivan. Sullivan and Murdoch gain the upper hand. (B). After a few minutes however, Terry Funk makes the save for Hennig, and the two fight off Sullivan and Murdoch from the ring. (B-)

-Hennig and Murdoch eventually return back to the locker room, as order is restored. Funk and Sullivan remain out for their rematch from January Star Wars. Funk cuts a promo as Sullivan stalls to warm up and recover from the scuffle. (B+)

-Terry Funk drew with Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 16:38 by double DQ after the referee lost control of the match. (A+)

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware come to the ring and cut a promo hyping the main event. They especially put down the David and Kerry Von Erich. They note that Kevin isn't isn't competing due to injury, and that he "can't handle the pressure" of being both TV champion and Tag Team champion. (B-)

-Triple Threat Tag Team Match
-One Fall to a Finish.
David & Kerry Von Erich defeat Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware and Bob Backlund & Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) in 28:41 when David pinned Eaton. (B+). Backlund & Murdoch showed poor chemistry as a team. The performance of Ware stood out. After the match, David & Kerry celebrated in the ring. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Somewhat disappointed with that show rating, especially as the show was running. I thought an A+ with Sullivan/Funk would give me a chance for my first ever A- show. I did get road agent notes that I overused Murdoch, Sullivan, and Kerry Von Erich, so that brought me down a notch.

-The main event was OK, though obviously expensive with all that main event talent....I wanted to get most of my main eventers in front of the southeast audience, to continue to build their national popularity. Running good shows in the south is fairly easy, because there's so many wrestlers that have overness there.

-I've noted that Backlund/Murdoch don't work all that well as a team. That's OK, if Backlund re-signs and this stable continues, Murdoch will spent more time teaming with Sullivan, perhaps as this universe's version of the "North-South Connection".

-Funk/Sullivan was an unbelievable surprise, delivering an A+. I had thought that Sullivan would work well with WCCW, and that idea has proved correct. That's Funk's second A+ with us, the first was with Dick Murdoch just last week. It's the first A+ for Sullivan (he previously had maxed out at B+)

-When I saw that the Grappler #1 had some overness in the southeast, I knew that he and Hennig would deliver a great match, and they did. I kind of like how the Hennig/Murdoch feud has bled into the Funk/Sullivan feud....The WCCW fans can surely expect some kick-ass tag team matches.

-Leon White/Mr. Pogo had a surprisingly good match on the pre-show. White is doing a former NFL player/outdoorsman gimmick. He's a little further along than I thought I'd be at this point. Pogo continues to impress, though I'll have to give him a win sooner or later to keep his momentum up.

[molson]

NEWS

-Tiger Mask arrived late to the last show. I suspend him for a month. Tiger Mask is the 3rd most expensive guy on the roster, so this will help me save money without him creating issues backstage. He has already developed a "strong dislike" of my user character, so I'm not sure I'll be able to re-sign him in a few months anyway. So this was a great opportunity to make an example of someone, and reduce the risk of no-shows.

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show. I've gotten that notice quite a bit lately, I'll try to ease up a little, but that will be difficult now that he's in a wrestling-intensive feud with Hennig.

-Roddy Piper is officially back from his month-long suspension. Piper hasn't been seen since he "retired" Bruno Sammartino at New Year's Revolution.

-The unemployed Hercules Hernandez is being hyped in the dirt sheets as a future star.

-A number of workers, both real-life and fictional, enter the universe, including Sam Houston, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff, and Chris Youngblood.

-Bruiser Brody was recognized in a dirt sheet poll as "best brawler in the world today". Hugo Savinovich won a similar poll for "best color commentator". $2,350

-It's judgment day for Bob Backlund....Negotiations take several days, but I am able to re-sign him for another 18 months at $2,350/show, a raise from his current $2,000/show deal. He also gets 25% of his merchandise revenue, the first wrestler to get such a deal. I'm somewhat surprised he came even that cheap, still well below what Terry Funk and Roddy Piper make.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 1, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 4,795

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Barry Orton in 6:17 by pinfall. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
The Grapplers drew with the Villanos in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (C+). The Grapplers looked good.

-As the show starts, Fritz Von Erich and Bill Mercer recap the results of the January Star Wars event. They also hype that the final match of the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament will happen next week on TV, as The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons will face Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan. (C). Kevin Von Erich then comes out to the announce area to randomly select this week's challenger for the TV Title. First, he is interviewed by Bill Mercer. Mercer says that we know that Kevin and his brother Kerry are set to defend the tag team championship against The Sheepherders at February Star Wars. Mercer says there's been speculation that due to his physical condition and injuries suffered at the hands of the Road Warriors, that Kevin will forgo his mandatory TV title defenses over the next 4 weeks, vacate the title, and rest for his tag title defense. Mercer says that Kevin can decide to vacate the TV title right now, in which case WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario would randomly draw two names, and those wrestlers would compete for the vacant title tonight. Kevin says that he's thought about it, and that he's consulted Kerry. And while this has been the most physically grueling stretch of his career, and while all of his doctors are suggesting that he take a break, this run as TV champion is something that he takes great pride in. He says that he's defended the title proudly over the last 5-6 months, and he just can't bring himself to hand over the belt now. So, says Kevin, he's going to defend the title again tonight. (C+). Jose Lothario comes out with the rolling drum of challengers. Mercer notes that there appears to be fewer ping pong balls in the drum than in recent weeks, speculating that there are fewer wrestlers who wish to challenge for the TV title when Kevin isn't at his best. Kevin then draws a name - Dusty Wolfe. Kevin notes that in his current condition, he can't take anyone lightly. (C-)

-The announcers introduce and show a video recapping the events from Monday night's house show in Tennessee featuring Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Curt Hennig, and Terry Funk (Murdoch arguing with Hennig, Sullivan joining in, and then Funk making the save for Hennig during the 2-on-1 assault). (B-). The announcers also note that Terry Funk has challenged Kevin Sullivan to a rematch at February Star Wars, and that Sullivan has accepted. They also say that Funk is apparently working on some new match stipulation proposal that he says will "take things up a notch".

-Terry Funk defeats Doug Somers in 8:26 by pinfall. (C+)

-Back at the announce table, Bill Mercer states that he is working on an investigative piece on the whereabouts of Gary Hart. Mercer says that he has been on location where Hart and King Kong Bundy disappeared after Hart's nervous breakdown (Las Vegas), and that he's starting to get some leads and information. Mercer says to stay tuned over the next few weeks, and he hopes to be able to shed light on this mystery. (C)

-Arturo Mendoza defeats Owen Hart in 6:14 by pinfall. (C-). Mendoza seemed distracted. After the match, he approaches Bill Mercer at ringside, and tells him that he heard what Mercer just said about "investigating" Gary Hart. Mendoza demands to know details - where is he? Mercer says that the investigation isn't complete yet. Mendoza says Gary Hart was like a father to him, until he abandoned him. (C+)

-Piper's Pit
Roddy Piper returns, and is on the set of Piper's Pit. With him, are the masked Grapplers. Piper explains that he has sent his old bodyguard to a "special camp" in Alaska to help "straighten him out" (referring to Adrian Adonis' transformation into a cross-dresser). Piper says that as the most compelling and controversial personality in all of professional wrestling, he needed to hire a new bodyguard ASAP. And he decided that 2 is better than 1 - so he introduces his new bodyguards, The Grapplers. Piper says that the Grapplers, unlike his former bodyguard, aren't concerned with their attire, or feelings. With their masks, Piper says he can't tell if they're happy or sad, and that's the way he likes it. (C+)

-Piper then states how the last time he was at a WCCW show, he retired Bruno Sammartino. What a surprise it was to him, then, a month later to see that he's still here. Piper says though, that that situation will surely be rectified next week, when The Sammartinos and Iceman Parsons take on his guests this week in the finals of the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship tournament: Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan (along with Ray Stevens). Piper says that everyone has wanted to get the scoop on these guys, and he's pulled it off. The segment is a lengthy love-fest as all sides compliment each other. Stevens says that his stable has joined forces under a mutual lack of trust of Commissioner Lothario. He says that together, with strength in numbers, they can collectively assure that they receive their fair share of TV time, title shots, championships, and money. Stevens says that Backlund had been seeking out proper career guidance for quite some time, Sullivan was looking for a fast track to the top, and Murdoch was fed up with WCCW politics. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Kevin Von Erich defeats Dusty Wolfe in 4:31 by submission to make his 15th defense of the TV title. (D+) Kevin was limited by injury.

-Backstage, Nikita Koloff and Skandor Akbar hype Koloff's upcoming match with Iceman Parsons. (B-). A brief video recaps the feud between the two.
Iceman Parsons also cut a promo, hyping the match. (C+)

-Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeated Iceman Parsons in 10:16 by pinfall after interference from Akbar. (B-)

-Curt Hennig cut a backstage promo hyping his main event match with Koko B. Ware, the associate of the man he will face for the World Title at February Star Wars - Bobby Eaton. (B)

-Curt Hennig defeats Koko B. Ware by DQ in 22:54. Ware got himself DQ'd out of desperation when Hennig had all the momentum towards the end of the match. (B+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Definitely not a great show, but the main event made it good enough to improve our popularity through most of the US.

-The main event was just a chance for Hennig to boost his momentum for his main event world title shot at the end of the month. This is the earliest I've had this many matches booked before an end-of-month show. February Star Wars (which replaces "Mexican Invasion" as our February event, will have Eaton v. Hennig, Kevin/Kerry v. Sheepherders, and Sullivan v. Funk in some kind of stipulation match.

-The short Koloff/Parsons storyline ended tonight, unless I evolve it to something else. Koloff has really come along, delivering a B- interview segment tonight, even better than Parson's hype segment. Their match was pretty good too.

-I gave Kevin a breather and tried to hide him in a short title defense against Dusty Wolfe tonight. But I can't do that week after week. If he's still struggling with the injury next week, there's a good chance I'll move the title to someone else. Kevin's reign has been impressive, and it's included at least one main event title defense against Bob Backlund.

-The Murdoch/Backlund/Sullivan stable got some face time on Piper's Pit. I don't think the reasons for their alliance are all that convincing, but I think they make some sense from a professional standpoint. They're not friends, they just think they can improve their position in the company as an association. Perhaps "The Association" could be the name of their stable.

-I like the idea of Roddy Piper being followed around by the Grapplers. And how after his homophobia got the best of him with Adrian Adonis, he replaced him with the most bland guys he could possibly find - two masked wrestlers who wear all white. If Adonis had stayed around, I would have run a storyline where he was sent by Piper to a "special camp" in the woods to help make him "less gay", only to have the experience make him even more gay. With 80s subtleties, of course. I'll probably try to bring Adonis back in 5 months when he's willing to negotiate again.

-The fans definitely weren't into the early parts of the show. Mendoza and The Villanos are slowly turning face. They've been cutting a bunch of sympathetic promos about family, and about how Gary Hart abandoned them. This storyline is about to take a couple of bizarre turns.

[molson]

NEWS

-I went on a little negotiation spree, requesting negotiations with anyone and everyone of note, just to see if there's maybe one major star I can bring in, if there's one guy that Fritz might ease his cap for, now that I have over $750k in the bank and a hot TV show. With the closing of so many promotions, there's so many unemployed guys out there, so I'm hoping for a bargain. So, I request negotiations with: Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Magnum TA, Bruiser Brody, Dory Funk Jr., Gino Hernandez, Stan Hanson, Ricky Steamboat, Larry Zbyszko, and Buzz Sawyer.

-I also request negotiations with ton of guys at a slightly lower tier - not because I'm looking to expand my roster, I'm just looking for 1 or 2 bargains. So I request negotiations with The Junkyard Dog, The Dynamite Kid, Kamala, Mil Mascaras, Antonio Inoki, The Missing Link, Tony Garea, The Moondogs (Rex and Spot), Billy Robinson, a few Mexican Luchadors with some Texas overness, Buddy Rose, Jimmy Garvin, and Boris Zhukov. I'm always especially interested in guys with real-life WCCW ties, or guys who have been with us in the past (like Garvin, Hernandez, Kamala, and the Missing Link).

-Finally, on a whim, I request negotiations with about 10 women's wrestlers, just to see what the going rate is, in case I consider a WCCW women's championship. My product type (mandated by Fritz), doesn't have much tolerance from women's wrestling. But I might consider running a championship tournament, and then monthly title defenses, just to mix things up. A woman might be useful to have around for certain storylines, also. I would maintain any kind of women's roster, just a champion, and revolving contenders.

-Scott Irwin defeated Bob Sweeten, Invader II, and finally David Schultz to win the WWC's inaugural "Gillette Cup" tournament.

-The TV show delivered a 4.14 rating. That's just .01 off last week's all time high.

-ICW out of Memphis, which was on the brink of bankrupcy most of last year, has enjoyed an amazing comeback, a rise to "regional" level, and now, has earned a TV show. Their main eventers are currently Randy Savage (who is the owner of the promotion), Ronnie Garvin, and Rip Rodgers. Savage is also working for St. Louis, and WWC. I'd love to have him back in WCCW someday, his run with us was all too short (Only 6 matches last fall).

-The Sammartinos and Perry Jackson complain about their pushes.

-Bruiser Brody and Jumbo Tsuruta won the NWA International Tag Team Championship for All Japan, which is kind of weird because the belts were made vacant after Tsuruta and Giant Baba defeated Brody and Mr. Saito for the belts a few weeks ago, after Baba suffered a career ending injury during the match.

-I sign Jackie Fargo as a second road agent, at a cheap $600/show. He's also another "locker room leader". I wish Gorilla Monsoon was cheaper, but he's still looking for something in the $2,400/range. Maybe down the road, I can be financial stable enough for a Lance Russell/Gorilla Monsoon announce team.

-I sign the semi-active Billy Robinson for $1,050/show...I'll use him as an "occasional wrestler", and unlike Bruno Sammartino, he'll actually be happy in the role. Robinson is 45, and at the end of his career, and will primarily put over heels, and hopefully help improve the younger guys.

-The Dynamite Kid has refused negotiations, citing his loyalty to Calgary Stampede. Buzz Sawyer has also decided not to talk to us, choosing to focus on the AWA.

-Fritz' cap on what I can offer Hulk Hogan is still WAY below what Hogan is willing to sign for. So Hogan will continue to do whatever he's doing, and not wrestle for any major promotion. Fritz also won't let me make a competitive offer to Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, Larry Zbyszko, Buddy Rose, or Mil Mascaras, though we're a little closer with those guys. I wonder what would change his mind - more cash on hand? A smaller overall roster payroll? Higher promotion prestige? Or maybe he's just stubborn.

-The Junkyard Dog, with his A+ Texas popularity, has always intrigued me, but he's still too pricey as well, asking for $2,625/show (though Fritz has given me the green light on that offer).

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant, is willing to sign a short-term, 3 month contract for $1,900/show, and we agree to terms. He'll probably be managed by Skandor Akbar, and I'll use him in one yet-to-be determined storyline.

-I also sign El Halcon, who is a former tag team partner of Jose Lothario in WCCW. He looks like a great bargain for $850/show. He's a 4-time former WCCW American Tag Team Champion (3 times with Lothario, once with Kerry), and is also a former WCCW American Heavyweight Champion.

-I'm extremely tempted to sign the Moondogs as a cheaper, more talented version of the Road Warriors, but with all the other signings I've made, I decide to hold off for now.

-I also veto any idea of a women's division. Any women that are worth anything are in the $1,350/show range, and the WCCW fans don't care enough about women's wrestling to pay that much.

-Ric Flair doesn't want to talk because he still thinks we're not big enough for him. Since we're the most prestigious surviving promotion in wrestling, it looks like Flair won't be in the ring for a while. Maybe all these out of work superstars will book their own independent shows to stay busy.

-Gino Hernadez refuses to talk to me because he hates me (I suppose because I fired him last year). That's why I try to let contracts expire, when I can, rather than fire guys.

-I'm tempted by Dory Funk Jr and the Missing Link, but decide I've brought in enough new blood this time around.

-But, I really do want to bring on at least one international superstar, and I do find one that brings limited risk: Antonio Inoki. Inoki comes at a pricey $2,700/show, and a 10% share of his merchandise sales. And at 41 years old, I can fire him anytime and not worry too much about wanting to use him again down the road. He brings a lot to the table: An A+ respect rating, an "A" rating in Charisma, Safety, Star Quality, and Stamina, and "B+" in Puroresu, the Basics, Submissions, and Business Sense.

-I set Inoki as a main event face, Kamala as a Upper Midcard heel, El Halcon as an Opener face, and Robinson as an Occasional Wrestler face. We now have a ridiculous 17 wrestlers over our "ideal" number. So everybody should be a little worried about talent cuts and expiring contracts. I'm also thinking about bumping our house show length up to 2 1/2 hours (including dark matches).

-So one month after the "corporate restructuring", I'm back in limited spending mode thanks to the PPV and merchandise revenue. Still, I'm holding off on any fundamental changes to merchandise quality, music licensing, etc, until I see if the cash will keep rolling in.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $3 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Billy Robinson defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:41 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Mercer interviewed Robinson about his WCCW debut match, and recaps some of the Englishman's career highlights. Robinson said he hasn't wrestled in a while, and is shaking off the cobwebs, but he's thrilled to be in WCCW. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski defeats Charlie Cook in 7:49 by pinfall. (C). The two showed good chemistry, but the match suffered from a lack of selling, and from a lack of psychology.

-As the show starts, Bill Mercer interviews Fritz Von Erich about the recent happenings in WCCW, particularly hyping February Star Wars, and the announced card to this point:

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bobby Eaton v. Curt Hennig

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kevin & Kerry Von Erich v. The Sheepherders

-Mystery Stipulation Match
Terry Funk v. Kevin Sullivan.

-Fritz hypes that more matches will be announced on the TV show this week. (C)

-Bill Mercer interviews Perry Jackson, Barry Orton, and Doug Somers about their upcoming six man tag team match against The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons. The heel trio notes that the Sammartinos & Parsons consider this a "tune-up" to the finals of the Six-Man Tag Team tournament to be held later this week on TV, and that they'll make the faces pay for "looking past" them. (D+)

-Bruno Sammartino, David Sammartino, & Iceman Parsons defeat Perry Jackson, Barry Orton, & Doug Somers in 5:01 when Parsons pinned Jackson. (D+) Parsons debuted his gimmick tweak - he's now a "rock star". Parsons looked good. After the match, The Sammartinos and Parsons hyped the championship match against Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan on the TV show this week. Bruno Sammartino notes that he must win, or retire, due to losing the retirement match with Roddy Piper several weeks ago. (C+)

-Arturo Mendoza came to the ring. He cut another emotional promo about the absence of Gary Hart (B-) and King Kong Bundy. (C+) He says he feels abandoned by Hart, and he's angry at Bundy. He challenges his former tag team partner, Bundy, wherever he is, to a match. Mendoza debuts a slight gimmick tweak to "masked luchadore".

-Curt Hennig defeats Arturo Mendoza in 22:48 by pinfall. (B+). The announcing quality wasn't up to the standards of the match. After the match, Mendoza approached Hennig and offered a handshake, which Hennig accepted. (B-). Then, Hennig cut a promo hyping his world title match against Bobby Eaton at February Star Wars. (B)

-Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeat Owen Hart, Al Perez, & El Hacon in 4:54 when Backlund made Perez submit. (C+) Backlund looked good. Stevens debuted his gimmick tweak of "grizzled veteran". This was El Hacon's WCCW debut/return. After the match, Stevens, Backlund, Murdoch, and Sullivan cut a promo hyping the six-man tag team championship match this week against The Sammartions and Iceman Parsons. (C+)

-Bobby Eaton, flanked by Koko B. Ware, comes out for the main event match and cuts a promo. He says he watched carefully Curt Hennig's match with Arturo Mendoza, and says that he wasn't particular impressed by Hennig. Eaton says that the WCCW fans are just going to have to get used to him as World Champion, because he's holding onto the title for a long time. Eaton also hypes his upcoming main event match with Kerry Von Erich. (B-). Kerry comes to the ringside area where he is interviewed by Bill Mercer. Kerry says while tonight's match is a non-title contest, he feels that if he defeats Eaton, that should put him line for a World Title shot. Also, says Kerry, his family has a lot of unfinished business with Eaton. (B-)

-Non-Title Match
Bobby Eaton (w/Koko B. Ware) defeats Kerry Von Erich in 24:28 following interference from Ware. (B-). After the match, Eaton and Ware celebrate in the ring. (B+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Uneventful, but decent, house show. This was the third 1-on-1 match between Eaton and Kerry, and by far the best. Kerry has never defeated Eaton, losing twice and drawing once.

-Both of the finalists in the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship tournament had "tune-ups" tonight. The heels had a better match.

-Mendoza isn't quite a face yet, but he teased a turn again by shaking Hennig's hand and calling out Gary Hart and King Kong Bundy. His match with Hennig was the best of the night.

-Billy Robinson makes his debut on the pre-show. I don't expect much from from the 45-year old, and he really can't be judged on a match with Dusty Wolfe.

-I tweaked a handful of gimmicks at this show, after reviewing which wrestlers were considered "stale" by my road agents and booking team.

[molson]

NEWS

-Kevin Sullivan arrived late to the last show. Obviously, I need him this week, so I give him a warning.

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show. He has a potentially grueling workload, working for us, Georgia, and mid-south. He wrestled 18 matches in January.

-I'm tempted to bring back Jimmy Garvin, who only wants $1,000/show, but my roster is so bloated at the moment that I take a pass.

[Swaggs]

How much is Hogan looking for? He would be an amazing addition -- hard to believe that guys like he and Flair would rather not work than make some money with your promotion.

Interesting that you signed Kamala. I just read a (fairly) recent interview with him about his rivalries with Andre the Giant and Hogan and about how he felt he was severely underpaid. I think he said he once headlined with the Undertaker, with the Undertaker making ~$500K for the show and he made under $20K.

[molson]

How much is Hogan looking for? He would be an amazing addition -- hard to believe that guys like he and Flair would rather not work than make some money with your promotion.

Interesting that you signed Kamala. I just read a (fairly) recent interview with him about his rivalries with Andre the Giant and Hogan and about how he felt he was severely underpaid. I think he said he once headlined with the Undertaker, with the Undertaker making ~$500K for the show and he made under $20K.

Hogan wanted somewhere around $4,300/show, and Fritz capped me out at something like $2,800. So I wasn't close. I'm pretty sure that if my financial situation continues to improve, that Fritz cap will increase. And eventually, Hogan's popularity will start to decline, and his price will go down (though by then, he'll be less popular and a little less valuable). Ya, he'd be huge for WCCW, but I think Flair will be attainable a little sooner.

It will be interesting to see what happens once the economy improves and the "big 3" (Currently WCCW, AWA, and Mid-Atlantic) start to get closer to "national" status. Then they can start signing exclusive written contracts - the winner of that race can probably lock up the Hogans and the Flairs and be a clear #1.

Of course, there's so few promotions now that there should be plenty of talent for the survivors. I've thought about going into the editor and adding a promotion, but I'll leave that to the AI for now (I know the mod creates new promotions, but I'm not sure how "smart" that is - i.e. how long will Mexico be without ANY promotion?)

It will fun to see what kind of matches Kamala can have with people - he's one of those "freelancers" that only signs 90-day contracts.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 2, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 4,677

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Non-Title Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Dusty Wolfe in 3:47 by submission. (C). Mike switches to a "fun babyface" gimmick. Wolfe seemed off his game. Bill Mercer interviews Mike, who hypes his just-announced Cruiserweight Title defense with Villano V at February Star Wars. Mike says he's always enjoyed his matches with Villano V, and the two have actually become friends. He says he'll be up for the challenge.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (B-). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) defeats Perry Jackson in 7:12 by pinfall. (C). Hennig seemed off his game. Funk and Hennig have zero chemistry together. After the match, Hennig cut a promo in the ring with Funk by his side. Hennig said that last week, everyone saw the house show footage of the altercations between Hennig, Funk, Murdoch and Sullivan. And Hennig notes that Ray Stevens' stable has been a thorn in Funk's side since it formed. As a result of all this, Hennig says, he has spending more time with Terry Funk between shows, and he's taken him on as a mentor. Hennig said that while he feels he has as much wrestling talent as anybody in the promotion, he feels that Funk can help teach him that extra mean streak that might help put him over the top. Hennig said that Funk has suggested that he not just "rest up" for his World Title shot at February Star Wars, but to instead go into the show fighting. So, Hennig is challenging Dick Murdoch and Kevin Sullivan to a tag team match with Funk and himself, for next week on TV. (B). Hennig also notes that Funk is wresting World Champion Bobby Eaton in tonight's main event in a non-title match. (C).

-A video recaps how recent matches between Mike Von Erich and Villano V, and also the 4-way Cruiserweight Championship match, where Villano V originally became #1 contender to Mike's title. (C). The announcers then hypes the Mike/Villano V Cruiserweight title match set for February Star Wars. (C)

-Bill Mercer interviewed Kevin Von Erich, who is out to draw his random challenger for his Television Title. Kevin says that physically, he's in even worse shape that he was last week. Still, he says, this title run has been the proudest months of his career, so he's going to keep on fighting, and just hope that he has enough left in the tank to defend the tag titles with Kerry against The Sheepherders at February Star Wars. (B-). Jose Lothario comes out with the rolling drum, and Kevin draws from the random challengers who have put their name in the running this week...He draws Butch Miller of The Sheepherders, and grimaces. (C+)

-The Villanos defeat The Road Warriors in 9:51 when Road Warrior Animal is DQ'd. (C+). The Road Warriors dominated the match until Animal threw Villano IV over the top rope, drawing a DQ. The Road Warriors followed Villano IV out to the outside, where they appeared to set him up for a spike piledriver through the announce table. Fritz Von Erich, however, doing color commentary, interfered and pulled Villano IV to safety. The Road Warriors, upset, began arguing with Fritz, who stayed on his feet and didn't back down. (C-) Soon, the Warriors attached Fritz, and started to quickly set him up for a spike piledriver on the announce table. The Villanos, however, recovered and made the save for Fritz. Villano IV tripped Animal off the announce table to the floor, and Villano V hit Hawk from the top rope with a high cross body. Seconds later, much of the locker room (led by Mike and Kevin) empties to restore order. (C-) Villano IV debuted his "Masked Luchador" gimmick tweak (very minor tweak)

-After a commercial break, order has largely been restored. Fritz is unharmed, and the Road Warriors have been escorted from the building by security. Mike, Kevin, and the Villanos linger around ringside briefly. Mike and Kevin can be seen thanking the Villanos for their quick thinking. (C) This completes a face turn for the Villanos. Commissioner Jose Lothario, who also found himself in the middle of the mele, grabbed a mic and announced that Road Warriors have been suspended indefinitely, effective immediately. (C-)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Kevin Von Erich in 5:49 by pinfall to win the WCCW TV Championship. (C). Kevin was limited (both kayfabe and real-life) by injury. The two showed poor chemistry. Kevin appeared to be in major pain after the match.

-A video is played, hyping the imminent WCCW return of Kamala, The Ugandan Giant. The video is narrated by Skandor Abkar. A graphic shows that Kamala will be in action at February Star Wars (C)

-Bruno Sammartino, David Sammartino, and Iceman Parsons hype the upcoming finals of the long and eventful WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament between themselves and Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan. Bruno notes that he's fighting both for the titles, and his career, as he must retire if he loses. Sammartino says he came to WCCW for one reason, to wear gold around his waist one more time, and he's confident that's going to happen in just a few minutes. (C+)

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament
-Final Match
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats The Sammartinos & Iceman Parsons in 9:46 when Backlund pinned Bruno Sammartino. The heels win the WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship. (C) Murdoch and Backlund looked good. The heels celebrate in the ring as Bruno Sammartino, anti-climatically, departs from the ring for the final time. (B-).

-Bobby Eaton hyped his upcoming non-title match with Terry Funk. Eaton says he knows Funk is probably going to try to "soften him up" for his "new buddy" Curt Hennig, but Eaton claims he will outclass Funk and send everyone home early. (B+)

-Non-Title Match
Terry Funk defeated Bobby Eaton in 21:52 by pinfall. (B-) Funk won despite interference from Koko B. Ware, whose interference was later neutralized by Curt Hennig, who got involved as well. The two showed poor chemistry.

Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS

-This was a disappointing show, ratings-wise, but it was certainly eventful.

-As the show plodded along with mediocre ratings, I figured we'd be saved by the main event, but Funk/Eaton really is a poor pairing and the rating showed. Funk wrestled an A+ match with Kevin Sullivan recently, which definitely makes Eaton look kind ordinary here. Still, the B- rating they did get carried us to at least a respectable show.

-I like the Funk/Hennig alliance of grizzled veteran/blue chipper - too bad they have zero chemistry together. I felt it was important to put Funk over in the main event since he'll be jobbing some throughout the month as his contract winds down. From a creative standpoint, I also like the idea of Eaton looking vulnerable leading up to a match with an underdog challenger (Hennig) at February Star Wars.

-The Six-Man Tag Team Tournament finally comes to an end, and the Gary Hart's former "dream team", the original favorites, prevail (with Sullivan in the place of Bundy). Sammartino gets no send off here, he just limps off to the back. This trio has a combined 42 career championships, and will probably be tough to beat for these titles (at least until the Von Erichs decide to go after them again).

-I went the semi-obvious route with the TV title. I thought that Kevin's nagging injury required a change here, and it made perfect sense to have him lose it to one of his challengers for the Tag Team Titles. Kevin has a few weeks to recover, otherwise Kerry will have to do it by himself again. Kevin's title reign ends after 5 1/2 months and 15 title defenses. It was a great run, which included a time when the TV title main evented shows, while Bobby Eaton was refusing to defend the World Title.

-Pilotman requested a Villanos win over the Road Warriors, and he got it, albeit by DQ. The Warriors basically attempt to murder Villano IV, then Fritz, but get neither. The Villanos are now full-fledged faces, and the Warriors are gone. I certainly wouldn't rule out bringing them back sometime in the future. They had a long and violent feud with the Sheepherders, completely choked when they finally got a tag title shot against the Von Erichs, and otherwise squashed a lot of jobbers.

-Leon White had another solid match with Mr. Pogo on the pre-show....White is definitely on his way to something big. He might shoot up the roster as fast as Hennig did.

[Senator]

The people want Kamala.

Best dynasty in FOFC history.

[molson]

NEWS

-The TV Show gets a 3.97 rating. That's our lowest in three weeks, but still a great rating.

-Sullivan arrived late for the last show. That's the second straight show that's happened, but I need him for the tag team match next week, so I fine him (last time he just got a warning).

-I officially fire The Sammartinos and The Road Warriors. David Sammartio lost any chance he had to stick around by whining so much. I thought about giving Bruno some kind of send-off, but I kind of like it this way better. Maybe they'll introduce him at halftime of a Celtics game....So that pares down the bloated roster a tad.

-Even with the Villanos turn, we're still a little heel heavy at the top half of the roster. I might have to find someone else to turn face.

-Perry Jackson complains about his push.

-Its just anecdotal evidence, but I've seen the remaining healthy organizations extend the contracts of a lot of their works the last few days. Maybe we're starting to see some stability.

-Not a whole lot of news, so here's a quick look at the major players in the "Big 3" promotions - upper midcarders and main eventers from each roster:

WCCW:
Terry Funk
Bobby Eaton
Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Curt Hennig
Koko B. Ware
Antonio Inoki (not yet debuted)
Iceman Parsons
Kevin Sullivan
Kerry Von Erich
Kamala (not yet debuted)
Dick Murdoch
Kevin Von Erich
Roddy Piper

AWA:
Nick Bockwinkle
Buzz Sawyer
Bill Dundee
Manny Fernandez
Steve Keirn
Bobby Eaton
Wahoo McDaniel
Buddy Roberts
Dutch Mantel
Les Thorton
The Iron Shiek
Ted DiBiase

Mid-Atlantic:
Roddy Piper
Terry Funk
Dusty Rhodes
Greg Valentine
Jake Roberts
Ricky Steamboat
Gino Hernandez
Dory Funk Jr.
Dick Slater
Jay Youngblood
Ivan Koloff
Joe Leduc

-And Here's The Status of the Most Popular Wrestlers (North America) who aren't one of the big players in the "big three"

-Stan Hansen: Main Eventer with Georgia
-Sgt. Slaughter: Main Eventer with Maple Leaf Wrestling
-Andre The Giant: Unemployed (and injured for apprx 2 more months)
-Superstar Billy Graham: Unemployed (Filming a Movie)
-Hulk Hogan: Unemployed
-Bruiser Brody: Main Eventer with All Japan
-Harley Race: Owner of St. Louis Wrestling Club (and injured for 1 more month)
-Mil Mascaras: Unemployed
-Ric Flair: Unemployed
-Junkyard Dog: Unemployed
-Buddy Rose: Main Eventer for SWCW
-Larry Zbyszko: Midcarder for Maple Leaf Wrestling
-Jerry Stubbs: Out Inured for Apprx 9 more months, but still employed by AWA, Georgia, and Pacific Northwest Wrestling.

[PilotMan]

Pilotman requested a Villanos win over the Road Warriors, and he got it

Thank you, Sir!

I echo Senator's sentiments. You da man! Luv this stuff.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, February 1985
Providence, RI (New England - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,249 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Owen Hart in 6:47 by pinfall. (D-) Cook came to the ring in his old Pittsburgh Steelers jersey. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Cook, who cut a heel promo putting over the Steelers and insulting the New England Patriots. (E+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
El Hacon defeats Barry Orton in 7:29 by pinfall. (C-) The two showed great chemistry.

-As the show starts Fritz comes to the ring to start the show, and welcomes the New England fans. (D-). Then, Fritz says that an iconic, international wrestling superstar is in the arena tonight, and earlier tonight in Providence, he has finalized his contract to become an active member of the WCCW roster. Fritz goes on to describe the incredible career of Antonio Inoki, and notes that while it was a match somewhat forgotten by history, Inoki once defeated Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship. Fritz then introduces Inoki out to the ring, and a lengthy interview is conducted. Inoki wears a suit, and comes across as very humble and respectful of the American wrestling fans. Inoki says he hopes to make his debut in the ring at February Star Wars. (B-)

-The Villanos defeat The Grapplers in 10:37 when Villano IV pinned Grappler #2. (C-) After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed the Villanos about their win, and their rescue of Fritz Von Erich on the TV show last week. (D)

-Bill Mercer interviews Billy Robinson, who comes to the ring for his match with Mr. Pogo. Robinson says that its great to be back in New England, and that Mr. Pogo will be an extremely challenging opponent. (E+)

-Billy Robinson defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:47 by DQ. (B-). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Nikita Koloff comes out to the ring with his manager, Skandor Akbar, who displays the Soviet flag. Koloff salutes the flag before the match. (C). Kerry Von Erich comes out to the ring next, and he cuts a promo hyping their match, and trashing the Soviet Union. (C-)

-Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Kerry Von Erich in 11:37 by pinfall. (B-). Koloff was tiring towards the end of the match.

-David Von Erich comes to the ring to hype his main event match with WCCW World Bobby Eaton. He debuted his new gimmick tweak, showing a more intense personality. David says that while the title is not on the line tonight, it's an incredibly important match for him personally because - 1. A win here should put him in line for a title shot, and 2. He hates Eaton's guts and wants to hurt him. (C)

-Non-Title Match
David Von Erich drew with Bobby Eaton in 27:57 after a double DQ. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-This was a great show for this region, and it was quite surprising what did well and what didn't.

-The main event was actually disappointing. The David "gimmick tweak", like pretty much every other gimmick tweak I've done over the last few weeks, didn't go over well, that might have impacted his momentum, and that match rating. Each gimmick change was in response to a road agent note that the worker "needed something to freshen his character up", and yet after each change, I get the road agent note, "this gimmick change was too soon after the last one". Ah well. Unfotunately, I haven't kept track of when I change gimmicks, so this will all make things just a little more challenging.

-While C+ is a perfectly acceptable main event rating for this region, obviously I'm more used to more from these guys. Though looking back, their only other 1-on-1 match only scored a "B", and that was in Texas, where both guys are far more popular.

-Koloff over Kerry is definitely an upset, and their match was pretty good. Koloff impressed me during his feud with Parsons, so I'm going to keep pushing him. And Kerry has just never won me over during this dynasty, so he'll keep heading down the card.

-Billy Robinson had a very strong match with Mr. Pogo. Robinson may get a little more meaningful ring-time than I planned. While Robinson is best known in the midwest, he has some overness in every North American region, thanks to his main event run in the AWA many years ago.

-Probably the thing that made me the happiest on the show though, was Antonio Inoki's "B-" rated interview segment. That's a great sign, pulling that off outside of our major regions, especially considering he only speaks "passable" English right now (Compare it with Kerry and David only scoring C- and C in their promos). Inoki isn't Flair, or Hogan, but on an international scale, he's not that far off. And he has solid, C+ popularity in every single North American region. And Fritz helped sow the seeds for an eventual Inoki/Backlund feud, by bringing up Inoki's WWF Title win over Backlund that the WWF never officially recognized.

[molson]

NEWS

-King Kong Bundy and Buddy Roberts have started a full-time team with WWC.

-Otherwise, the industry news is dominated by workers extending their contracts with their employers. 115 works have signed new deals in the last 3 days. There's some kind of game recalculation going on.

[molson]

Senator, Pilotman, Swaggs, and everyone else - I appreciate the kind words and you continuing to check this thing out. I'm hopelessly addicted and I'll keep going.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #1 defeats Mark Youngblood in 6:47 by pinfall. (B-) The two showed good chemistry. Grappler #1 looked good.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Grappler #2 in 7:08 by pinfall. (C+). The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match Bill Mercer interviewed White, who described his training regiment - mostly running and chopping down trees in the Colorado Rockies. (C)

-As the show starts, Curt Hennig cuts a promo backstage hyping this week's main event tag team match between himself and Terry Funk v. Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan. Hennig says that Funk is in a bad mood, and that he's helping Hennig to find his mean streak for Hennig's title shot at February Star Wars. (B+). Funk then joins the promo, and hypes the match, and also his 1-on-1 match with Sullivan at February Star Wars. (B+)

-Also backstage, the new TV Champion, Butch Miller stands with his manager Skandor Akbar and WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, to draw his random challenger this week from the volunteer entrants. Miller reaches into the rolling drum and draws newcomer (and longtime friend of Lothario), El Halcon. (C).

-A brief video highlights the recent series of matches between Steve Olsonoski and Doug Somers, all of which have ended in draws. (C)

-Steve Olsonoski drew with Doug Somers in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (D). The two showed poor chemistry.

-A video hypes the workout routine of WCCW Cruiserweight Champion Mike Von Erich, who prepares for his title defense at February Star Wars against his friend, Villano V. (C). Mike then cuts a pre-recorded promo hyping the Cruiserweight Championship, and his status as 3-time champion. He says he plans on continuing to dominate the division. (C-)

-Mike Von Erich & The Villanos defeat Barry Orton, Perry Jackson, & Charlie Cook in 6:06 when Mike made Orton submit. (C).

-A video hypes the impending WCCW return of Kamala, The Ugandan Giant. The video is again narrated by Skandor Akbar. (C). After the video, the announcers note that Skandor Akbar has had an extremely difficult time finding an opponent for Kamala at February Star Wars, as many wrestlers are apparently intimidated by rumors that under Akbar's training, Kamala has become stronger, meaner, and more dangerous than ever before. These rumors, says Bill Mercer, have led to WCCW officials to demand that Kamala's return take place at February Star Wars, since any match involving him may be too violent for TV. However, Mercer says, earlier tonight, a challenger did step up, and it's a man who has had issues with Skandor Akbar over the last few months - Iceman Parsons. (C+)

-Iceman Parsons defeats Mr. Pogo in 8:37 by pinfall. (B). Parsons defeats Pogo for the 3rd time in 4 weeks on TV. The two showed great chemistry. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Parsons, asking him why he's agreed to face the dangerous Kamala, where so many others have refused. Parsons hypes the match, and says that he's not afraid of another living soul. He'd like to send Kamala back to the jungle. (C).

-A lengthy mini-documentary hypes the career and imminent WCCW debut of Antonio Inoki. The video makes reference to Inoki's win over Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship, and hypes his WCCW debut at February Star Wars, where he will face Grappler #1. (B-)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats El Halcon in 3:53 by pinfall to make his 1st defense of the TV Title. (C+)

-Kevin Sullivan & Dick Murdoch hype their upcoming main event tag team match, and Sullivan hypes his match at February Star Wars against Funk. Sullivan says he doesn't care about the "mystery stipulation" at that event, he just knows he's going to wipe the floor with Funk once again. (B+)

-Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeat Terry Funk & Curt Hennig in 23:53 when Sullivan pinned Funk after interference from Stevens and illegal double-teams. (B+). Hennig showed a "meaner" side, illustrating his training from Funk. Funk and Sullivan brawled all over the ringside area during the match, leaving Hennig mostly to wrestle Murdoch in the ring. Funk and Hennig have zero chemistry as partners.

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS

-I'm very happy with the B- here, considering this was a very cheap show where many main eventers went unused.

-The Murdoch/Sullivan/Funk/Hennig storyline is solid, but it's not quite capturing the imagination of the fans an elite angle. Funk's taking most of the losses in the feud - that's mostly because his contract is up shortly after February Star Wars. I will be negotiating with him in the next few days however, and the outcome of that might change the direction of this angle.

-Otherwise, a lot of filler on this show. They can't all be eventful. I was glad to see the Inoki documentary when over pretty well here. The expectation for Inoki is nothing less than A+ matches with other main eventers.

-Parsons gets to beat-up on Mr. Pogo again - that should have rebuilt some of the momentum he loss in the Nikita Koloff feud, where he was pretty much dominated in the matches. The Kamala/Parsons match will be a big test for Kamala, to determine whether he gets a truly monster push.

-Neither the Mike Von Erich/Villano V or Doug Somers/Steve Olsonoski feuds are exactly setting the world on fire, but they're cheap and largely unoffensive. And they give different talent a chance to see the spotlight.

-Another solid performance by Leon White on the pre-show. He has a babyface "outdoorsman" gimmick at this point.

-The surprise of the night was probably the Grappler #1 carrying Mark Youngblood to a B- (though Youngblood has shown the ability to be carried to such heights a couple of times in the past - by Butch Miller, and Nikita Koloff). Grappler #1 (Les Denton) is very solid, which is why he gets the "assignment" for Antonio Inoki's debut match at February Star Wars.

[molson]

NEWS

-Ray Stevens arrived late for the last show. It's a first offense for him, and he works pretty much every show, so I fine him.

-The TV show gets a 4.11 rating. That's a nice bounce-back from last week, and it's our 3rd highest rating all-time.

-Boriz Zhukof is hyped in the dirt sheets as a future star. I wasn't all that impressed with him when I took a look at signing him a few weeks ago. I had considered teaming him with Nikita Koloff, but it just seemed like that would hold Koloff back.

-A friendship has developed backstage between Lance Russel and Ray Stevens. I haven't used Russell yet this month, just out of caution to make sure the big money keeps flowing in. He'll work the PPV, and assuming there's no surprises in the end-of-month balance sheet, he'll be back in the TV broadcast booth next month. Bill Mercer will return to his role as journalist/backstage interviewer.

-Roddy Piper and Perry Jackson complain about their pushes.

-In Georgia, Jim Duggan won the National TV Title from Greg Valentine. It's his 2nd reign with the title.

-Ricky Steamboat suffered a serious injury during a match with Roddy Piper for Maple Leaf Wrestling. He'll be out about 6 months.

-Hector Guerrero defeated Tully Blanchard for the SWCW Intercontinental Championship.

-There are rumors that Nick Bockwinkle is leaving AWA. I don't really have room for him, but I request negotiations. I'm obviously kind of a sucker for the old school guys.

-After being sure Arturo Mendoza was going to be on the way out, I'm able to re-sign him after some tense negotiations for $1,650/show for 9 months, a raise from his old $1,500/show. He's probably worth that, though the game negotiation screen told me he would be looking for something in the neighborhood of $1,000/show, which would have been fantastic. I think wrestlers pretty much refuse to take paycuts from contract to contract, which explains why worker salaries have skyrocketed so much during this dynasty, and why so many promotions have gone under. Though I wonder the hundreds of contract extensions I've seen in the last few days is some kind of "market correction".

-After two days of negotiations - I can't yet come to an agreement with Terry Funk. I'll have one more shot at it after the next house show. He's going to cost me in the neighborhood of $2,800 for 3 more months. I think that we'll work something out for something around there.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, February 1985
Wichita, KS (Midwest- Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,852 Ticket prices: Default
Actual Attendance: 1,784

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Barry Orton & Perry Jackson came to the ring and cut a promo hyping their upcoming match with Owen Hart & Al Perez. (E+).

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Barry Orton & Perry Jackson defeat Owen Hart & Al Perez in 6:31 when when Jackson pinned Perez after underhanded tactics by the heels. (D). Perez was exhausted by the end of the match.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats The Grappler #2 in 5:58 by pinfall. (B-). The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed White about his win and his career thus far in WCCW. (C)

-Bill Mercer conducts a lengthy interview with Antonio Inoki about his imminent debut in WCCW. Mercer asks Inoki about his career, including his win over Bob Backlund for the WWF Championship. (B-)

-Billy Robinson came to the ring for his match, and shook hands with Inoki, who departed. (C). Bill Mercer interviewed Robinson about his upcoming match with Grappler #2. Robinson hyped the match and reminisced about his years wrestling in front of the midwest fans. He referenced his DQ win over Mr. Pogo in Rhode Island last week, putting over Pogo as a "tough customer". (D+)

-Billy Robinson defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:05 by pinfall. (C+)

-Bill Mercer tried to interview Grappler #1 about his upcoming match with Villano V, but the Grappler only wanted to talk about his match with Antonio Inoki at February Star Wars. He says he's tired of people talking about the match like he's not even it, and while Inoki has spent months traveling around and talking to the fans, he's been working in the ring. He says that Inoki is rusty, and that he'll beat him. (C+)

-Grappler #1 defeats Villano V in 9:46 by pinfall. (B+). The two showed great chemistry. Grappler #1 looked good.

-Ray Stevens came out to the ring with his stable of Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan, who were also joined by Koko B. Ware and WCCW World Champion Bobby Eaton. Stevens hyped tonight's main event - a 10-man elimination tag team match. Stevens referenced the various feuds on display in this match: Murdoch/Hennig, Funk/Sullivan, Eaton & Ware/David, etc. (C+)

-10-Man Tag Team Match
-Elimination Rules
David Von Erich, Kerry Von Erich, Mike Von Erich, Curt Hennig, & Terry Funk defeat Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Bobby Eaton, & Koko B. Ware (w/Ray Stevens) in 31:31. (B+) David was the sole survivor. Hennig looked good. Several near falls in the beginning of the match were broken up by other participants, and several 5-on-5 brawls broke out. Then, the referee asked Bill Mercer to announce to the crowd that he has warned both teams - any wrestler who illegally entered the match from now on would be DQ'd on the spot. After that warning, the order of eliminations was as follows:

-Mike Von Erich was pinned by Koko B. Ware (5-4, advantage heels)
-Koko B. Ware was made to submit by David Von Erich (4-4)
-Terry Funk & Kevin Sullivan were both counted out after brawling outside the ring (3-3)
-Kerry Von Erich was made to submit by Bob Backlund (3-2)
-Curt Hennig was made to submit by Bob Backlund (3-1)

The heels wore down David at this point and appeared to have the match won when Bobby Eaton hit a top rope leg drop. However, Bob Backlund broke up the pin attempt and argued with Eaton - Backlund apparently wished to make the final pinfall himself. The two began shoving - Dick Murdoch immediately entered the ring and he and Backlund pummeled Eaton 2-on-1, and threw him to the outside. As a result:

-Dick Murdoch was DQ'd for illegally entering the ring (2-1, advantage heels)
-Bob Backlund was pinned by David Von Erich, who scored a fluke pin in the chaos, after he was allowed several minutes to recover because of dissension among the heels (1-1).

That left David, and a beaten down Eaton, who was lying outside the ring. David angrily went after him, and Eaton retreated to the back. David returned to the ring, and beat the 10 count:

-Bobby Eaton was counted out (David is the sole survivor).

-After the match, all of the members of the face team returned to the ring, where they celebrated with David Von Erich as the show ends. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-This was a solid midwest show.

-I like to break out the gigantic 5x5 elimination tag match main event every few months on the house show circuit. They're certainly fun to book. It was an expensive match, but it gave us a good show rating, and it gave most of our big main eventers exposure in our second most important region.

-Otherwise, not a lot of excitement on the show, though I was happy that Grappler #1/Villano V was such a great match. Grappler #1 has settled into a "jobber to the stars" role, but he might have enough talent to emerge past that someday.

-I thought that Robinson would be a little more popular in the midwest, but he was never that great on the mic, so I shouldn't have been surprised. His match with Mr. Pogo was perfectly acceptable.

-Inoki continues his "long interview" tour and had another good one. These are LONG interviews, so they count in the rating. Scoring a B- in a lengthy interview definitely helped the show rating here.

-Leon White has another strong match as he continues his undefeated streak - the B- here matches his career high that he reacted twice with Mr. Pogo.

[molson]

NEWS

-Terry Funk wanted a little more money than I thought, but I still decide to pull the trigger for 3 more months at $2,900/show, and 25% of his merchandise. That's a raise from his old deal of $2,675/show, and I can't see him getting another raise from us when these 3 months are up. He's useful, but not that useful. He's now the second most expensive worker on the roster after Roddy Piper, and like Piper, he will probably have his workload reduced because of the huge contract.

-Kerry Von Erich arrived late for the last show. It's not a first-offense for him, but I need him at February Star Wars at the end of the week, so he's fined.

-Ric Flair won a couple of dirt sheet awards: "Best Overall Worker in Wrestling Today", and "Most Entertaining Wrestler in the World". Flair hasn't wrestled since July of last year - a 7 month layoff.

[PilotMan]

I have had some good matches with Robinson and Bockwinkle. Although, the feud between Bockwinkle and the Baron has had better overall ratings.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
El Halcon defeats Dusty Wolfe in 4:32 by submission. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews Perry Jackson about his upcoming match with Owen Hart. Jackson is over the top with his 70's/Blaxploitation gimmick. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Owen Hart defeats Perry Jackson in 7:27 by pinfall. (C-). After the match, Bill Mercer interviews Hart about his win. (D-)

-Bill Mercer and Fritz Von Erich are joined by Lance Russell, who completes the three-man booth for this week's show. The trio run down the card for February Star Wars, and hype tonight's show. They hype tonight's main event, which features the return to the ring of Roddy Piper, to face Iceman Parsons. Also, the WCCW Championship Committee has announced that tonight, there will be two 10-man Battle Royals. The two winners will face off at February Star Wars to determine the new #1 contender for the World Championship. (D+)

-Backstage, WCCW TV Champion Butch Miller stands with Skandor Akbar, Commissioner Jose Lothario, and the rolling drum of challengers...Miller draws a name at random - Al Perez. (B-). Miller laughs with confidence.

-10-Man Over-the-Top-Rope Battle Royal
-Winner to Compete in #1 Contender Match at February Star Wars.
David Von Erich won the Battle Royal in 9:49. (C+). The order of elimination was as follows:
1. Nikita Koloff (eliminated by Billy Robinson)
2. Billy Robinson (eliminated by Nikita Koloff)
3. Charlie Cook (eliminated by David Von Erich)
4. Mark Youngblood (eliminated by Mr. Pogo)
5. Arturo Mendoza (eliminated by Mr. Pogo)
6. Dick Murdoch (eliminated by Mr. Pogo, Barry Orton, and Grappler #2)
7. Barry Orton (eliminated by Mr. Pogo)
8. Mr. Pogo (eliminated by David Von Erich)
9. Grappler #2 (eliminated by David Von Erich)
WINNER: David Von Erich
-Nikita Koloff seemed off his game. The match featured an especially spirited exchange between Koloff and Billy Robinson, who brawled outside the ring after Robinson eliminated Koloff, and then Koloff illegally returned to the ring and eliminated Robinson. After the match, David Von Erich cut a promo in the ring hyping his win. (C-)

-A video hypes Villano V, who will challenge for the Cruiserweight Championship at February Star Wars. (C+). After the match, Bill Mercer interviews Villano V about the match. (C-)

-A video hypes the WCCW World Tag Team Championship match at February Star Wars between The Sheepherders and The Von Erichs. Special attention is given to the weakened physical state of Kevin Von Erich, which was made worse by the beating from Butch Miller several weeks ago, when Miller won the TV Title from Kevin. (C+)

-Luke Williams (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Kerry Von Erich in 12:39 by pinfall. (C-).

-A brief hype video hypes the upcoming WCCW debut of Antonio Inoki, to take place at February Star Wars. (B)

-Piper's Pit: w/Guest Curt Hennig
Roddy Piper, who is flanked by his new bodyguards, the Grapplers, first hypes his main event match tonight against Iceman Parsons. Then, he introduces his guest, Curt Hennig, who will challenge for the World Title at February Star Wars. Hennig is flanked by his mentor, Terry Funk - who seems to unnerve Piper. Piper viciously insults Hennig, saying he doesn't deserve a title shot, and says that he's had everything handed to him in WCCW. Hennig doesn't back down, and matches Piper insult for insult. (B+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Al Perez in 4:35 by pinfall to make his 2nd defense of the TV title. (C-). The two showed poor chemistry.

-10-Man Over-the-Top-Rope Battle Royal
-Winner to Compete in #1 Contender Match at February Stars
Bob Backlund won the Battle Royal in 12:06. (B-). The order of elimination was as follows:
1. The Great Kabuki (eliminated by Doug Somers, Steve Olsonoski, and El Halcon)
2. Mike Von Erich (eliminated by Bob Backlund)
3. El Halcon (eliminated by Doug Somers and Steve Olsonoski)
4. Koko B. Ware (eliminated by Leon White)
5. Villano IV (eliminated by Leon White)
6. Doug Somers (eliminated by Leon White)
7. Steve Olsonoski (eliminated by Leon White)
8. Iceman Parsons (eliminated by Bob Backlund)
9. Leon White (eliminated by Bob Backlund)
WINNER: Bob Backlund
-Steve Olosnoski & Doug Somers, who have wrestled a series of matches that ended in draws over the last few weeks, worked very well together here, cooperating on several eliminations. Leon White, who was making his TV debut, dominated the match, until it came down to him and Backlund. At that point, Backlund schooled White, methodically taking him apart. After the match, Backlund cut a promo hyping his #1 Contender's match at February Star Wars. (B-). Backlund says he's owned David in the past, and this Saturday night will be no exception.

-After the match, the announcers note that as a result of the altercation between Nikita Koloff and Billy Robinson in the first battle royal, those two have agreed to meet in a match at February Star Wars. (C).

-Another video hypes the WCCW return of Kamala, who will face Iceman Parsons this Saturday night at February Star Wars. (C)

-Iceman Parsons defeats Roddy Piper (w/The Grapplers) in 10:08 by DQ after the Grapplers interfered on behalf of Piper, who was losing the match. (B).

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Good show leading into February Star Wars. We also got almost everyone of note on the card, which was expensive, but will improve everyone's morale.

-Parsons/Piper have never met, haven't had any interactions that I remember, so this was kind of a makeshift main event. They definitely delivered a solid match.

-The two battle royals had the obvious winners, and we have our obvious #1 contender's match at February Star Wars. I like this kind of "obviousness", because in a sense, it's realistic. In a kayfabe world, WCCW promoters would WANT that Backlund/David match, so they would have put them in separate battle royals, and filled them with competition that they knew they could overcome. So the results were predictable, but there was some storyline development in the matches: Billy Robinson and Nikita Koloff had some issues (Koloff does not take embarrassment well), Olsonoski & Somers worked well together after wrestling to numerous stalemates, Leon White makes his TV debut and dominates the battle royal.

-Piper showed his value again in the Piper's Pit segment - that was a "long" segment that was included in our overall rating, and it was the highest rated segment of the night.

-I was perplexed by David's horrible promo - I'm not sure he's the face we can build the company around. If we ever were able to land Hulk Hogan, the Von Erichs would have to take a backseat.

-Kerry Von Erich has already taken something of a back seat as he loses again, in an upset loss to Luke Williams. The Sheepherders have all the momentum heading into February Star Wars.

-Perry Jackson and Owen Hart delivered a C- on the pre-show - it's been almost a year since their first 1-on-1 match with us, and they've both really improved over that time. That's a good showing for those guys.

[molson]

NEWS

The main card for February Star Wars is now set:

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bobby Eaton v. Curt Hennig

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
Kevin & Kerry Von Erich v. The Sheepherders

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich v. Villano V

-Mystery Stipulation (To Be Chosen By Funk)
Terry Funk v. Kevin Sullivan

-#1 Contender's Match (World Heavyweight Championship)
Bob Backlund v. David Von Erich

Kamala v. Iceman Parsons

Antonio Inoki v. Grappler #1

Nikita Koloff v. Billy Robinson

-The TV show delivers a 4.10 rating. That's off just .01 from last week.

-Greg Valentine & Dusty Rhodes won the vacant NWA World Tag Team Championship, defeating Ivan Koloff & Gino Hernandez. The former champions, Dusty Rhodes and Ricky Steamboat, had to vacate the titles when Steamboat was injured.

-Ricky Steamboat's injury also caused a vacating of the Calgary Stampede International Tag Team Championship, a title Steamboat held with Bret Hart. Hart and Leo Burke won the vacant titles, defeating Bad News Allen & The Dynamite Kid.

-The dirt sheets are hyping Al Perez as a future star.

[molson]

WCCW: February Star Wars: PPV/Closed Circuit
Saturday, Week 4, February 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Medium Venue)
Expected Attendance: 11,686 Ticket prices: $2 more than default
Actual Attendance: 10,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski defeats Mr. Pogo in 8:53 by pinfall. (B).

-Pre-Show Dark Match
The Great Kabuki defeats Grappler #2 in 6:45 by pinfall. (C+)

-Skandor Akbar enters the ringside area with Nikita Koloff. Akbar raises the Soviet flag high, and Koloff salutes it. (C+)

-Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Billy Robinson in 7:42 by pinfall. (C+)

-Bill Mercer interviews Villano V about his upcoming Cruiserweight title shot. (C-) Mercer then interviews Mike Von Erich about the match. (C).

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich drew with Villano V in 2:34 following a double countout. (D+). The match ended abruptly when Villano V attempted a high-risk move from the ring onto the arena floor, where Mike was located. The impact weakened both men, and neither could make it back to the ring before the 10 count. Mike makes his 2nd defense of the Cruiserweight Title.

-A video hypes the upcoming debut of Kamala. (C)

-Backstage, Skandor Akbar hypes his client Kamala, and his upcoming match with Iceman Parsons. (C+) Akbar puts over the dangerousness of his client, and claims that he doesn't know if he can control him. Iceman Parsons cuts a promo backstage as well, saying he's not afraid of monsters. (B-)

-Kamala, the Ugandan Giant (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Iceman Parsons in 6:48 by pinfall with a top rope splash. (C+). Parsons appears to be injured in the ring. He is attended to by medical personnel, and is stretchered to the back. (C+).

-Backstage, The Von Erichs attempt to cut a promo about their upcoming tag team title defense against The Sheepherders. The promo however, is interrupted by Skandor Akbar and The Sheepherders, and the 5 argue for several minutes. (C). Akbar tells Kevin that it's not safe for him to participate tonight given his injury, and that he and his brother should just surrender the titles. A highlight video recaps the events between these participants - particularly Kevin's last appearance in a ring, when he lost the TV title to Butch Miller, who aggravated Kevin's shoulder injury. (C+)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
-The Sheepheders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Kevin & Kerry Von Erich in 5:38 when Miller pinned Kevin. (D+). The Sheepheders win the WCCW World Tag Team Championship for the second time. Kevin was limited by injury (both kayfabe and storyline), as the Von Erichs were dominated (though Kevin showed guts). The Sheepheders celebrate their win with with Akbar in the ring. The announcers note that Akbar is 3-for-3 tonight.

-A video hypes the upcoming WCCW debut of Japanese legend Antonio Inoki. (B-)

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews Grappler #1 about his upcoming match with Inoki. (C). Grappler #1 is still bitter that everyone is talking about Inoki, and completely overlooking him as a threat to win the match.

-Antoni Inoki defeats Grappler #1 in 10:54 by pinfall. (B). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-David cut a promo hyping the upcoming #1 Contender's match between himself and Bob Backlund. David admits that Backlund has had his number in the past, but that tonight's a new night. (C+)

-#1 Contender's Match - WCCW World Heavyweight Championship
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats David Von Erich in 22:16 by pinfall to become the #1 Contender to the World Championship. (B+)

-Terry Funk comes to the ring and cuts a promo hyping his upcoming match with Kevin Sullivan. Funk finally reveals his "mystery" stipulation. Funk says that since he lost to Sullivan last month, he's daydreamed about making Sullivan bleed....And tonight, Funk promises, there will be blood, because the match will be a First Blood Match. No countout/No-DQ, the match can only end when one man draws blood. (B+)

-First Blood Match
Terry Funk defeated Kevin Sullivan in 13:58 after hitting Sullivan with the ring bell, causing him to bleed. (B+)

-Curt Hennig, with Terry Funk wobbly but by his side, cuts a promo hyping his upcoming shot at the World Heavyweight Championship. He puts over the title, the promotion, the fans, and even Eaton - and says he's prepared his whole life for this moment. (B).

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) defeats Bobby Eaton (w/Koko B. Ware) in 24:57 by pinfall to become the WCCW World Heavyweight Champion. (A+). Both Ware and Funk got involved in the match - Funk prevented Ware from using the ring bell on Eaton, and instead struck Ware with it - the second time Funk busted someone open with the ring bell tonight. The match suffered from a lack of psychology. After the match, Funk and Hennig celebrate in the ring. (B+)

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-This was a good, old-fashion wrestling show, nothing too wacky, but a lot of eventful moments in the ring.

-The main event delivered - I had wondered if Backlund/David would overshadow it. This was Eaton's first ever 1-on-1 A+ match (he was involved in an A+ triple threat match with Backlund and David Von Erich). Hennig had previously wrestled three A+ matches, two with Backlund, and the third a triple threat with Backlund and Murdoch. Hennig only debuted in the company in August, and I believe he was a lower midcarder when he started. I guess Hennig winning here is kind of a surprising outcome, but I think in this universe, he's better than Eaton, who has lucked out/avoided defending the belt for months.

-Funk/Sullivan was fine - I had intended to put Sullivan over again here, but after Funk re-signed, I felt like he needed the boost here after his recent slump. And I wanted him to go into his main event managerial role as a winner in the previous match.

-David/Backlund was actually kind of disappointing at B+. I blame David - it seems like he's been off lately. I've said that Backlund "has David's number", but in 6 previous 1-on-1 matches, David's won 3, Backlund 2, and they've drew once. Still, that's probably more success than anyone else has had against David. One of those previous 6 matches was an A+, so it was somewhat disappointing to not get there here - though B+ is about their previous average. That sets up Backlund v. Hennig, who have wrestled tremendous matches in the past. I'll probably run that match on TV in two weeks.

-Inoki has a solid, if somewhat disappointing debut in a competitive match with Grappler #1. It's disappointing because Grappler just wrestled a better rated match with Villano V.

-The Sheepherders win the tag team titles 1 year after they won them the last time. This was a dominating victory, as Kerry's been in a slump, and Kevin's still injured. The match, like all of Kevin's matches lately, was horrible. He needs to get healed for this feud to continue.

-Kamala basically squashes Parsons in an OK match....Nothing happened here to stop his monster push. I'll try to keep Parsons out for some time to sell the injury here.

-Koloff is quietly stringing together some solid victories - he's undefeated in singles competition so far in 1985 (5-0-1). And he only lost three 1-on-1 matches in all of 1984 (and was on our roster the whole year).

-On the other side of things, The Great Kabuki, who has been forgotten since Tiger Mask was suspended, finally gets a win on the pre-show. That's his first win in a 1-on-1 match since defeating Magic Dragon in November. Before that, you have to go all the way back to last June to find his last 1-on-1 win (though he's spent much of his time teaming with Tiger Mask).

-I was very impressed by Olosnoski/Pogo on the pre-show. Pogo's contract is up - I'll reluctant to resign him just because our roster is so bloated, but he's been really, really, solid in the midcard. He's wrestled B- or better matches with a variety of guys: Leon White, Olosonoski, Billy Robinson, Iceman Parsons. He's also been very unsuccessful in the outcomes of those matches - he's 1-8-1 in 1985.

[molson]

NEWS:

-Nick Bockwinkle has rejected negotiations with me, as he's still loyal to the AWA. So I'll have to wait until they've cut ties entirely before he'll talk to me.

-Roddy Piper arrived late to the last show....He's a frequent offender, so I suspend him for another month. Piper is turning into a "special attraction", which is probably appropriate for his price tag. After this suspension, he'll have about 6 weeks left on his contract. If he wants a raise, then I won't resign him. Piper's match on TV with Parsons this week was his 1st and only match for us so far in 1985.

-Kevin Sullivan, Luke Williams, and Perry Jackson complain about their push. I don't recall Sullivan and Williams as complainers in the past - obviously their recent pushes have gone to their heads. Jackson apparently needs to lose to Owen Hart more to get a reality check.

-Arturo Mendoza has changed his style to "Regular Wrestler" - I'm not sure what he was before, maybe "Luchador". It's interesting that he's changed after wrestling exclusively in the US for a while. This can only help him, and he's already good.

-Bobby Eaton has signed with Stampede, where he'll work while we're not using him...That's a tremendous opportunity for him to improve even more, with the likes of Bret Hart, The Dynamite Kid, and Bad News Allen

-All Japan has officially closed, after being in financial trouble for several months. This follows the death of New Japan, and leaves UPW, which started during this dynasty, as the only surviving men's promotion in Japan. All Japan Women's Wrestling is also still around. All Japan is the 13th promotion to fold during this dynasty. There is now only one men's promotion in Japan and Mexico combined, leaving a ton of unemployed wrestlers. I'll have more thoughts about the ramifications of this in a later post.

-And it looks like there's no sign to the end of the bloodshed. The dirt sheets report that All-Star Wrestling (UK), Mid-South, SECW, and SWCW are all close to death as well. Things are starting to get interesting.

-Dick Murdoch won the National TV Title (Georgia promotion) from Jim Duggan.

-Angelo Mosca, who hasn't wrestled since January 1984, has announced he will retire soon.

-A number of wrestlers enter the universe (they couldn't have debuted at a worse time for job opportunities). Too Cold Scorpio and Johnny Ace are among the new arrivals.

-So just to keep score, here's the surviving promotions in the game universe right now (in order of prestige), with those in serious financial trouble indicated by a (*)

USA/Puerto Rico:
-World Class Championship Wrestling
-Georgia Championship Wrestling
-American Wrestling Association
-World Wrestling Council
-Mid-South Wrestling*
-Pacific Northwest
-Southeast Championship Wrestling*
-Southwest Championship Wrestling*
-International Championship Wrestling
-Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling
-St. Louis Wrestling Club

Canada:
-International Wrestling
-Maple Leaf Wrestling
-Calgary Stampede Wrestling
-Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling

UK:
-All-Star Wrestling*

Continental Europe:
-Catch Wrestling Association

Japan:
-All Japan Women's Pro Wrestling
-Universal Pro-Wrestling Federation

Mexico:
-None

[Swaggs]

How are you doing financially? Any chance that Fritz let's you sign Hogan next month? :)

[molson]

How are you doing financially? Any chance that Fritz let's you sign Hogan next month? :)

The details are in my next few updates here, but yes, February was just as good as Jaunuary, and I'm making a boatload on PPV. I have over a million in the bank now, and will be requesting negotiations will all of the heavy hitters again, including Hogan.

It's pretty awesome how the universe has worked out that way - so many companies dead, and the survivors are making a killing.

[Swaggs]

Also, I must have missed it or forgotten it if I saw it, but did the WWF go out of business? I do not see them on the list above.

If they did, what is Vince McMahon up to? Is it possible that he could begin a new promotion?

[molson]

Also, I must have missed it or forgotten it if I saw it, but did the WWF go out of business? I do not see them on the list above.

If they did, what is Vince McMahon up to? Is it possible that he could begin a new promotion?

Yup, they went out of business. I THINK McMahon got a job somewhere - maybe as a booker - I'll check that when I'm in front of the game again.

I don't know if people can start new promotions. Harley Race started the St. Louis Wrestling Club, but I assume that was programmed to happen by the mod developers. I haven't seen any purely AI-generated promotions, and I don't know if that's a possible occurence in this mod.

I'm always tempted to play God - maybe use the editor and kill off Vince J. McMahon, and give Vince K. McMahon an inheritence and a new northeast based promotion.

[molson]

WCCW - END OF FEBRUARY 1985 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 66.7% (up from 66.4% last month)
-Midwest: 64.8% (up from 63.6% last month)
-Southeast: 57.2% (up from 55.4% last month)
-New England: 54.4% (up from 52.2% last month)
-Southwest: 53.6% (up from 51.6% last month)
-North West: 53.5% (up from 51.5% last month)
-Great Lakes: 53.3% (up from 51.3% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 53.3% (up from 51.3% last month)
-Tri-State: 53.3% (up from 51.3% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 39.4% (up from 37.6% last month)

-Strong increases continue throughout the country. This is the first time I've seen increases in Puerto Rico - my PPV/Closed Circuit Carrier Covers Puerto Rico, while my TV show does not. It looks like I'm only about 1-2 shows away from raising my midwest popularity to C+ level, which would put it in the same category at Texas.

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

PPV Revenue: 419,304 (461,472)
Ticket Sales: 618,840 (558,518)
Sponsors: 139,518 (140,157)
Merchandise: 211,200 (233,600)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 307,875 (252,700)
Show Costs: 135,000 (164,000)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 27,008 (27,310)
Production: 64,000 (64,000)
Misc: 425,350 (438,587)

Total Profit: $404,549 ($422,150)
Cash in Bank: $1,162,974 ($758,425)

-The positive financial pictures continues for the second straight month. Even if that merchandise money suddenly decreased like it has in the past, I'd still be looking at a $200k profit. I was a little less conservative with work costs in February than I was in January, and it made very little difference to my bottom line

-So, since I'm sitting on a pile of cash, it's time to be slightly less conservative. It's hard to believe that just a few months ago, I scaled down the whole operation to save money. I was down to $336,275 in the bank, and I was losing more than $100k/month. But I was saved by PPV, and the merchandise explosion. My population increases across the country are making things easier as well

-I've re-started my DVD/Video Sales department. My business people tell me that it's revenues will be limited since I have free national TV, but it will help in continuing to expand my popularity. I've set the quality of the releases to "Above Average", the second of three tiers. I don't have a great sense of how that will benefit me, but the goal is to soon be maxed out in all areas of production so we can look like a big deal.

-I've taken the music department out-of-house and increased the quality to the mid-level "Minor Licensed". This is expensive, and it will run me about $40,000/month. I'm not sure what the benefit is, but I can afford it.

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise, unless noted)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Roddy Piper
-Tiger Mask
-Curt Hennig
-Antonio Inoki
-Terry Funk

-I make only very slight changes here, adding Inoki and Funk and removing Sammartino and Koko B. Ware. Sale levels still show "awful" for everyone, but I'm making tons of money somehow. There's some trigger that increased my merchandise revenue from around $15k a month to more than $200k, and then back down again. Now, we're on the happy side of $200k again, though I'm always concerned about it shooting back down.

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - End Of FEBRUARY 1985

-World Heavyweight Champion - 98.0% Prestige (Up From 97.2% Last Month)
Main Event Title
Curt Hennig (newly crowned).

-Television Champion - 69.3% Prestige (up from 69.1% last month)
Midcard Title
Butch Miller - (2 title defenses, 2-week reign)

-World Tag Team Champions - 69.4% Prestige (down from 70.0% last month)
Midcard Title
The Sheepherders - (newly crowned)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (up from 62.5% last month)
Main Event Title
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan

-Cruiserweight Championship - 37.2% Prestige (Same as Last Month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 2 title defenses, 3 month reign

-Mike Von Erich is the only remaining champion from last month's update, as all other belts changed hands. February saw the end of Bobby Eaton's 5-month World Title Reign, Kevin Von Erich's 6-month TV Title reign, and Kevin/Kerry's 6-month Tag Team Title reign. Also, we finally crowned new six-man-tag team champions, and bumped that championship up to "Main Event Title" Status.

[PilotMan]

Looks like you resolved your attendance problem for your big show. That's good to see.

[molson]

Looks like you resolved your attendance problem for your big show. That's good to see.

Yes, I think that was your tip a few pages back, not to run three shows in the same region in the course of a week. So now, I always run that week 4 house show somewhere else.

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF FEBRUARY 1985

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Eaton/Koko hides the belt from David: Eaton/Koko/David Von Erich (October)
2. Hart Limited Drama: Gary Hart/Mendoza/Bundy/Villano IV (January)
3. Hennig v. Murdoch Part II: Hennig/Murdoch/Funk/Sullivan/Grappler #1 (January)
4T. Tag Team Title Storyline: Sheepherders v. Kerry/Kevin (April, recently evolved to include The Sheepherders, and to eliminate Tiger Mask/Kabuki, Mendoza/Bundy)
4T. Olsonoski v. Somers: Olsonoski/Somers (January)
4T. Cruiserweight Title Feud: Mike Von Erich/Villano V (January)

Set to Debut:
-Backlund/Inoki
-Kamala Winning Streak
-White/Cook/Koloff

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-Roddy Piper
-The Great Kabuki
-Grappler #2
-Tiger Mask
-Mark Youngblood
-Mr. Pogo

-The Eaton/Ware/David storyline is the only one in the company with any kind of real momentum, so it will continue even though Eaton is no longer World Champion. Likewise, Hennig being the World Champion won't end his storyline with Funk/Murdoch/Sullivan.

-The Koloff/Parsons angle officially came to an end in February.

-Three new storylines are set to debut: Backlund v. Inoki, a Kamala "monter push", and a Leon White/Charlie Cook/Nikita Koloff storyline, which is designed to push White up into the upper midcard at least.

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in October, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

NONE

-The AWA is still 0.6% behind me in prestige. I have to keep watching them, as we share a few workers - each of whom will consider the more prestigious company their priority. Mid-Atlantic remains 2.6% behind.

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Antonio Inoki
-Barry Orton
-Bill Mercer
-Billy Robinson
-Charlie Cook
-Curt Hennig
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-El Halcon
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Iceman Parsons
-Jackie Fargo
-Kamala
-Jose Lothario
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Leon White
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Mr. Pogo
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Steve Olsonoski
-The Great Kabuki
-Villano IV
-Villano V

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Gary Hart is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Kamala is unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-King Kong Bundy is extremely unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Perry Jackson is very unhappy about how he's been pushed
-Roddy Piper is extremely unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Tiger Mask is unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.

-The locker room is a little bit happier than recent months, thanks to the departure of the whining Sammartinos. A lot of these existing issues will be taken care of - Kamala is now a regular, Hart/Bundy will return soon from their hiatus, and the month-long suspension of Tiger Mask is about up.

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *). This doesn't include start-of-month changes.

-Barry Orton thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Butch Miller thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Dick Murdoch thinks he should be a main eventer
-El Halcon thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Grappler #1 thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Kevin Sullivan thinks he should be a main eventer
-Luke Williams thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Mark Youngblood thinks he should be a midcarder
-Nikita Koloff thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Perry Jackson thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Roddy Piper thinks he should be a main eventer
-Tiger Mask thinks he should be an upper midcarder

-Again, the locker room seems slightly happier this month, after removing the cancers of the Sammartinos and The Road Warriors. I'll take a look at the roster and consider all of these requests for promotions.

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of February, 1985), with last month is parenthesis.

B
Bob Backlund (B-)
Curt Hennig (B)

B-
Butch Miller (C+)
Terry Funk (C+)
Antonio Inoki (N/A)
Koko B. Ware (B+)

C+
Dick Murdoch (C+)
Grappler #1 (C+)
Villano IV (D)
Kevin Von Erich (B)
Iceman Parsons (B)
Leon White (C-)
Nikita Koloff (C)
Kevin Sullivan (B)
David Von Erich (B)
Billy Robinson (N/A)
Bobby Eaton (B+)
Roddy Piper (B-)
The Great Kabuki (C)

C
Arturo Mendoza (C)
King Kong Bundy (C)
Tiger Mask (C+)
Grappler #2 (C)
Luke Williams (C+)
Villano V (C)
Kerry Von Erich (B-)

C-
Mr. Pogo (B-)
Kamala (N/A)
El Halcon (N/A)
Doug Somers (C-)

D+
Charlie Cook (N/A)
Steve Olsonoski (D)

D
Mike Von Erich (C-)
Al Perez (D+)

D-
None

E+
Perry Jackson (E)
Dusty Wolfe (E+)

E
None

E-
Mark Youngblood (E-)

F+
Barry Orton (F)
Owen Hart (F)
------

Rising in February: Bob Backlund, Butch Miller, Terry Funk, Villano IV, Leon White, Nikita Koloff, The Great Kabuki, Steve Olsonoksi, Perry Jackson, Barry Orton, Owen Hart,

Falling in February: Koko B. Ware, Kevin Von Erich, Iceman Parsons, Kevin Sullivan, David Von Erich, Bobby Eaton, Roddy Piper, Tiger Mask, Luke Williams, Kerry Von Erich, Mr. Pogo, Mike Von Erich, Al Perez,

-In a reverse from last month, More guys falling than rising. A few take pretty steep drops - led by Bobby Eaton and Mr. Pogo, who drop three grades.

[General Mike]

Great stuff molson.

How about an Owen Hart vs Leon White match for me somewhere.

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF FEBRUARY, 1985

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Terry Funk
Curt Hennig
Bobby Eaton
Dick Murdoch
Antonio Inoki

-Koko B. Ware drops down, is replaced by Dick Murdoch. Antonio Inoki debuted in this group in February. I expect nothing but A+ matches in the upcoming Inoki/Backlund feuds. Ware has been a good supporting player in all of the stuff involving Eaton, but now with Eaton out of the spotlight at World Champion, he moves down a notch.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

Luke Williams
Butch Miller
Roddy Piper
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Sullivan
Grappler #1
Kamala

-Kerry Von Erich and Iceman Parsons drop down out of this group from last month. Dick Murdoch moves up to the main event. The Sheepherders, off of their tag team championship win, move up here. Kamala debuts here. And the Grappler, who I certainly never thought of at this level when I signed him, gets a deserved promotion as well, based on his strong in-ring performance. This group is extremely heel-heavy - 6 heels to 1 face. The lower part of the roster restores the balance.

MIDCARDERS

Kerry Von Erich
Iceman Parsons
Tiger Mask
The Great Kabuki
Arturo Mendoza
Grappler #2
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
King Kong Bundy
Mr. Pogo

-Kerry Von Erich and Iceman Parsons join this group after a demotion from the upper midcard. This might be the lowest Kerry has been - I imagine there will be a gradual decline of the Von Erichs in this dynasty, as I get more and more popular, and have more and more access to greater talents. The Sheepherders move up and out of this group.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Doug Somers
Villano V
Mark Youngblood
Leon White
Charlie Cook
El Halcon

-El Halcon debuted in January as an Opener, but he was good enough in his first few weeks to move up here. Otherwise, it's the same group as last month. I'll be shocked if Leon White doesn't move up by March.

OPENERS

Al Perez
Villano IV
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton
Owen Hart

-Same group as last month. Perry Jackson keeps complaining about his position, but he just hasn't earned the promotion just yet.

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Dusty Wolfe

OCCASIONAL WRESTLER

Billy Robinson

-Robinson has a slight initial push before being manhandled by Nikita Koloff at February Star Wars. That loss puts him back in his place as an "occasional" wrestler - he'll probably see a lot of tag team matches with younger wrestlers to help build them up.

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
Ray Stevens
Ricky Romero
Bill Mercer
Jackie Fargo


CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-Mr. Pogo (4 Days)
-Al Perez (19 Days)
-The Great Kabuki (42 Days)
-David Manning (43 Days)
-Tiger Mask (56 Days)
-Skandor Akbar (47 Days)

[molson]

NEWS

-With all this money in the bank, I request negotiations with some of the biggest stars in the wrestling universe. I'm pretty content with my roster right now, so I'm really just looking for one guy to help faster catapult us to national level. So I'm looking to talk to :

-Ric Flair
-Dusty Rhodes
-Hulk Hogan
-The Junkyard Dog
-Bruiser Brody
-Stan Hansen
-Sgt. Slaughter

-I attempt to "declare war" on Mid-Atlantic and Georgia - that means that no worker can work for both of us (which would benefit me, as the higher prestige company). I'm tempted to declare war on every other company at this point. Though, I also offer "working relationship" (which would allow talent trades), with most other promotions in the universe that I don't consider a threat. With all the carnage in the wrestling industry, I currently retain working agreements with only three promotions: Pacific Northwest Wrestling, WWC, and Mid-South.

-While I'm thinking of the talent trades, I decide to make a few:
-Iceman Parsons to Portland Wrestling for Jerry Lawler (3 appearances)
-Roddy Piper to Portland Wrestling for Greg Valentine (3 apperances)

-We'll use Lawler to main event a southeast house show. We've used Valentine in the past - he's over pretty much everywhere and is good at pretty much everything.

[RealDeal]

I'm not a wrestling fan, and I've gotten totally wrapped up in this dynasty. Keep it up.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $3 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mark Youngblood defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:44 by pinfall. (C+). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Youngblood about his win. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) defeats El Halcon in 7:50 by pinfall. (B-).

-As the show starts, Lance Russell stands in the ring and introduces the new WCCW World Heavyweight Champion, Curt Hennig, who comes to the ring. Hennig cuts a lengthy promo hyping his world title win, and thanking the fans, Terry Funk, and The Von Erichs. He also says that he knows that the challengers are already lining up, and will all be gunning for him - starting with the current #1 Contender, Bob Backlund. He also also hypes tonight's main event - a WCCW Six Man Tag Team Championship Match between Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan and Hennig/Funk/David Von Erich. (A)

-Leon White defeats Doug Somers in in 7:15 by pinfall. (B-). White seemed off his game. The match suffered from a lack of psychology. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed White about his win, and his strong performance in one of the TV battle royals last week. Mercer also asked White about the recent insults directed at him by another former NFL player, Charlie Cook. White says that he just comes to work like anyone else, and he isn't interested in getting in arguments with people. (D+)

-Charlie Cook commandeered Bill Mercer for an interview before his match. Cook insults White again - this time, the attacks take a more viciously personal tone. (C-)

-Al Perez defeats Charlie Cook in 5:35 by pinfall after interference from Leon White, who appeared to lose his temper and charged to the ring shortly after the match began. (D+) He attacked Cook on the oustside of the ring while the referee wasn't looking, leading to an easy win for Perez. Cook seemed off his game.

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant, came to the ring and attacked his opponent, Owen Hart, before the bell rang. (C-)

-Kamala (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Owen Hart in 5:44 by pinfall after a top-rope splash. (C+). The two showed poor chemistry. Kamala and Akbar showed bad chemistry as well. After the match, physicians attended to an injured Hart. Like Iceman Parsons at February Star Wars, Hart was stretchered back to the locker room. (D-)

-Bill Mercer interviewed Antonio Inoki about his win over Grappler #1 at February Star Wars, and their rematch tonight. Mercer also asked Inoki about rumors that Bob Backlund isn't happy about Inoki's hype videos calling him a "former WWF Champion". Inoki laughs off the question, saying that while he knows the WWF had their reasons for not recognizing that title change, both he and Bob Backlund know what happened that night in Japan. (C)

-Antonio Inoki defeats Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) in 13:35 by pinfall. (A). Inoki overcame interference from Grappler #2, who illegally switched himself into the match for the weakened (and identical looking) Grappler #1 when #1 became fatigued. The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Ray Stevens came to the ring with his stable: Bob Backlund, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch. He cut a promo hyping the group, and their upcoming Six Man Tag Team Title Defense. He especially calls out Hennig, and claims that his time with the World Title will be short. (C+)

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Curt Hennig, Terry Funk, & David Von Erich in 24:56 when Backlund pinned Hennig following illegal interference from Stevens. (B). The heels make their 1st title defense. Backlund, Funk, and Hennig looked good. Before the match, Backlund insisted he be introduced as the "WWF Champion".

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Solid show that wasn't looking so good at first.

-With my improved finances, I'll be running more tag team matches, which will put a greater emphasis on the six-man tag team titles. Those matches give more guys an opportunity to improve, and keeps everyone happy. Backlund gets the pinfall on Hennig, the man he is scheduled to face soon for the World Title. Hennig has had some success against Backlund - last October, he defeated him once and wrestled him to a draw twice.

-The match of the night, though, was Inoki/Grappler #1, who topped their February Star Wars match with a terrific "A" rated match here. We're starting to assemble more guys on the roster who can pull off A+ matches - that's key to someday nailing down our first A- or higher overall card.

-Everything else was pretty disappointing, especially the revelation that Kamala/Akbar don't work well together. I'll run a storyline where Akbar "can't control" Kamala and has to sell his contract to someone else for liability reasons....I just have to find someone on the unemployment line who looks tougher than Akbar....

-Leon White got his first taste of a storyline, as he costs Charlie Cook a match. White has a lot to learn about showing charisma, etc, but I was happy with his match with Doug Somers.

-Grappler #1/El Halcon impressed on the pre-show. That was the highest rated match in this dynasty for Halcon, and the Grappler matched his high.

[molson]

NEWS

-I re-sign Mr. Pogo for another 3 months at $1,200/show, a slight raise from his old $1,100/show deal. He's been in several good matches, but hasn't had a lot of success from a W/L standpoint. That will probably pick up for him a tad now that he's signed up.

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show. He wrestled 17 matches in February between us, Georgia, and mid-south.

-Tiger Mask has officially returned from suspension. He has about two months to prove he's worth the big money. The dirt sheets meanwhile, are reporting that he's causing problems backstage, in a political move to try to gain more power in the company. Maybe it's time to job him out and let his contract expire....There's a chance he wouldn't re-sign anyway, because he's decided he doesn't like me (probably because of the suspension).

-Mid-Atlantic and Georgia have accepted my declaration of war. So worker will be permitted to work for both of us. I THINK that means Murdoch will leave them in the next few days, which will leave him more rested for us. Mid-Atlantic also uses Terry Funk and and Roddy Piper - that would be a big blow for them if they lost those guys.

-I haven't declared war on the AWA yet - they're a little too close to me in prestige, and if they passed me, that means a bunch of guys on my roster (including Bobby Eaton), would stop working for me. So I'm keeping up good relations with them.

-Seven other promotions, that I deemed less of a threat, agreed to my offer to establish a "working agreement", allowing us to engage in talent trades. That just gives me more options down the road.

-I've requested negotiations with a couple of guys that might make a decent manager for Kamala - Mad Dog Vachon, Ox Baker, and thinking a little outside the box, a recently-retired Adrian Street.

-I've requested buy-out talks will all of the promotions who are apparently near the end of the road (Mid-South, SECW, SWCS, All-Star Wrestling (UK).

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 1, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviewed Billy Robinson and Mark Youngblood, who are teaming together for the first time, to face the more established team of Perry Jackson & Barry Orton. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Barry Orton & Perry Jackson defeat Billy Robinson & Mark Youngblood in 7:31 when Jackson pinned Youngblood. (C). Robinson & Youngblood showed excellent chemistry as a team. Robinson looked good.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) defeats El Halcon in 6:22 by pinfall. (C+)

-As the show starts, Curt Hennig is announced as the new World Heavyweight Champion - he comes down to the ring with his mentor, Terry Funk. Much like at the last house show, Hennig cuts a lengthy promo recapping the night we won the title, and his first week as champion. He thanks Terry Funk, the fans, and the Von Erichs. He says that he knows he faces many challenges as champion, including the #1 Contender, Bob Backlund. Hennig, says that as #1 Contender, Backlund is guaranteed a title shot during the month of March, and he'll get it, live on TV, in two weeks. However, says Hennig, he's not obligated to sit on the belt until then. In fact, Hennig has decided that he's going to defend his World Title for the first time next week on TV, against a man who Hennig admires, a man who never got the 1-on-1 title shot he deserved against Bobby Eaton. Hennig says he will defend the World Title against David Von Erich next week. With that, Bob Backlund and Ray Stevens come down to ringside - Backlund is wearing what appears to be his old WWF Championship belt (a belt he broke out for a storyline last year as well). Backlund takes issue with Hennig not giving him the very 1st title shot, considering he's the #1 Contender, and considering that he just defeated David for #1 Contender spot at Ferbruary Star Wars. Hennig says he's cleared it with Commissioenr Lothario, and it's all legal. While Backlund is guaranteed a title shot in March as the #1 Contender, that doesn't stop Hennig from defending the title against whoever else he wants, whenever else he wants. Backlund then claims that whoever wins the Hennig/David match will face Backlund in two weeks in a World Title unification match - making reference to his WWF Title. (The announcers note that Backlund has apparently been unhappy with the Antonio Inoki's hype videos, which described Inoki as a "former WWF Champion" - referencing a brief title reign that started when Inoki defeated Backlund in 1979. The reign was never offically recognized by the WWF. Funk and Hennig just look confused. (B+)

-Backstage, Commissioner Jose Lothario stands with Skandor Akbar, and the WCCW TV Champion (and new co-holder of the World Tag Team Championship), Butch Miller. Miller is prepared to draw his random challenger from the rolling drum of volunteered names. But first, Lothario says he has other business for Akbar. After serious injuries suffered by Iceman Parsons at February Star Wars, and Owen Hart at a house show earlier this week in Dallas, Lothario is officially banning Kamala's top rope splash. Lothario demands that Akbar control his client. (C+) Miller than draws the name of his challenger for the TV Title - Mr. Pogo. (C)

-The announcers hype the upcoming return to the ring of Tiger Mask, who has been out of the country for sometime, as he was wrestling in Japan (in actuality, he was suspended). The announcers introduce a video, which shows highlights of the masked Japanese high-flyer. (C)

-Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) drew with Tiger Mask in 20:00 when the time limit expired. (B).

-David & Kerry Von Erich cut a backstage promo hyping their main event tag match this week with Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware. The Von Erichs put over Curt Hennig's world title win, and they congratulate him on his success. David says he is honored that Hennig has chosen him to be his first title defense. Kerry & David then turn their attention to Eaton & Ware - saying it's no longer about the world title, but it's still personal. (B-)

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant comes to the ring for his match with Al Perez, but he attacks Perez before the match even started. (C-)

-Kamala (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Al Perez in 4:41 by pinfall, without utilizing the top rope splash. (B). After the match is won, however, Akbar quickly loses control of Kamala, who then hits the top rope splash on Perez. Medical staff attends to Perez for several minutes. Perez is then stretchered out of the ring - the third victim of Kamala in less than a week. (D)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) drew with Mr. Pogo in 7:35 following a double DQ, and a violent match. Miller makes his 3rd defense of the TV Title. (B). After the match, an out of control Kamala returns to the ring, and attacks Mr. Pogo, who is able to escape before Kamala hits the top rope splash on him. (C)

-David & Kerry Von Erich defeat Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware in 23:30 when David made Eaton submit. (B+). Eaton and Ware looked good.

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Very strong show, we must have just missed a B+

-The main event was basically the blow-off match in the whole Eaton/Ware/David saga, which started last July, almost a year ago. All four guys will likely drop in importance a little.

-Kamala's getting a nice push as an out-of-control monster, he was all over the show. And he's getting several vintage monster heel angles all at once: The banned move (top rope splash), the stretchering out of opponents, and the generally wild and controllable actions. So it was GREAT to see him pull out a "B" rated match with Al Perez of all people. That's a great sign. The only guy to get better from Perez is Dick Murdoch. Iceman Parsons, Owen Hart, and Perez will all be out for sometime with kayfabe injuries caused by Kamala.

-Fellow heels Pogo and Miller had a solid match as well over the TV title, considering they faced the heel v. heel penalty, and had bad chemistry on top of that.

-Tiger Mask returned to face Grappler #1 (for some reason I love putting the masked guys in the ring against each other). After seeing Grappler's success against Inoki, I had a long-shot hope that this would crack "A" or even "A+", but it wasn't meant to be. Still solid though. We actually have six masked wrestlers on the roster right now.

-Hennig as world champion feels right, but he'll be very lucky to hold onto the title past the roadblock he's set up for himself over the next two weeks: David, then Backlund. Backlund is starting to go back into "delusional/crazy" Backlund mode, where he claims to still be the WWF World Champion.

-One of the roles I had in mind for Billy Robinson was to team up with our younger face jobbers. He did that here with Mark Youngblood, so I was glad to see that they "excellent" chemistry as a team - I don't think I've ever seen that particular road agent note (at least the "excellent" part). So they'll keep teaming, and hopefully have more success as they go

[molson]

NEWS:

-Taking a look at the two guys I just brought in for 3 appearances via talent trade, I set Jerry Lawler as a main event face, and Greg Valentine as a main event heel. The last time Greg Valentine was around, he had a mini-feud with Kevin Von Erich culminating at November Star Wars.

-The TV show delivers a 4.11 rating, that's up .01 from last week.

-All four of the companies I requested buyout negotiations with reject me.

-Arn Anderson won the AWA TV Title from Ted Dibiase. It's only the 2nd career championship for Anderson, who won the SECW Heavyweight Title last year.

-Ted Dibiase had better luck teaming with Jake Roberts to win the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship from from Don Muraco and Paul Orndorff.

-Dusty Rhodes declined to negotiate with me, saying he wants to focus on his career with Mid-Atlantic. Ric Flair and Sgt. Slaughter reject negotiations as well - saying I'm not big enough for them. Since I'm as "big" as it gets in wrestling right now, they're obviously content to sit out and count their money.

-A number of the other big names do talk to me, however.

-Hulk Hogan appears to be far more reasonable with his demands than the last time we talked - he's down to $3,200/show - less than Roddy Piper makes, and only a few hundred/show less than what I just signed Terry Funk for. Still, grumpy old Fritz caps me at $2,514. Maybe he just doesn't like Hogan. And maybe Hogan lowered his asking price because I now employ two of his closest friends - Kamala, and Antonio Inoki.

-Fritz caps my offer to Bruiser Brody at $2,754 - when Brody is asking for $3,075. No deal

-Fritz caps my offer to Stan Hansen at $2,753 - when Hansen wants $2,932.

-That just leaves the Junkyard Dog - who is willing to sign at a Fritz-friendly $2,400/show. But while JYD's immense Texas popularity is always intriguing, he's just not that impressive in the stats outside of Charisma. As much as I'd like to put him in a feud with Roddy Piper, I decide to pass for now.

-So no major roster additions yet - we certainly have plenty of talent on the roster to continue our growth. Sooner or later, the stars will align and I'll bring in another major player. Until then, I'll develop my own.

-Les Thorton and The Iron Shiek won the AWA Tag Team Titles for the 3rd time, defeating Manny Fernandez and Wahoo McDaniel.

-Our world champion, Curt Hennig, has signed to work with Maple Leaf Wrestling on nights when we're not using him. He joins fellow WCCW workers Roddy Piper and Koko B. Ware. That sounds like a fun trio to hang out with on a Saturday night in Toronto.

-Kerry Brown is hyped in the dirt sheets as a future star. Brown, the nephew of Bulldog Bob Brown, works for Atlantic Grand Prix Wrestling in the Canadian Maritimes.

-Adrian Street rejected my request for negotiations for a non-managerial position, saying he's already stretched too thin.

-Ox Baker though, is willing to sign for $2,250/show. That's pricey, but he's a great talent: an "A" rating in mic skills, Charisma, and Menace, and B+ in Star Quality. I'll bring him in as a the "handler" for Kamala. He could certainly move into a road agent capacity down the road if I wanted to go that way. He officially retired from in-ring competition in 1983.

[molson]

I'm not a wrestling fan, and I've gotten totally wrapped up in this dynasty. Keep it up.

I appreciate that, thanks!

[molson]

Great stuff molson.

How about an Owen Hart vs Leon White match for me somewhere.

This will happen soon after Hart comes back from his injury.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, March 1985
Jackson, TN (Southeast - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,499 Ticket prices: $3 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Mark Youngblood in 6:29 by pinfall. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews the team of Billy Robinson and El Halcon, who are teaming for the first time tonight against the more established team of the Grapplers. Robinson does most of the talking - he says he's been enjoying wrestling in tag team matches the last few weeks - he's looking for a partner he gels with to make a run at the tag team titles. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-The Grapplers defeats Billy Robinson & El Halcon in 7:49 when Grappler #1 pinned El Halcon. (C+)

-WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario came out to the ring to start the main show. He welcomed the Tennessee fans, and recapped some of the recent events in WCCW. Also, he hyped what he said is the best time of the year in WCCW - spring. Lothrio says March will give us the Last Man Standing Event, April has the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament, and May has the Parade of Champions, the biggest show of the whole year. And for the first time, Lothario hypes, all of these events are available on PPV/Closed Circuit TV. Lothario than hypes the Last Man Standing event, which he says is perhaps the most interesting tournament in all of wrestling. He says that, as last year, the event will consist of 5 random-pairing tag team matches - competitors won't know who they're facing, or who their tag team partner is, until seconds before the match, when the pairings are drawn randomly by fans at ringside. The five winning teams will then compete in a 10-man over-the-top battle royal, where it's every man for himself. The winner is the 1985 Last Man Standing. The stakes will be high, says Lothario, as the winner will receive:

-$10,000 Cash
-A brand-new, 1985 Chevy Camaro
-The Gigantic Last Man Standing Trophy
-Automatic Entry Into the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament
-A Contract For a Championship Match - (Can Be Used To Challenge For Any Championship, Single or Tag-Team, With 7 Days Notice, and No Expiration Date).

-Jose Lothario claims that he has received an inquiry from the 1984 Last Man Standing, Terry Gordy, who wishes to be granted an exemption from his "losers leave WCCW match" to defend his trophy in 1985. Lothario says he has taken this request under advisement. This year, says Lothario, wrestlers have to earn their way into the event by winning a "Last Man Standing Qualifying Match" - the first two of which will take place tonight in Jackson, TN. However, all current champions will be granted automatic entry. Thus, Curt Hennig, Mike Von Erich, The Sheepherders, Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan will all participate. 2 of the final 13 spots will be decided tonight. (D)

-Then, Lothario states that one of his campaign promises when he was running for WCCW Commissioner was to bring elite talent into WCCW. Lothario says that tonight, he's fulfilled that promise yet again, as Tennessee wrestling legend Jerry "The King" Lawler will wrestle in the main event, in a "Last Man Standing Qualifying Match" against Bobby Eaton. Lothario introduces Lawler, who comes to the ring to a huge ovation, and cuts a lengthy promo. He says that when he signed this match with Bobby Eaton several weeks ago, he thought he'd be wrestling the World Champion - but now, he's just wrestling a chump. He hypes the match further, and puts over the Tennessee wrestling fans. (B)

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Leon White defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:45 by pinfall to become participant #8 in the Last Man Standing Event. (C-). White looked good. White showed off a more aggressive, meaner wrestling style. (C-). After the match, Bill Mercer tried to interview White about his win, but all White wanted to talk about was Charlie Cook, who has been insulting him in recent weeks. White claims that when he first came to WCCW, he and Cook traveled together, sharing a bond over their football careers. White says that without getting into details, Cook stabbed him in the back, and now is insulting him in public every chance he gets. White says that he's had enough, and that Cook better watch himself, because when White gets a hold of him, it won't be pretty. (D-)

-WCCW World Champion Curt Hennig comes to the ring and cuts a general hype promo, along with his mentor, Terry Funk (B+). He hypes his World Title Defense against David Von Erich scheduled for this week's TV show, and his scheduled defense next week against #1 Contender Bob Backlund.

-Non-Title Match
Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:43 by pinfall. (B+) The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Skandor Akbar comes to the ring with his clients, the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. Akbar says that with the addition of Kamala, and the winning streak of Nikita Koloff, his Destruction, Inc. stable is the strongest it has ever been. (C)

-Non-Title Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Abkar) defeat The Villanos in 7:39 when Williams pinned Villano IV. (D). There was a bizarre occurrence during the match. Two "fans" - an Elvis impersonator, and a minister, jumped out of the crowd and into the ringside area, and tried to start a conversation with the Villanos. The Villanos looked shocked, and "Elvis" and the minister were quickly escorted out by security. Some fans may have noticed that the Elvis impersonator looked a lot like Gary Hart, and the 400+ pound minister could easily have been mistaken for King Kong Bundy. After this encounter, the Villanos appeared very flustered, and quickly lost the match. (D). After the match, the wild Sheepherders celebrated their win around ringside, stealing beer and sodas from fans and drinking them. (C+)

-Fritz Von Erich cut a quick promo before the main event, thanking the fans for coming out. (E+)

-Bobby Eaton, alongside his associate Koko B. Ware cut a promo hyping his upcoming main event match with Jerry Lawler. Eaton trashes Lawler, saying that even though Curt Hennig stole the belt from him, tonight is still the closest Lawler will ever come to a World Championship.

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match.
Jerry Lawler defeats Bobby Eaton (w/Koko B. Ware) in 31:38 by pinfall to earn the #9 spot in the Last Man Standing Event. (A+) After the match. Lawler celebrates with the fans at ringside. (B+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-It's pretty easy to run good shows in the Southeast, even when you leave your major stars at home. I think that's because so many workers have overness in that region, and the fans are rated as extremely passionate wrestling fans.

-The main event delivered big-time, which isn't surprising, since we used probably the two most over Southeast guys we had. Eaton is in a bit of a tailspin since losing the little. So Lawler will be in the Last Man Standing event, and don't rule him out just because he's on a loan contract - Buzz Sawyer, after all, won the King of the Texas Deathmatch tournament (albeit after invoking a creative control clause).

-I thought I needed an extra storyline element to avoid a penalty so I figured the timing was right for King Kong Bundy and Gary Hart to emerge. The last we saw them, several months ago, Gary Hart was having a nervous breakdown, and then disappeared, along with Bundy, in Las Vegas. He left the Villanos in the middle of the Six-Man Tag Team Championship Tournament. His disappearance seemed to have a particular emotional impact on Arturo Mendoza, who Hart had built up to the cusp of the main event. And now, he shows up here dressed like Elvis, along with Bundy, who was dressed like a minister......

-Hennig wrestles his first match as World Champion, it's a good one against the reliable Mr. Pogo. This was actually the best ever match for Mr. Pogo.

-Leon White, who still is using a "Colorado outdoorsman" gimmick, is getting a little more violent. He's warned Charlie Cook that he's coming after him, for mostly undisclosed reasons (other than the repeated public insults). This whole storyline is designed to give White a little exposure, and see if he's ready to jump up the roster a little.

-Lothario hyped Last Man Standing, which is mostly a rip-off of the old NWA/WCW "Lethal Lottery". I'm a big fan of annual "tournament titles", of which we have four (Last Man Standing, King of Texas Wrestling, The Texas Rumble, King of The Texas Death Match). Lothario teased that Terry Gordy might participate - I had realized that the Freebirds have been gone for 6 months, which means they're eligible to be re-signed again. I think its too soon to bring them back for an actual return, but it would be pretty cool if I could bring Gordy in short-term, to defend his Last Man Standing crown. Unfortunately, since Gordy is working on a short-term contract with Atlantic Grand-Prix, that promotion is unwilling to trade him on a talent loan. So I request negotiations with him. If we're able to agree, I'd be inclined to keep him the whole three months, to not risk souring my relationship with him by firing him again.

[molson]

NEWS

-I negotiated a little with Mad Dog Vachon (who has an A+ respect rating and would make a great road agent), but since Ox Baker showed up at my office first and got the job, I send the Mad Dog on his way.

-The Assassin won the Pacific Northwest TV Championship from Tom Prichard. I'm not sure when exactly it happened, but Pacific Northwest Wrestling has moved up to cult status, bucking the trend of failing promotions. Their main eventers right now are Jake Roberts, Greg Valentine, Ted Dibiase, Jerry Lawler, Don Muraco. They also have Gino Hernandez, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, Iceman Parsons, and many more.

-I was asked about Vince McMahon earlier - after the fall of the WWF, Vince got a job as a commentator with Joe Blanchard's Southwest Championshiop Wrestling. Vince shares the broadcast boost with color commentator Adrian Street. That's like a license to print money right there. On the theory that Hulk Hogan has reduced his asking price because I employ several of his friends, I decide to request negotiations with his "best friend" - Vince. Vince could fill a number of roles - he could certainly be an amusing manager of Bob Backlund.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 2, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviewed WCCW Cruiserweight Champion, Mike Von Erich, who appeared to be somewhat annoyed at Villano V's high-risk move that lead to a 2-minute match and a Double Countout at February Star Wars. Mike says that the Cruiserweight division needs all the exposure it can get, and Villano V didn't do it any favors by being so reckless and cutting their match short. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Non-Title Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Villano IV (w/Villano V) in 4:55 by submission. (B). The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Villano V, who was ringside, got into the ring and looked annoyed at Mike - the two had a brief staredow before things settled down.(C)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviewed Dusty Wolfe about his upcoming match with El Halcon. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
El Halcon defeated Dusty Wolfe in 5:36 by submission. (C+)

-As the main show started, David Von Erich cut a backstage promo hyping his upcoming World Title Shot against Curt Hennig. (B). Hennig also cut a backstage promo, with Terry Funk by his side, hyping his first title defense. (A).

-As the show starts, the broadcast team of Fritz Von Erich, Lance Russell, and Bill Mercer hype the show, and the recent events of WCCW. Notably, they recap Lothario's rundown of the Last Man Standing Event from the last show. To summarize, the event will feature:

-20 Participants
-The 7 champions as of the beginning of the month gain automatic entry
-The other 13 spots go to the winners of "qualfying matches" over the next few weeks.
-At the Last Man Standing Event, there will be 5 random pairing tag team matches - both partners and opponents will be random.
-The winning teams take part in a 10-man, over the top rope battle royal, where it's every man for himself.
-The winner is the 1985 "Last Man Standing", and wins the Last Man Standing trophy, $10,000, a 1985 Chevy Camaro, automatic entry into the King of the Texas Wrestling Tournament in April, and a contract for a championship match (can be used for any championship, at any time, with 1-week notice).
-They then show a graphic of the wrestlers who have already entered: Curt Hennig, Mike Von Erich, The Sheepherders, Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Leon White, and Jerry Lawler. They repeat the rumor that the 1984 winner, Terry Gordy, is petitioning for an "exemption" to get into the event and defend his trophy, despite his losing a "loser leaves WCCW match" six months ago.

-Bill Mercer also makes brief mention of the rumored appearance of King Kong Bundy and Gary Hart at a live event earlier this week in Tennessee. Mercer says he's still working on "mini documentary" getting to the bottom of this situation, and he'll be ready to present it to the WCCW fans in the next few weeks. (D+)

-#1 Contender Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeated Mark Youngblood in 7:02 by pinfall. (C). Backlund looked good. Before the match, Backlund was once again wearing his WWF Championship belt, and demanded to be introduced as "WWF Champion". After the match, Backlund cut a promo, saying he has no interest in being in the Last Man Standing Event, and says he's officially withdrawing. Instead, said Backlund, he's challenging Antonio Inoki for a "WWF Championship Match" that night. Backlund then goes on a rambling promo, claiming that Inoki has never defeated him, and was never the WWF Champion. (B-)

-A video highlights the recent destruction caused by the Ugandan Giant, Kamala, who has put Iceman Parsons, Al Perez, and Owen Hart out of action in recent weeks with his now-banned top rope splash. (C+)

-Backstage, Jose Lothario stands with Skandor Akbar and Butch Miller, who his ready to draw his random challenger for his TV Title defense this week. But first, Lothario warns Akbar, and says that Kamala is completely out of control. Lothario says he is canceling Kamala's match that was scheduled for this week, and that if he uses the top rope splash move again, both Kamala and Akbar will be suspended indefinitely. Lothario warns Akbar to get his client under control. (C+). Then, Miller reaches into the rolling drum of volunteer challengers and draws - Leon "The Bull" White. (C). Akbar looks concerned.

-Bill Mercer introduces another mini-documentary feature he had been working on recent weeks, following a series of matches between Doug Somers and Steve Olsonoski that all ended in draws. Mercer interviewed both men, who claimed a new found respect for each other. He also filmed a discussion between the two men, which showed a "behind the scenes look" at how a new tag team is formed. Olsonoski and Somers have agreed to bury the hatchet and team up. (D+)

-In the ring Olsonoski and Somers cut a brief promo, announcing their debuting team. They play to the fans, which means a face turn for Somers. (D+)

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Barry Orton & Perry Jackson in 3:39 when Olosonoski pinned Orton. (C)

-Bill Mercer then does another "journalistic feature" backstage, where apparently, Skandor Akbar is having trouble controlling Kamala, who is still in the arena, despite his match being canceled (since Akbar still has to manage Butch Miller in a match later tonight). Kamala is locked in his dressing room, where he can be heard yelling and destroying things. Akbar is trying to barricade the door from the outside, but claims to Mercer that he has "everything under control". (C+)

-Last Man Standing Qualification Match
Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) defeats Tiger Mask in 12:57 by pinfall after The Grapplers pulled their illegal "switch" tactic (the fresh Grappler #2, who looks identical to Grappler #2, switched into the match for the tired Grappler #1 when the referee wasn't looking). (B) This was a rematch of their 20-minute draw last week. Grappler #1 replaces Backlund in the Last Man Standing event, becoming participant #9.

-WCCW TV Championship Match
Leon White defeated Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) in 5:57 by DQ after Luke Williams interfered. (B) An aggressive White surprisingly dominated the match, until Williams came in and apparently saved Miller's title (The belt can't change hands on a DQ).

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) drew with David Von Erich in 25:41 by Double DQ, after Kamala apparently escaped from his locker room, ran down to the ring, and attacked both participants. Kamala then climbed to the top rope, preparing to hit his banned top-rope splash on David. However, Terry Funk grabbed a chair, and put himself between David and Kamala. Kamala descended from the ropes, then Funk hit him with the chair, sending him to the arena floor. Chaos ensues as the show ends. Hennig makes his 1st defense of the World Title. (A+).

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Solid show, capped by a great main event between the company's two top babyfaces, though a match that was interpreted by an increasingly wild Kamala. These two have combined for 16 career A+ matches. Hennig survives another week, but will have to deal with Bob Backlund next. Kamala is literally getting a "monster push" right now.

-I think this was Leon White's first 1-on-1 match on TV, and he gives a good showing against Butch Miller

-Grappler #1 gets his biggest win of his WCCW career, wrestling Tiger Mask in a good match (but I still feel like these guys can do better than "B".

-The Olsonoski/Somers storyline is officially over, as they're now a tag team.

-Backlund has opted out of The Last Man Standing event, and will face Inoki in a "WWF Championship Match" int he main event of that event. Battle Royals tend not to work as main events, so I needed an A, or A+ match to end the night.

-It's too bad Mike is feuding with Villano V, instead of Villano IV, who he clearly has better chemistry match. They had a great match on the pre-show.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Kamala is locked in his dressing room, where he can be heard yelling and destroying things. Akbar is trying to barricade the door from the outside, but claims to Mercer that he has "everything under control"

Heh, I can just picture that one, nicely done.

[molson]

NEWS

-Ox Baker is late for the last show....That's not a great sign, considering he hasn't even started working with us yet. I give him a warning.

-The TV Show delivers a 4.46 rating - that absolutely shatters our previous all time high of 4.15. I'll definitely be looking to change time slots/networks at the next opportunity to continue our ascent.

-Rick Martel won the AWA TV Title for the 3rd time, defeating Arn Anderson.

-Tito Santana won the WWC North American Championship, the biggest win of his career. He defeated Invader II.

-After these years of playing this game, I still apparently don't understand the "war" dynamic, as Dick Murdoch, Roddy Piper, and Terry Funk haven't left their respective employers I after I declared war on them. I guess this only pertains to signing after the declaration (where a worker won't work for both "warring" promotions)

-I request negotiations with Harley Race, who recently recovered from a major injury. He hasn't wrestled in about a year. He's 41-years old, and pretty broken down physically, but he'd add some decent "Plan B" star power since I can't get Flair or Hogan.

-Speaking of Hogan, his "best friend" (in-game worker relationships), Vince McMahon is willing to sign for a fairly reasonable $1,325 for 9 months. I pull the trigger on that, and immediately request negotiations with Hogan again, to see if this will lower his price further, to something below Fritz's cap. As for Vince, he has A+ mic skills, "B" rated announcing skills and charisma, but is fairly unknown outside of the Northeast.

-One thing that's always kind of annoyed me about this game is how non-wrestlers can't increase popularity, which means if they start low, they're always useless. With Vince, I'll test this idea, and record his current popularity, and see if it increases AT ALL, considering he'll probably be in some well-received angles with Backlund. Maybe I can boost it by giving him a few angles that are 6+ minutes long (the threshold where a non-wrestling segment rating counts in the overall rating):

-Vince's Popularity (viewed using in-game editor)
New England: 63.8%
Tri-State: 60.2%
Mid-Atlantic: 34.3%
Great Lakes: 32.7%
Southeast: 23.7%
Midsouth: 20.4%
Midwest: 20.0%
Northweset: 18.0%
Southwest: 17.4%

-I don't remember if I noticed it at the time, but Bob Backlund signed with Calgary Stampede in February (where he's already wrestled Bret Hart), and just now has also signed with International Wrestling in Montreal. I'm somewhat concerned about his workload, though currently, he's at A+ "fatigue level" - I've been protecting him with squash matches lately.

-There was recently an independent show in Mexico were the attendance (22) exactly matched the number of workers on the card. Mexican wrestling is dead.

-I negotiate with Terry Gordy, and am able to lock him up for a short term, 3 month deal, at a ridiculous $1,200/show....Apparently he really wants to get back into the spotlight. There's a dynamic in this game where guys demand raises with every new deal with their current employer, so it seems like there's a lot of benefit to letting guys go for a while (the minimum before they'll talk to you again is 6 months). Gordy hasn't worked that much in the last 6 months - he wrestled 4 matches for AGPW in October, and then has taken the last 5 months or so off. He's still only 23 years old, and has wrestled 2 A+ matches. His momentum and popularity will have to be rehabilitated, but that's a great value. Obviously he'll defend his Last Man Standing Crown, but then I'll figure out a way to keep him around after that, despite him having lost the "loser leaves WCCW" match.

-Curt Hennig and Jesse Ventura won the Maple Leaf Wrestling Tag Team Championship.

[Swaggs]

Love what you are doing with Kamala. Probably my favorite storyline up to this point. It made me want to know how/what George Steele is doing in your dynasty.

Also, what is Jake Roberts up to? Any chance we could see him in the WCCW at some point? Maybe a talent trade or something...

[molson]

Love what you are doing with Kamala. Probably my favorite storyline up to this point. It made me want to know how/what George Steele is doing in your dynasty.

Also, what is Jake Roberts up to? Any chance we could see him in the WCCW at some point? Maybe a talent trade or something...

Thanks...here's some updates on those guys, both of whom have stopped by WCCW since the dynasty started:

George Steele:

-Steele is retired from the business, and not working anywhere. He was in the WWF in the start of the game as a heel, wrestling his last match for them in October 1983 (when he lost to Samula). Before that, he mostly squashed jobbers, and then lost to higher profile guys like Roddy Piper and Bruno Sammartino. We signed him in October '83, to join Skandor Akbar's Destruction Inc. stable, but he wasn't around long. He defeated Johnny Mantel in his debut match, but then the next week, he lost to the debuting Bruiser Brody. That was his last career match, and we let him go after that, as I found him too expensive.

Jake Roberts

-Roberts is finding a lot of work - he's employed by Georgia, Mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Northwest (he wrestled 175 matches last year). He's a heel in Georgia, and a face in Mid-Atlantic and PNW. He's currently 1/2 of the Pacific Northwest Tag Team Champions with Ted Dibiase. He's also held a couple of singles titles during the dynasty: Florida Heavyweight Championship (he was the last champion the Florida promotion before they went under), Georgia National TV Title, and the NWA United States Championship.

-He has had two runs with us so far via talent trade. We had in for a few months in Spring 1983, but it was an uneventful run, because he considered other promotions a higher priority than us - so I never knew when I would be able to use him. He came in as a kind of babyface enforcer for Fritz Von Erich, who was having problems with Skandor Akbar and Gary Hart. He defeated Magic Dragon in his first match, but then was being used elsewhere for several months, so I got frustrated, and jobbed in him to the Super Destroyer, and then Terry Gordy in a American Heavyweight Championship Match

-Then I also brought him in for last year's Last Man Standing Event. He teamed with Mike Von Erich to defeat Al Perez & Doug Somers, and advance to the final battle royal match, which was won by Terry Gordy.

I'll definitely think about bringing him back for this year's Last Man Standing Show.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, March 1985
Indianapolis, IN (Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $3 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Barry Orton in 6:35 by pinfall. (C+). The match suffered from a lack of selling. White looked good. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed White about his success of late, and about his rival, Charlie Cook. They also talked about the Last Man Standing Event, for which White has qualified. (C+)

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
-Triple Threat Match (One Fall to a Finish)
El Halcon defeats Perry Jackson and Mark Youngblood in 7:02 when El Halcon pinned Jackson. (D+). Halcon looked good. Halcon qualifies for the Last Man Standing event, as participant #10.

-As the show starts, Bill Mercer interviews WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, who hypes the show - especially the main event, just signed after the events of last week's TV show. After the David Von Erich/Curt Hennig World Title Match was ruined by Kamala, Hennig agreed to give David a rematch tonight, 2 days before he's set to defend the World Title against Bob Backlund on TV. Also, Lothario hypes tonight's 4-way World Tag Team Title #1 Contender's Match - he says the winners will get a shot against The Sheepherders next week in Las Vegas. Lothario also says that on the TV show this week, he'll address two of the issues many have asked him about - Kamala (and whether he'll be suspended for his actions last week), and Terry Gordy (whether he'll gain an "exemption" to compete in the Last Man Standing Event.) (D+)

-Bill Mercer interviews Billy Robinson about his upcoming match against Bob Backlund. (C+)

-Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Billy Robinson in 18:45 by pinfall in a competitive match. (B). The match suffered from a lack of selling. Backlund again wore his WWF Championship belt, and insisted on being introduced as the "WWF Champion". After the match, Stevens and Backlund cut promos hyping Backlund's World Title challenge at the TV show this week. Backlund promises he'll defeat whoever emerges from tonight's match with the belt. (B). Then, Ray Stevens says just to clear things up, once and for all, any confusion regarding the WWF Championship, he's arranged a "special pronouncement" to take place right now. Stevens introduces former WWF Owner, Vince McMahon, who comes to the ring. Vince cuts a lengthy, heel promo, putting over the legacy of the WWF, and trashing his dead father, who he blames for the company's demise. Most importantly, Vince "proclaims" that Bob Backlund is the "official" WWF Champion, and that Antoni Inoki was never recognized as a WWF Champion. The three leave together. (C)

-The Villanos come out to the ring for the next match, but just like last week, Gary Hart (dressed as Elvis), and King Kong Bundy (dressed as a minister), come to the ring and try to talk to the Villanos, who want nothing to do with the mentally unstable Hart and Bundy. Hart berates both Villanos, until Villano IV shoves Hart - King Kong Bundy then springs into action, attacking both Villanos with splashes before the next match even begins. (C).

-4-Way Tag Team Match (Elimination Rules)
-#1 Contenders Match - World Tag Team Title
Kerry & Mike Von Erich defeated The Villanos, The Grapplers, and Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 9:09. (B-). The order of elimination was as follows:
1. The Villanos (weakened by the pre-match attack), where eliminated when Kevin Sullivan pinned Villano IV
2. Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan by DQ, after Ray Stevens was caught interfering.
3. The Grapplers, when Kerry Von Erich made Grappler #2 submit.
-Murdoch looked good.

-After the match, Kerry & Mike cut a promo hyping their win, and their match next week against the Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. Kerry says he's anxious to get his hands on The Sheepherders again - and that Kevin, still recovering from his shoulder injury, will be cheering them on. (C). Mike Von Erich, the WCCW Cruiserweight Champion, says he doesn't know what was up between the Villanos and Gary Hart/King Kong Bundy before the match, but he wants to challenge Villano V to one more Cruiserweight Title match at this week's TV show. (C-)

-David Von Erich came to the ring and cut a promo, putting over Curt Hennig as a "fighting champion" for agreeing to this title defense on such short notice, after their last match was ruined by interference from Kamala. (B+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
David Von Erich drew with Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) in 30:00 when the time limit expired. (A). Hennig makes his second defense of the World Title. After the match, Hennig and David shook hands as a sign of respect.

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Solid show, capped by the Hennig/David rematch that was just a tad worse than their TV match.

-Kerry & Mike, who I'm not sure have teamed together yet in this dynasty, get a title shot against The Sheepherders in the next stage of that feud. I'm really stalling for time waiting for Kevin to get healthy.

-Gary Hart and King Kong Bundy showed off their insane new gimmicks once again, in a second apparent attempt to recruit the Villanos to their "cult". Perhaps the real Gary Hart would have walked out before doing an Elvis gimmick, but I find it's a nice diversion, and I actually have some plans for it.

-Vince McMahon makes his WCCW debut. Not every WCCW fan would know who he is, but that doesn't matter - he can come off as a pompus heel no matter the backstory. His association with Ray Stevens' group is still unclear, though the entire stable has connections to the WWF or the northeast (maybe I should call the stable, "The Federation". Vince's midwest popularity did increase 0.4% points from this segment, probably because it was a "major" (more than 5 minutes) segment.

-I think the Last Man Standing event needs some lower card guys for some flavor (and to keep costs down), so El Halcon joins the party tonight. I'll have to hustle to qualify 10 more wrestlers by next Saturday night.

[molson]

NEWS

-I'm thinking of doing a legit random draw for the "lethal lottery" aspect of the Last Man Standing event, just like I did for tournament pairings at a show last year. I would make myself run all the matches "call in ring" of course, no benefit of "scripting". I don't know of any promotion that ever did something like that, but I think it would be a selling point for the smart fans (if you convince them the draw was legitimately random), and it would also create situations that encourage creativity, and a genuine feeling of randomness.

-Referee David Manning's contract is coming to an end this month - this is the last of the original contracts I inherited. He was making a flat $3k/month, regardless of how many times he was used. Presumably, he will no longer be interested in such a contract, and I'll have to pay him by the show. That will cost some money. He has A+ referee skills, so I'll re-sign him unless his requests are ridiculous.

-Harley Race, anxious to get back in the ring, is willing to sign for $1,600/show for 18 months. I would be willing to do it, but Fritz caps me at $1,500/show. I've never seen Fritz cap me that low - apparently he just doesn't think the 41-year old Race is worth it at this point.

[Swaggs]

I like the addition of Vince. I'm sure you will be able to do some cool things with him trying to rise in power.

I'm really enjoying this dynasty -- it feels like you are "this close" to taking the WCCW to the next level. :)

[General Mike]

NEWS

-I'm thinking of doing a legit random draw for the "lethal lottery" aspect of the Last Man Standing event, just like I did for tournament pairings at a show last year. I would make myself run all the matches "call in ring" of course, no benefit of "scripting". I don't know of any promotion that ever did something like that, but I think it would be a selling point for the smart fans (if you convince them the draw was legitimately random), and it would also create situations that encourage creativity, and a genuine feeling of randomness.

I did that once upon a time when I had my WCW dynasty on here for Battle Bowl. You end up eliminating some guys from the mix that you might want in, like for me, I didn't have Sting in Battle Bowl, but it adds a challenge to things.

-Harley Race, anxious to get back in the ring, is willing to sign for $1,600/show for 18 months. I would be willing to do it, but Fritz caps me at $1,500/show. I've never seen Fritz cap me that low - apparently he just doesn't think the 41-year old Race is worth it at this point.

:(

[molson]

I did that once upon a time when I had my WCW dynasty on here for Battle Bowl. You end up eliminating some guys from the mix that you might want in, like for me, I didn't have Sting in Battle Bowl, but it adds a challenge to things.


Good point, this is exactly why I'm using a pre-determined field of 20 rather than opening it to the whole roster.

The Harley Race denial was just weird - Frtiz has never capped me at anything near that, and Race would have been making less than my average worker salary. There's some dynamic here I haven't figure out yet - maybe Fritz thinks my overall roster is too big/expenesive.

[General Mike]

Good point, this is exactly why I'm using a pre-determined field of 20 rather than opening it to the whole roster.

The Harley Race denial was just weird - Frtiz has never capped me at anything near that, and Race would have been making less than my average worker salary. There's some dynamic here I haven't figure out yet - maybe Fritz thinks my overall roster is too big/expenesive.

When I did Battle Bowl, I actually did limit it to like 32 guys to make sure all the guys I wanted in the tag matches got in, I just ended up with a bad draw where Sting and some goof were going up against 2 other main eventers, so Sting's partner had to do the job.

The roster costs being too big actually makes sense. Maybe if you let someone walk when their contract is up, it will free up money for some of the other stars you want to bring in.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 4,852

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match - Both Winning Tag Team Members Qualify
Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Barry Orton & Charlie Cook in 7:25 when Olsonoski pinned Orton. (D+) Somers and Olsonoski qualify for the Last Man Standing Event, as participants #11 and #12.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) defeats Villano IV in 6:50 by pinfall. (C). Grappler #2 qualifies for the Last Man Standing Event as participant #13. The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Grappler #2 about his win, and the fact that both Grapplers have now qualified for the Last Man Standing event. (C-)

-As the show starts, WCCW World Champion Curt Hennig, with his mentor Terry Funk, cuts a backstage promo hyping his World Title defense tonight against #1 Contender Bob Backlund. (B+)

-As the show starts, announcers Lance Russell and Fritz Von Erich introduce a new show format. Russell and Fritz will sit at ringside to commentate on the matches, while Bill Mercer will work as the "sideline reporter", interviewing wrestlers, going backstage, and occasionally offering insights on matches. Also, Bill Mercer debuts his new 2-minute "Update" segment, which recaps all of the goings-on in WCCW, including footage and results from house shows and dark matches. (D-).

-In this segment, Mercer shows footage from Monday night's show in Indianapolis, where Kerry & Mike Von Erich were deemed #1 Contenders to the tag team titles, Vince McMahon made a surprising appearance, and World Champion Curt Hennig drew with David Von Erich. He also ran down the full list of current participants in the Last Man Standing Event, including those that qualified earlier tonight on the pre-show. He also shows the bizarre house show footage of Gary Hart (dressed as Elvis) and King Kong Bundy (dressed as a minister) interfering in matches involving the Villanos, noting that WCCW is running a show in Las Vegas next week - the same place Bundy and Hart originally went missing several months ago. Finally, Mercer says speculation is running wild in the locker room regarding two major announcements that Commissioner Lothario is set to make: First, regarding the status of Kamala after his recent uncontrollable violent antics, and his use of banned moves; and Second, the answer to Terry Gordy's request for an exemption, and entry into the Last Man Standing Event. (D+).

-A video package highlights the path of destruction of Kamala, including the failed attempts of Commissioner Lothario's attempts to reign him in, and the injuries suffered by Owen Hart, Al Perez, and Iceman Parsons. Then, Lothario appears on screen and announces that after consultation with the WCCW legal department, Kamala has been suspended indefinitely. (C). Skandor Akbar, who was standing just off camera with TV Champion Butch Miller, charges into the screen and argues with Lothario. (C+). Finally, Lothario tells Akbar to shut his mouth, and to instruct his client Butch Williams to draw a name out of the rolling drum of volunteers to determine his challenger this week for the TV title.

-Akbar continues arguing, until Lothario tells him if that if Miller doesn't draw in 10 seconds, he'll strip the title, draw two names himself, and have a match later tonight for the vacant title. Akbar reluctantly instructs Miller to draw a name - Billy Robinson. (C-)

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats The Great Kabuki in 12:11 by countout. (B-). Mendoza qualifies for the Last Man Standing event, as participant #14. During the match, Gary Hart (still dressed as Elvis), and King Kong Bundy (still dressed as a minister) approached the ring with a briefcase, apparently looking to speak with the match participants - both former clients of Hart. Hart first attacked the referee and threw him to the outside of the ring. Hart then yelled at Mendoza, waiving a contract in his face, asking him to leave with him and Bundy. When Mendoza appeared reluctant, Hart shoves him. Mendoza shoved Hart back, which led to King Kong Bundy getting involved. Bundy squashed his former tag team partner, Mendoza, in the corner. Then, Hart approached former client Kabuki, grabbed Kabuki's hair, and yelled something to him. Kabuki appeared deferential to and in awe of Hart, and he eventually left the ringside area with Hart and Bundy. Mendoza was left alone in the ring, recovering from the Bundy attack, but won by countout after the referee recovered, and Kabuki had left the match. Mendoza then grabbed a mic, and cut a promo, telling the fans that he will never work for that "psycho" Hart again, after the way he walked on him several months ago. (B) This completes a Mendoza face turn (and a heel turn for Kabuki).

-After a commercial break, Bill Mercer and a cameraman catch Hart, Bundy, and Kabuki leaving the arena in Hart's car, a Cadillac convertible. Kabuki seems confused, but loyal to Hart. (C+)

-In a backstage promo, Villano V hypes his upcoming Cruiserweight Title Shot against Mike Von Erich. (C-). A video recaps the rivalry between the two, which has ranged from friendly to tense. (C)

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich drew with Villano V in 5:58 by double countout, in an ending similar to the one at February Star Wars, to make his 2nd defense of the Cruiserweight Title. (C-). Villano V attempted a high risk move from the ring to the floor, with briefly incapacitated both men, leading to the double countout.

-Antonio Inoki cut a backstage promo hyping his main event match at the Last Man Standing show against Bob Backlund. (B). Inoki seemed amused about Backlund's obsession over the WWF title, and Inoki's brief run with that title many years ago. Inoki says that to him, this match is just a chance to test himself against one of the world's best. Though he respects the legacy of the WWF, he's not concerned with the championship belt from a defunct organization.

-Antonio Inoki defeats Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 11:45 by DQ after Stevens interfered. (B-) Sullivan appeared to be trying to "soften up" Inoki for his stablemate Backlund. The match suffered from a lack of selling

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Billy Robinson in 4:38 by pinfall to make his 4th defense of the TV Title. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-Lance Russell comes to the ring and introduces WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, who has another major announcement. Lothario talks about the decision process involving Terry Gordy's request to enter the Last Man Standing event, and defend his crown from last year. Lothario says that on one hand, Gordy lost a "loser leaves WCCW" match, fair and square. However, said Lothario, it would certainly add something special to the event to give Gordy the opportunity to defend his 1984 Last Man Standing trophy. Lothario also feels that it would contribute to the legacy and prestige of the event, that any new winner will have to outlast last year's winner. Balancing all of these factors, says Lothario, he's decided to grant Gordy an exemption, and allow him to participate at the event. (C-) Also, says Lothario, Gordy will be granted exemptions for two "tune-up" matches, first next Monday in Las Vegas, and then on next week's TV show.

-Ray Stevens comes to the ring with his stable (Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, and Vince McMahon), and cuts a lengthy promo hyping the group, and Bob Backlund's upcoming title match. Stevens refers to the group several times as a "Federation". While Stevens is talking, staff members set up boxes of champagne near the announce table, in what Stevens calls "preparation for a coronation". (C+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, & Vince McMahon) defeats Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) in 20:33 by pinfall to win the World Championship. (A+). Backlund again insisted that he be referred to as the "WWF Champion", and that this match be called a "title unification match". The match featured interference from everyone at ringside, though a chair-wielding Terry Funk was largely able to keep the heels at bay, ensuring a relatively fair match. After the match, the heels celebrate wildly around ringside for several minutes. Champagne flies. (C+). Vince looked "dreadful" in this segment.

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-This was a loaded show, I'm glad I pulled of the decent rating as well.

-Bob Backlund wins the World Title in a great match, and Curt Hennig's reign turns out to be not nearly as impressive as Bobby Eaton's. (Though he did manage to retain twice against David Von Erich). This is Backlund's second run with the title (previously, he won the belt and then surrendered it, per agreement, to Michael Hayes. The title was subsequently vacated). It's not immediately clear what this means to his match with Antoni Inoki next week.

-I'm going with "The Federation" as a working name for the stable. Vince looked "dreadful" in these segments, but that's probably just because he's still pretty unknown in Texas. Hopefully that will change soon as he hangs around with these guys.

-Terry Gordy is back, at least for Last Man Standing event and his two tune-up matches. This run will be a bit of a rehearsal to see if he can still be relevant in my stronger roster.

-The Hart/Kabuki/Bundy stuff is out there, but there was some clear storyline development tonight. To recap: Hart walked out the Villanos and Arturo Mendoza several months ago, in the middle of the six-man-tag team title tournament. This was an especially difficult blow for Mendoza, who had considered Hart a father figure. Mendoza cut several sympathetic promos in the weeks following. Now, Hart (who disappeared in Vegas after a series of events caused a nervous breakdown), has completely lost it, and is trying to re-assemble his stable. Mendoza said no (turning face), and Kabuki said yes (turning heel). Which makes sense, because Kabuki has never of course been of completely stable mind anyway. So that's where we are now.

-So there's three heel stables building power, and they have a unique hook. Violent/Ruthless (Akbar's Destruction Inc), Crazy (Hart Limited), and Elite/Professional (The Federation).

-Kamala is "indefinitely suspended", but surely not gone forever.

-Bill Mercer's new "update" segment will give me a chance to remember and recap what's been going on, it also brings the house show/dark match results to TV, so I can assume, in booking, that everybody knows about everything, whether the match was on TV or not.

[molson]

NEWS

-The TV Show delivers a 4.46 rating, matching last week's all-time high. Next month, I'll be negotiating for a new time slot/network.

-I had requested negotiations with Hulk Hogan again, just to see if the fact that I now employ his best friend would bring down his asking price at all. Nope, he still wants $3,200/show, and Fritz caps my offer at $2,514, same as last time. I will be looking to shed some conracts over the next weeks and months to see if Fritz gets any more reasonable.

-Speaking of Fritz, his new blocks/goals are looming at the end of this month. The dynasty started in an April, so every April, Fritz can assign goals (things I have to reach or I'm fired) and blocks (restrictions about signing wrestlers). The past goals have been easy, and the past blocks haven't been very restrictive. But starting in April, Fritz has a clean slate, and I'll have to adjust from there. The one I've heard about that might cause the most problems is "you can't sign anyone with a drug problem".....I'd probably be left with Owen Hart and Billy Robinson...

-The only current block I've been dealing with from Fritz (aside from the capped pay), is that I can't sign anyone with a resilience rating of less than C-. That's only impacted me a couple of times - it's kept me from negotiating with Andre The Giant, and Giant Haystacks (later known as "Loch Ness" in WCW).

-Vince McMahon has left his position as SWCW booker - he wasn't with them very long, perhaps he left because we're "at war" with them. I still haven't nailed down that dynamic. It will be interesting to see who takes over there.

-David, Kevin, and Kerry all get periodic offers from companies, but all maintain their loyalty to WCCW, refusing to work anywhere else

-Kevin by the way, is still limited by that shoulder injury. I've shut him down until he's 100%, and there's no telling when that will be.

-Referee David Manning, who's current contract earns him $3,000/month (which breaks down to $333/show, wants $825/show to keep working for me). That would cost me an extra $4,425/month. That's not all that much, but since I still have a few weeks before his contract is up, I decide to request negotiations with every other referee who has A+ ref stats (I'm not sure if any other stats matter for ref). There's 7 out there that are willing to talk to me - if anyone is willing to work for way less than Manning, I'll consider him.

-WWC is bucking the trend of failing promotions and has risen to Cult Status, which will mean a few more jobs for wrestlers. There are now 7 Cult-sized promotions - all of them are in the US, except for All-Star Wrestling in the UK.

-Greg Valentine, who will wrestle in the main event of our house show in Las Vegas this week, won the National Heavyweight Championship in Georgia Championship Wrestling, from Steve Keirn.

-Paul Orndorff has signed with the AWA. They're still the #2 most prestigious promotion, behind us.

-I sign Al Perez for 9 more months, only because he just wanted a $25/show raise, from $425 to $450/show.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, March 1985
Las Vegas, NV (Southwest - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,323 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Leon White defeats Dusty Wolfe in 4:45 by pinfall. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Doug Somers in 7:45 by submission. (D). After the match, Bill Mercer interviews Cook about his recent war of words with fellow former pro football player Leon White. Cook once again lashes into a verbal attack of White. (E). Soon, however, Leon White interrupts the interview and attacks Cook. Cook quickly retreats to the locker room, as Mercer runs for cover. White chases Cook back. (E)

-As the main show starts, WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario comes to the ring to welcome the fans to the show, and run down the card. He also hypes the TV show, and this Saturday night's Last Man Standing Event, which is now available on PPV and Closed Circuit. He also addresses his controversial decision last week to allow Terry Gordy into the Last Man Standing event. Lothario says that he realizes the decision isn't fair to the Von Erichs, who defeated Gordy and The Freebirds in the Loser Leaves WCCW match last summer. In consideration of that, says Lothario, he's decided to grant automatic Last Man Standing Event spots to both David and Kerry Von Erich (Mike is already in, and Kevin is out injured). They will not have to qualify - they're automatically in. That brings the total announced participants in the event to 17, with two more spots on the line tonight. (C-)

-Koko B. Ware comes to the ring and cuts a promo hyping his upcoming Last Man Standing Qualifying Match with Billy Robinson. He's playing up his heel "urban thug" gimmick. (C)

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Billy Robinson defeats Koko B. Ware in 12:58 by pinfall to become participant #18 in the Last Man Standing Event. (B+). After the match, Ware, so angry over his upset loss, tries to attack Robinson. Robinson, however, succeeds in mat wrestling Ware to the ground. (D+). Ware tumbles out of the ring and retreats to the locker room. Bill Mercer interviews Robinson in the ring about his win - Robinson says he's very excited to take part in the Last Man Standing event, and while others might consider his win tonight an upset, he had confidence in himself. (D+)

-Gary Hart comes to the ring with King Kong Bundy and the Great Kabuki. Hart has a guitar with him. He cuts a rambling promo about Las Vegas, and how he's "learned about life" here the last several months. He makes vague references to his activities here the last few months, and describes a "spiritual awakening". He also hypes tonight's tag team match with his clients and the Villanos - a team who recently refused his managerial services. However, before the match, says Hart, he wishes to entertain the fans with a song. He performs a horrendous version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" to a disproving crowd. (C)

-The Villanos defeat King Kong Bundy & The Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) by DQ in 10:03 after Kabuki sprayed the green mist on Villano IV. (B-) Kabui and Bundy were completely unorganized and acting erratically throughout the match.

-Terry Gordy comes to the ring for his first WCCW appearance since last July. He hypes his return, and his participation in the Last Man Standing event on Saturday. He says that once again, he got one over the Von Erichs, and he's hoping that sometime Saturday night, he'll be able to kick some Von Erich ass like old times. (C-).

-Terry Gordy defeats Mark Youngblood in 5:42 by submission. (C-).

-Kerry & Mike Von Erich come to the ring and hype their upcoming tag team title shot against The Sheepherders, a shot they earned in a 4-way tag team match last week. Kerry says he's been looking forward to getting this shot, ever since The Sheepherders put Kevin out of commission and took the titles from them. Kerry said Kevin is doing well and should be back soon, and that he and Mike plan to make him proud and win the gold tonight. (C-)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Kerry & Mike Von Erich in 8:32 when Miller pinned Mike to make their first title defense. (C+). Luke Williams looked good.

-Terry Funk came to the ring to hype his main event match, a Last Man Standing Qualifier against Greg Valentine, the new National Heavyweight Champion from Georgia Championship Wrestling, who is making another stop in WCCW. (B+)

-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Greg Valentine defeats Terry Funk in 24:03 by pinfall after using the ropes for leverage. (A+). Valentine becomes participant #19 in the Last Man Standing event.

Overall Show Rating: B:

THOUGHTS:

-Another solid show, though I thought I had an outside shot at a B+ here.

-A+ matches are definitely getting more common - I just have to figure out how to have more than one of them on a single show.

-This was Valentine's first of a 3 match loan contract. At this point, I can bring in a huge variety of guys via loan contract, but I'm try to have some continuity on the roster, so I'll try to bring the same guys back. Valentine had a mini-feud with then-TV champion Kevin Von Erich in November.

-The tag team title match was pretty good also, anything involving Mike that reaches C+ ain't bad. Mike & Kerry don't have a whole lot of experience as a team. I'm basically stalling waiting for Kevin to come back and renew this feud. In the meantime, The Sheepherders will enjoy the fact they're dealing with Mike instead of Kevin.

-It's tough to judge where Terry Gordy is with just a C- match against Mark Youngblood. I'll try to give him slightly better competition on the TV show. His time away has probably decreased his momentum and popularity a tad.

-Kabuki/Bundy are basically a comedy act for now, but if Gary Hart can pull things together eventually, they'd be a dangerous team. They had a very solid match with the Villanos - the B- definitely surprised me.

-The surprise of the night though, was the B+ delivered by Billy Robinson and Koko B. Ware. Both Ware and Bobby Eaton are slumping since Eaton lost the world title. This is probably Robinson's biggest win so far in WCCW.

-I had thought about booking Leon White to win the Last Man Standing match, but his segments tonight showed he still has a long way to go. Anything's possible though, as I still haven't decided 100% who will walk away with the trophy.

[molson]

NEWS

-Jim Ross has replaced Vince McMahon as SWCW head booker.

-With Referee David Manning asking for too much money, I decide to bring in two other quality referees. Jerry Usher, at $1,525/show, and Jerry Calhoon at $1,500/show. Both also appear to be good guys behind the scene. I'm not sure if there's any game advantage to having two referees instead of one, but a promotion of my size and prestige seems like it should have more than 1, so here we are. They'll probably alternate house shows/tv shows, and then they'll both work ppvs. I'll continue to use David Manning until his contract expires.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) defeats El Halcon in 7:08 by pinfall after Grappler #2 interfered (the Grapplers pulled off their 'switchero' gimmick, switching the rested Grappler #2 into the match). (A). The match suffered from a lack of selling

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-2-on-1 Handicap match
Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers defeat King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) by pinfall in 6:42. (C+). Olsonoski and Somers wrestled a very intelligent match, using their numbers to their advantage. Once again, Bundy and Hart (still in costume as a minister and Elvis) seemed confused and not on the same page, and basically whacked out of their minds. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed the winners, who hyped their win, as a well as their participation in the Last Man Standing event this Saturday night. They said that while it's unlikely they'll be fortunate enough to team up in the lethal lottery round, if they both get to the final battle royal, they'll work together. (C-)

-As the show starts, Curt Hennig, David Von Erich, and Antoni Inoki hype tonight's main event - a six man tag team title match, where they'll challenge "The Federation" - Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, and Bob Backlund. The faces say that while they've never teamed up before, they're united in their dislike of the champs, and they're all looking for momentum going into Last Man Standing. (B-)

-The announcers hype that the new WCCW World Champion, Bob Backlund, who had a match scheduled with Antonio Inoki in the main event of Last Man Standing, has elected to put his belt on the line in that match, (or as Backlund calls his title, "The Unified WCCW/WWF World Championship" (B+)

-Bill Mercer ran his 2-minute "update" segment, where he catches the fans up on all the recent events in WCCW. Notably, he runs down the 19 participants announced thus far for the Last Man Standing event, including David & Kerry Von Erich, who were granted special exemption status by Commissioner Lothario, as sort of an olive branch for Lothario's decision to grant entry to the 1984 Last Man Standing, Terry Gordy. (D+)

-Bill Mercer introduces and narrates a 10-minute documentary/interview on Terry Gordy, and what he's been up to since losing the "loser leaves WCCW" match against the Von Erichs. Gordy viciously insults Kerry, who he claims had agreed to wrestle with the Freebirds that night last summer, before stabbing him the back. Gordy says if he has any opportunity to put Kerry out of commission this Saturday night, he'll take it. Gordy also says that as the defending Last Man Standing Champion, he's the odds on favorite to win it this year as well. And once he does, says Gordy, you'll be seeing a lot more of his pretty face in WCCW. Because he'll earn an automatic first-round bye in the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament in May. Also, he'll earn a title shot. Gordy speculates that maybe he'll go after the TV Title, so Lothario has no choice but to let him wrestle every single week. Or, Gordy says, maybe he'll go after the six-man tag team championship, because he has two "old friends" that would love to join him WCCW and regain what is rightfully theirs. If that happened, said Gordy, Lothario would again have no choice but to let him and his "friends" stick around as long as they're champions. (C+)

-Terry Gordy defeats Billy Robinson in 8:41 by pinfall (B+).

-Backstage, Skandor Akbar stands with the TV Champion, Butch Miller, Jose Lothario, and the rolling drum of challengers for the TV Title. Akbar is still bickering with Lothario over his suspension of Kamala. Miller draws a name - his tag team partner, Luke Williams. Akbar erupts with laughter - he says that the Sheepherders fight each other with as much violence as they fight others. (B-)

-Leon White defeats Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) in 4:34 by pinfall. (A). The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Leon White cut a promo in the ring, saying he's not done with Charlie Cook, but that this Saturday night, he's focused on the Last Man Standing Event. White says he's the biggest man in the competition, and that if he can get through the Lethal Lottery Round, nobody will be able to throw him over the top rope.

-The announcers hype the upcoming "Last Chance Battle Royal" featuring wrestlers who have lost qualifying matches for entry into the Last Man Standing Event. The winner of the battle royal gains the 20th and final spot.

-10-Man Last Chance Battle Royal
-Last Man Standing Qualifying Match
Terry Funk won the Battle Royal in 10:27. (B-). The order of elimination was as follows:
1. Villano IV (eliminated by The Great Kabuki, who sprayed him with the green mist)
2. The Great Kabuki (eliminated by Tiger Mask, Dusty Wolfe, Barry Orton, Perry Jackson, and Terry Funk).
3. Barry Orton (eliminated by Terry Funk)
4. Perry Jackson (eliminated by Terry Funk)
5. Charlie Cook (eliminated by Terry Funk)
6. Dusty Wolfe (eliminated by Terry Funk)
7. Mark Youngblood (eliminated by Bobby Eaton)
8. Bobby Eaton (eliminated by Tiger Mask)
9. Tiger Mask (eliminated by Terry Funk)

-After the match, Terry Funk cut a promo in the ring, hyping his win, and the Last Man Standing Event. (B+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller drew with Luke Williams (w/Skandor Akbar in a neutral corner) in 2:54 by double countout, as the two Sheepherders brawled outside the ring. (C+). Miller makes his 5th title defense. As soon as the match ended, Akbar ordered his team to stop fighting, and they complied. Akbar then cut a promo hyping his team, and their tag team title defense over Kerry & Mike in Las Vegas earlier in the week. (C+). He also promised that while Kamala was suspended, he won't be gone for long...(C+)

-Before the main event, the announcers hype that now that the Last Man Standing field is set, two other matches have been announced for this Saturday night: (C)

-Tiger Mask v. The Great Kabuki (former tag team partners)
-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware v. The Villanos.

-WCCW Six Man Tag Team Championship Match
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sulilvan (w/Ray Stevens) drew with David Von Erich, Antonio Inoki, & Curt Hennig in 25:00 when the TV Time Remaining time limit expired. (B+). The Federation makes its 2nd defense of the six-man-tag-team titles. Backlund & Hennig looked good. During the match, the most heated confrontations involved Backlund v. Inoki, and Hennig v. Murdoch.

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-This is my 5th consecutive B rated show, and 13th in a row at B- or higher. I'm still looking for that elusive A-.

-The main event was a classic, WCCW-style main event. There are a lot of little storylines spread out among those 6 guys (Backlund faces Inoki on Saturday, Backlund just defeated Hennig for the World Title, Backlund and David have a lengthy rivalry, and Hennig and Murdoch have been at each other's throats for a while).

-This was actually the 2nd match between Williams and Miller - they also faced off back at Cage Clash last summer, when they randomly drew each other in a #1 Contender tournament.

-Terry Funk pretty much dominated the "last chance" battle royal - that match delivered a strong rating considering how many jobbers were in it.

-Leon White had a spectacular match with Grappler #2 - that's a great sign. That's his best match ever by far (he skipped right over B+ and A-, as his previous best match was rated B). White is now 14-0-1 in WCCW, with his the draw coming against Mr. Pogo (White also was involved in a battle royale that he didn't win). It was also the best match ever for Grappler #2 (whose previous best rating was B-). Those guys just clicked. White's push will continue, and the Grapplers continue to fight for relevance on the roster.

-Terry Gordy got a chance to face much better competition on this show, and he delivered, wrestling a strong match with Billy Robinson. Gordy's talking big - he thinks winning Last Man Standing would be his ticket to stick around WCCW indefinitely.

-Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers worked together to defeat the erratic King Kong Bundy in a handicap match. This is one of those kinds of matches that I've always wanted to see in real life, never did, so I run it here. In handicap matches in wrestling, the side with the handicap wins 99% of the time. I always thought it would be more interesting to see the guys with the numbers advantage actually work together to beat the bigger guy.

-The most surprising result of the night, obviously, was El Halcon and Grappler #1 wrestling a ridiculous "A" rated match on the pre-show. Grappler #1 is 1985's version of Arturo Mendoza - I didn't really expect all that much from him, and he's blown me away. El Halcon deserves some credit to - his previous best match was a B-. The Grappler previously wrestled an "A" rated match with Antonio Inoki.

[molson]

NEWS

-The TV Show Delivers a 4.57 rating. That's a new all-time high, besting the 4.46 the show received the last two weeks. The first TV show of the dynasty, almost two years ago, scored a 0.64.

-David and Kerry continue to refuse requests for negotiations from other promotions, as does SWCW's Tully Blanchard.

-The Final Card for the 1985 Last Man Standing Event, which will be a 3-hour event, is as follows:

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bob Backlund v. Antonio Inoki

-Tiger Mask v. The Great Kabuki

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware v. The Villanos

-The Last Man Standing Event
-20 Participants, randomly paired into 5 tag team matches. The 5 winning teams enter advance to a battle royal, where the 1985 Last Man Standing will be crowded:
-Curt Hennig
-Butch Miler
-Luke Williams
-Mike Von Erich
-Dick Murdoch
-Kevin Sullivan
-Leon White
-Jerry Lawler
-Grappler #1
-El Halcon
-Steve Olsonoski
-Doug Somers
-Grappler #2
-Greg Valentine
-Arturo Mendoza
-Terry Gordy
-Kerry Von Erich
-David Von Erich
-Billy Robinson
-Terry Funk

-The most notable absence from this event is Nikita Koloff, who hasn't wrestled since February Star Wars. He was on a winning streak before that. I'm basically just protecting him, and using him as an occasional attraction at this point, while building up his W/L record, momentum, and skill. Roddy Piper is still serving his 2nd 30-day suspension this year (and it's only March).

[General Mike]

It's time, It's time, It's Vader time!

[surlyc]

Referee David Manning, who's current contract earns him $3,000/month (which breaks down to $333/show, wants $825/show to keep working for me).
NEWS
-With Referee David Manning asking for too much money, I decide to bring in two other quality referees. Jerry Usher, at $1,525/show, and Jerry Calhoon at $1,500/show.If Manning wanted too much money, where's the logic with replacing him with two guys on twice as much money as that which Manning wanted? That doesn't make any sense at all.

:confused:

$825/show is cheaper than $1,500/show. By a large mark.

[DeToxRox]

Molson, how far from National are you? Just curious as to when you'll go for Written deals.

[molson]

WCCW: Last Man Standing: PPV/Closed Circuit
Saturday, Week 4, March 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Medium Venue)
Expected Attendance: 11,686 Ticket prices: $3 more than default
Actual Attendance: 8,707.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mr. Pogo defeats Mark Youngblood by pinfall in 8:52. (C).

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews several of the participants of the upcoming Last Man Standing event:
-The Grapplers (C+).
-Billy Robinson (D) (Robinson says that nobody expected him to defeat Koko B. Ware and qualify for this event, so he has nothing to lose tonight, and is looking to surprise the wrestling world again).
-Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers (D+). Olsonoski & Somers say they know they're underdogs in tonight's event, but if they both can get good draws and qualify for the battle royal, they think they can make some noise working as a team.

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
-WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario comes out and hypes the show, as well as the next two monthly supershows - The King of Texas Wrestling tournament in April, and the Parade of Champions in May - both available on PPV/Closed Circuit. (C-)

-As the show starts, a video highlights the Last Man Standing Event, showing highlights of the participants, and how they qualified for the event. Then, the video recaps the rules, and what's at stake. 20 wrestlers have qualified - they will be randomly paired off into 5 tag team matches. They will not know their partner or opponents until moments before the match. The winning five teams advance to a battle royal, where the winner is crowned 1985 Last Man Standing, and will win:

-The 1985 Last Man Standing Trophy
-$10,000 Cash
-A brand-new, 1985 Chevy Camaro
-Automatic Entry Into the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament (and a first-round bye)
-A Contract For a Championship Match - (Can Be Used To Challenge For Any Championship, Single or Tag-Team, With 7 Days Notice, and No Expiration Date). (B+)

-Lance Russell conducts interviews with other wrestlers competing in the Last Man Standing Event:
-David, Kerry, and Mike Von Erich (C+) (The Von Erichs say that their #1 priority in ensuring that Terry Gordy doesn't win tonight, and thus will be banished from WCCW once again. They say they hope they don't find themselves on opposite sides, but if it happens, they'll deal with it)
-Leon White (C+) (White hypes his undefeated streak and the momentum he brings into the event. He says he's the biggest man in the event, and the field better hope he doesn't make it to the battle royal, because there's no way they can get him over the top rope)
-Skandor Akbar w/The Sheepherders (Akbar notes that his dominant team already owns the World Tag Team Titles and the TV Title - now they're looking for the Last Man Standing trophy, and ultimately, the world title).
-Jerry Lawler (B) (Lawler cuts a babyface promo, putting over the Texas fans and WCCW, and says he can't wait to be tested by the best professional wrestling has to offer).
-Kevin Sullivan & Dick Murdoch (B-). The duo says there's nobody tougher, and better-equipped to get through such a grueling event as they are.
-Terry Gordy (B-). Gordy recaps his plans - he'll repeat as Last Man Standing champion, and then win the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament next month, to win two title shots. He claims that Jose Lothario won't have the guts to keep him from wrestling as long as he's a champion. With the first title shot, he'll win the TV title, to ensure the fans will be able to see his pretty face every week. With the second title shot, he'll go after the six-man-tag team championship, with "two friends from back home in Georgia".

-Bobby Eaton and Koko B. Ware come to the ring and cut a promo hyping their upcoming tag team match. (B-). They say that while they were cheated out of a chance to compete in tonight's Last Man Standing event, they'll take the opportunity to remind the fans that they're the greatest tag team in the world.

-The Villanos defeat Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware in 10:51 when Villano IV pinned Eaton after striking him with a chair that Ware had introduced into the match (B-). After the match, the Villanos celebrated their upset win around ringside (C+)

-A video package features comments from the Last Man Standing participants we haven't heard from yet: (B-)
-Greg Valentine (Valentine says he plans on winning the event, then winning the WCCW World Title and taking it to Georgia Championship Wrestling)
-El Halcon
-Arturo Mendoza
-Terry Funk (Funk reminds the fans about his dominating victory in the "last chance battle royal" on the TV show this week)
-Curt Hennig (wants his world title back)

-A rolling drum is setup at ringside, where the names will be randomly drawn by an impartial, neutral observer, to ensure that the draw is truly random.

-The first four names are drawn: Arturo Mendoza & Terry Funk will face Jerry Lawler & Kevin Sullivan. The announcers note the violent rivalry between Funk and Sullivan, and the mutual respect displayed several weeks ago between Mendoza & Funk, who may make a good team.

-Last Man Standing: Tag Team Match #1
-Jerry Lawler & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeat Arutro Mendoza & Terry Funk in 8:52 when Sullivan pinned Mendoza (with Stevens holding Mendoza's leg for leverage). (B)

-The next four names are randomly drawn: Grappler #1 and Kerry Von Erich will face Mike Von Erich and Steve Olsonoski. The announcers note that while Mike & Olsonoski appear to be the underdogs, they have teamed together several times in the past. They also bring up the internal issues that the Von Erich family had last year, and speculate whether those issues will re-emerge during this match, with Kerry and Mike on opposing teams.

-Last Man Standing - Tag Team Match #2
Kerry Von Erich & Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) defeat Mike Von Erich & Steve Olsonoski in 5:02 when Grappler #1 made Mike submit. (C). After the match, Grappler #1 refused to release his submission hold, until Kerry made the save. (C). The interactions between Mike & Kerrry & Olsonoski had good sportsmanship and technical wrestling - only Grappler #1 wrestled aggressively, which helped lead to the win for his team.

-The next four names are drawn: Doug Somers & Butch Miller will face Luke Williams & Greg Valentine.

-Last Man Standing: Tag Match #3
Luke Williams & Greg Valentine defeat Butch Miller & Doug Somers (w/Skandor Akbar in a neutral corner) in 5:50 when Valentine made Somers submit. (C). Somers seemed off his game. The Sheeperders will all too happy to fight each other when they were in the ring together, just as they were at the last TV show. Valentine looked good.

-The next four names are drawn: David Von Erich and El Halcon will face Curt Hennig & Dick Murdoch. The announcers note that El Halcon is an old friend of the Von Erich family, and helped train David, and talk about Hennig and Murdoch's fierce rivalry. They analyze that from a teamwork perspective, David/El Halcon clearly have an advantage, though from a pound for pound talent perspective, Murdoch/Hennig may have the advantage - if they can get along.

-Last Man Standing: Tag Team Match #4
David Von Erich & El Halcon defeat Curt Hennig & Dick Murdoch in 9:31 when David pinned Murdoch. (B+) Hennig & Murdoch weren't able to get along, coming to blows on several occasions. Hennig looked good.

-The final four names are drawn: Leon White & The Grappler #2 will face Terry Gordy & Billy Robinson. The announcers note how Gordy and Robinson wrestled a very competitive match on the TV show last week.

-Last Man Standing: Tag Team Match #5
Terry Gordy & Billy Robinson defeat Leon White & Grappler #2 in 10:46 when Gordy pinned Grappler #2. (B)

-The field for the final battle royal in the Last Man Standing Event is set:
Jerry Lawler
Kevin Sullivan
Kerry Von Erich
Grappler #1
Luke Williams
Greg Valentine
David Von Erich
El Halcon
Terry Gordy
Billy Robinson

-A highlight video hypes the lengthy storyline involving Gary Hart, The Great Kabuki, Tiger Mask, and King Kong Bundy. The video features Kabuki's firing of Gary Hart, and his tag team with Tiger Mask, and their battles with Hart's team of Arturo Mendoza and King Kong Bundy. Then, the video recaps Hart's nervous breakdown, sabbatical, and return. Finally, the video shows the events of the last few weeks - Gary Hart's bizarre transformation into an Elvis-impersonator, King Kong Bundy's transformation into a minister, and Hart's recruitment of The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza (which failed) and The Great Kabuki (which succeeded). (C). After the highlight video, Hart cut a rambling, insane promo with King Kong Bundy and The Great Kabuki by his side. He hypes (or attempts to hype) the upcoming match between Kabuki, and his former partner Tiger Mask. (C+)

-The Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart & King Kong Bundy) defeats Tiger Mask in 11:28 by pinfall after interference from Hart & Bundy. (A+). After the match, Hart, Kabuki, and Bundy attack Tiger Mask 3-1, until Tiger Mask's old nemesis, Arturo Mendoza, makes the save and drives off the heels. (C). Mendoza helped Tiger Mask to his feet, and the two shook hands a sign of respect. (C).

-Last Man Standing - Final 10-Man Battle Royal.
David Von Erich won the Battle Royal in 10:20 to become the 1985 Last Man Standing. (A+) The order of elimination was as follows:
1. Terry Gordy (eliminated immediately by David, Kerry, El Halcon, Jerry Lawler, and Billy Robinson)
2. Kevin Sullivan (eliminated by Kerry & David Von Erich)
3. Jerry Lawler (eliminated by Luke Williams)
4. Luke Williams (eliminated by El Halcon)
5. Billy Robinson (eliminated by Greg Valentine)
6. Kerry Von Erich (eliminated by Greg Valentine)
7. Grappler #1 (eliminated by David Von Erich)
8. El Halcon (eliminated by Greg Valentine)
9. Greg Valentine (eliminated by David Von Erich)

-David Von Erich celebrates in the ring with brothers Kerry, Mike, and Kevin, who is wearing a sling. David is presented the trophy, the $10,000, and the new car. (C). David cuts a promo hyping his win, and he thanks the fans. He says he wants to use his shot to challenge for the World Title at Parade of Champions in May. In the meantime, he'll focus on winning the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament next month. (C+) Terry Gordy, distraught from his loss, charges the ring and tries to take on all four Von Erichs - he's quickly dispatched. (C)

-Antoni Inoki cuts a promo hyping his upcoming World Title match with Bob Backlund. (B+) Backlund also cuts a promo hyping the match. (B+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens, Kevin Sullivan, Dick Murdoch, and Vince McMahon) defeats Antonio Inoki 36:44 by submission after interference by all members of "The Federation". (A). Backlund makes his 1st defense of the World Title. During the match, after Murdoch, Sullivan, and McMahon were caught intefering, referee David Manning banished them from ringside, leaving Stevens alone in Backlund's corner. Later, Stevens again was able to successfully interfere, leading to the victory for Backlund. After the match, Inoki snapped and took out his frustrations on Backlund, laying him out in the middle of the ring with a series of kicks and punches, leaving Backlund a bloody mess as the show ends. (A). The two showed poor chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling.

Overall Show Rating: B

Thoughts:

-I was very disappointed with that "B" rating when it came up, I thought I had a shot at my first A-rated show here. I'm sure it's the first time I ever had three A-rated matches on the same card (and two A+s).

-The main event was solid, but bad chemistry kept them down to an A instead of an A+. That's hardly a disappointment though. Inoki's vicious attack at the end was inspired by a youtube video I saw last week of Inoki v. The Great Antonio. I see Inoki's character for us as a humble, quiet, solid wrestler who has the martial arts background and temper to go nuts on someone on occasion.

-A+ for the battle royal was certainly unexpected....I guess a battle royal isn't a ratings black whole after all, if you can stuff it with talent.

-David Von Erich probably wasn't the most exciting guy to win by post-Attitude Era standards, where you have to utilize a "fresh" guy to succeed, but in 1985, it makes sense, and the fans would have been rooting for him. It also makes sense to protect and push David, who is loyal and will work only for us. The idea here was to build up Gordy as the "favorite" (since he had a plan and everything to bring the Freebirds back), and then have the really logical thing happen - all the faces gang up on him and eliminate him immediately.

-I was really happy about how the random draws worked out - there was a good story in every match, and I wasn't ever handicapped by anything. The last match of the five: White/Grappler #2 v. Gordy/Robinson probably had the most intrigue. I had to choose between White and Gordy in the finals, and went with Gordy. I think it would make sense that Robinson, who wasn't around when the whole Freebird thing was going on, wouldn't have been as impacted as teaming with Gordy. If Gordy was paired with Mike, for example, Mike might go ahead and throw the match.

-I don't really see this as a "loss" for White - he's still undefeated in 1-on-1 matches. I definitely considered having him win the whole thing, but then what? Either he wins the title or he jobs to Backlund, and then he's just another guy.

-One of my favorite things about bookings shows is the little elements of randomness I can throw in - things that I don't think real promotions do enough, like upsets, guys getting further in tournaments battle royals than they should, etc. Here, El Halcon almost pulled off the win, and had a great night.

-Kabuki/Tiger Mask hit a home run as well. Variations of that whole feud with Hart/Mendoza/Bundy have been going on for over a year now. Tiger Mask and Mendoza now joining forces is the next twist. Both Tiger Mask and Kabuki's contracts are up pretty soon, and they're both overpaid, but it's tough to get rid of guys who deliver so consistently.

-The Villanos sure have come a long way in terms of W/L record - as they pull off another shocker tonight. I knew that would be a good match, so I let them start the show and "go all out".

[molson]

NEWS

-A new promotion has risen in Japan, from the ashes of All Japan and New Japan. It's called "Japan Pro". So between that and UPW, Japan wrestling is not dead. Mexican Wrestling on the other hand.....I'm still trying to decide if I should create a new promotion or two manually. I THINK that the AI created Japan Pro on its own (I'm not aware of a real-life "Japan Pro" that would have been programmed in the mod to start in March 1985). If the AI can create promotions where there's a market for them, I'd rather leave it to the AI. But Mexico is still barren.

-Ray Stevens arrived late for the last show. I suspend him for a week. That will save some cash.

-Greg Valentine is exhausted after the last show. I only have him for one more appearance, I'll hold off a little on that and try to use him at closer to 100%. He was the last man eliminated by David at the Last Man Standing Battle Royal, so that might make a good matchup.

-Roddy Piper is officially back from his second month-long suspension this year. He has 42 days left on his contract.

-Villano V complained about his push (he probably has a bigger head with the win I gave him over Eaton/Ware). I'll consider moving him up when I do my end-of-month review

-Mexican wrestling legend Blue Demon has announced he's retiring at the end of the April. That's not surprising, considering the state of wrestling there. Of course, he's also 62 years old.

-Gama Singh and Larry Zbyszko won the Canadian Open Tag Team Championship is Maple Leaf Wrestling, defeating Curt Hennig & Jesse Ventura.

-Kenneth "Slick" Johnson, Jerry Sags, Brian Knobbs, and The Big Boss Man are among those that enter the wrestling universe to start April 1985.

-Angelo Mosca has officially retired at 47 years old. He hadn't wrestled since January 1984, on the last show of Championship Wrestling from Florida

-The PPV did a buyrate of 1.22, that's the highest of our 3 PPVs yet.

[molson]

If Manning wanted too much money, where's the logic with replacing him with two guys on twice as much money as that which Manning wanted? That doesn't make any sense at all.

:confused:

$825/show is cheaper than $1,500/show. By a large mark.

Ya, I think I goofed on that one, thanks for the catch (I think I had Manning's $3k/month number in my head).

Fortunately, that's correctable, and I'll probably re-sign Manning and dump those two refs I just signed.

This is like how Paul Heyman ran the finances of ECW....

[molson]

Molson, how far from National are you? Just curious as to when you'll go for Written deals.

I'm not really all that close, though I'm a shade ahead of Georgia and AWA in that race. I need 70% popularity pretty much across the board in the US, and I'm at between 56%-59% outside of Texas an the midwest. PPV though, has dramatically increased the speed of my popularity growth, so I think I will be in the ballpark by the end of 1985 or early 1986.

[molson]

WCCW - END OF MARCH 1985 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 68.1% (up from 66.7% last month)
-Midwest: 66.2% (up from 64.8% last month)
-Southeast: 59.6% (up from 57.2% last month)
-New England: 56.6% (up from 54.4% last month)
-Southwest: 55.7% (up from 53.6% last month)
-North West: 55.7% (up from 53.5% last month)
-Great Lakes: 55.5% (up from 53.3% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 55.5% (up from 53.3% last month)
-Tri-State: 55.5% (up from 53.3% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 40.3% (up from 39.4% last month)

-The midwest finally reaches the same grade of popularity (C+) as Texas. So now, with each TV Taping/PPV comes a decision to make. Since my workers as a whole are still more over in Texas, I'll run most shows there, but if a show will heavily feature guys with more midwest overness (Backlund, Hennig), then I have the option to go north. The southeast also gained a letter grade this month, they're up to "C". That will make our shows there more lucrative (but it also requires me to put on better shows there to keep gaining popularity)

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

PPV Revenue: 484,560 (419,304)
Ticket Sales: 625,041 (618,840)
Sponsors: 137,858 (139,518)
Merchandise: 17,520 (211,200)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 353,675 (307,875)
Show Costs: 135,000 (135,000)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 25,247 (27,008)
Production: 103,500 (64,000)
Misc: 465,474 (4422,350)

Total Profit: $156,813 ($404,549)
Cash in Bank: $1,319,787 ($1,162,974)

-It happened, the crazy merchandise profits I enjoyed the last two months have disapeared. Maybe they're on a 2 month on/2 month off system - no idea. Maybe it's a bug, maybe it's how we do the accounting. At least this time, with PPV revenue, I'm better able to weather the storm. I'm still making a decent profit. It's imperative that I keep increasing the cash in the bank, because once I make the final push for national status, I'll need to be spending some serious cash.

-I keep everything else the same as last month - most notably, all of the production improvements I implemented last month. I will try to be a little thriftier with the worker talent.

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise, unless noted)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Roddy Piper
-Tiger Mask
-Curt Hennig
-Antonio Inoki
-Terry Funk

-I don't make any changes here from last month. Everyone still shows "awful" sales - I don't expect to see any real improvement until we go national

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - END OF MARCH 1985

-World Heavyweight Champion - 100.0% Prestige (Up From 98.0% Last Month)
Main Event Title
Bob Backlund (1 title defense, 2 week reign).

-Television Champion - 70.0% Prestige (up from 69.3% last month)
Midcard Title
Butch Miller - (5 title defenses, 6-week reign)

-World Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (up from 69.4% last month)
Midcard Title
The Sheepherders - (1 title defense, 1-month reign)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 71.6% Prestige (up from 70.0% last month)
Main Event Title
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan (2 title defenses, 6-week reign)

-Cruiserweight Championship - 38.0% Prestige (Up from 37.2% last month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 2 title defenses, 4-month reign

-Bob Backlund wins the world title in March. After a series of title changes across the championships, I'll be looking for a little more stability again.

[wahoomac]

NEWS

-A new promotion has risen in Japan, from the ashes of All Japan and New Japan. It's called "Japan Pro". So between that and UPW, Japan wrestling is not dead. Mexican Wrestling on the other hand.....I'm still trying to decide if I should create a new promotion or two manually. I THINK that the AI created Japan Pro on its own (I'm not aware of a real-life "Japan Pro" that would have been programmed in the mod to start in March 1985). If the AI can create promotions where there's a market for them, I'd rather leave it to the AI. But Mexico is still barren.


I looked a little into the DOTT database (2007 version) and Japan Pro-Wrestling does not have a starting year, which I guess means that they would start up randomly depending on maybe whether they were "needed" or not. There are two yet-to-debut promotions in Mexico (Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and International Wrestling Revolution Group) but they have actual start times of 1990 and 1996. So it looks like you would be waiting until 1990 to get wrestling back in Mexico.

[DeToxRox]

I'd edit AAA to open up soon rather then create a new promotion.

[molson]

I looked a little into the DOTT database (2007 version) and Japan Pro-Wrestling does not have a starting year, which I guess means that they would start up randomly depending on maybe whether they were "needed" or not. There are two yet-to-debut promotions in Mexico (Asistencia Asesoría y Administración and International Wrestling Revolution Group) but they have actual start times of 1990 and 1996. So it looks like you would be waiting until 1990 to get wrestling back in Mexico.

Thanks for looking at that.

Ya, I'll set AAA to come in earlier, but not quite yet. I want this lack of promotions in Mexico to basically destroy the wrestling scene there (causing retirements, worker skill/popularity erosions) until the game economy there picks up. That feels more realistic.

[Swaggs]

Almost two years old (bump)... :)

[molson]

Almost two years old (bump)... :)

Damn, thanks for the bump, I didn't realize it was two years today.

This must be the slowest dynasty ever......

I'm taking a little break as I'm occupied by a CIV IV game, but will be back to this early next week...

[the_meanstrosity]

A long time reader, first time poster. Great dynasty molson. Don't let Civ keep you too busy because I need my WCCW fix.

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF MARCH 1985

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Hart Limited Drama: Gary Hart/Mendoza/Bundy/Villano IV (January)
2. Kamala's Rampage: Kamala/Parsons (March)
3. Cruiserweight Title Feud: Mike Von Erich/Villano V (January)
4. Leon White's Rise: White/Cook/Kolof (March)
5T. Hennig v. Murdoch Part II: Hennig/Murdoch/Funk/Sullivan/Grappler #1 (January)
5T: Tag Team Title Storyline: Sheepherders v. Kerry/Kevin (April, recently evolved to include The Sheepherders, and to eliminate Tiger Mask/Kabuki, Mendoza/Bundy)
7. Backlund/Inoki (March)

Set to Debut:
-Eaton/Ware v. Olsonoski/Somers

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-David Von Erich
-Roddy Piper
-The Great Kabuki
-Grappler #2
-Tiger Mask
-Mark Youngblood
-Mr. Pogo
-Terry Gordy
-El Halcon

-The Eaton/Ware/David storyline that had been the hottest thing in the company has officially ended. Eaton/Ware will go into a established team v. new team feud with Olsonoski/Somers. That will be quite a demotion for Eaton/Ware, but it will give me a chance to see what Olsonoski/Somers can do. David will stay out of official storylines for the time being - he's already got his hands filled trying to win the King of Texas Wrestling tournament for a 3rd straight year, and then challenging for the World Title in the main event of Parade of Champoins

-The rankings of storylines in a little weird this week, almost flipped from what you'd expect in terms of momentum. A few storylines have gotten stale from not progressing fast enough, but hopefully I can remedy that this month.

-The one that's really hanging out there in limbo in Von Erichs/Sheepherders. Kevin is still out injured, though I plan on picking up that feud again as soon as he's back 100%.

-Roddy Piper will also be without a storyline, probably for the remainder of his contract. Now that he's back from his most recent suspension, I'll probably dust him off for Piper's Pit and the occasional job.

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in October, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

NONE

-My prestige lead over the AWA has inched up to 0.8%, up 0.2% this month. It's critical that I keep that edge to remain the world's priority company for every worker. I've extended my edge over Mid-Atlantic up to 3.5%, which is a jump of 0.9% since last month. They apparently had some problems last month.

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Antonio Inoki
-Barry Orton
-Bill Mercer
-Billy Robinson
-Charlie Cook
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-El Halcon
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Jackie Fargo
-Jose Lothario
-Kamala
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Leon White
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Mr. Pogo
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Steve Olsonoski
-The Great Kabuki
-Villano IV
-Villano V

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Dick Murdoch is unhappy about how many losses he's taken.
-Iceman Parsons in unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Kamala is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Kevin Von Erich is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Nikita Koloff is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.
-Roddy Piper is furious about how often he's been unused on shows

-Some different voice express some complaints this month. Kevin apparently wants to be used in though he stinks of the ring in his current physical condition. I'll use him for a few interviews until he's back. It took me a while to debut Kamala after I signed him, now he's out on a kayfabe "indefinite suspension'. He's only signed through the King of Texas Wrestling show at the end of April, so he'll be back in action soon. I certainly understand why Nikita Koloff is upset, he wasn't used at all in March. I mostly just wanted to keep him out of the fray so I continue to build him slowly.

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *). This doesn't include start-of-month changes.

-Dusty Wolfe thinks he should be an occasional wrestler
-El Halcon thinks he should be a midcarder
-Kerry Von Erich thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Nikita Koloff thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Perry Jackson thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Roddy Piper thinks he should be a main eventer
-Villano IV thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Villano V thinks he should be a midcarder

-All around, the locker room again seems slightly happier this month. Some interesting requests here. The Villanos continue to see their confidence improve. It wasn't long ago they were the laughingstock of WCCW, now Villano V thinks he should be in the midcard.

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of March, 1985), with last month is parenthesis.



B+
Greg Valentine (N/A)

B
Bob Backlund (B)
Kevin Sullivan (C+)

B-
Jerry Lawler (N/A)
David Von Erich (C+)
Billy Robinson (C+)
Terry Gordy (N/A)

C+
Grappler #1 (C+)
Leon White (C+)
Iceman Parsons (C+)
Roddy Piper (C+)
El Halcon (C-)
Nikita Koloff (C+)
Villano V (C)
Kerry Von Erich (C)
Terry Funk (B-)
Dick Murdoch (C+)
Antonio Inoki (B-)
Tiger Mask (C)
Butch Miller (B-)
Luke Williams (C)
The Great Kabuki (C+)
Curt Hennig (B)

C
Koko B. Ware (B-)
Arturo Mendoza (C)
Mr. Pogo (C-)
Villano IV (C+)
Doug Somers (C-)
Grappler #2 (C)
Kevin Von Erich (C+)

C-
King Kong Bundy (C)
Steve Olsonoski (D+)
Kamala (C-)
Bobby Eaton (C+)

D+
Mike Von Erich (D)
Al Perez (D)
Charlie Cook (D+)

D
None

D-
Perry Jackson (E+)

E+
Dusty Wolfe (E+)

E
Barry Orton (F+)
Mark Youngblood (E-)

E-
None

F+
None

F
None

F-
Owen Hart (F+)

Rising in March: Kevin Sullivan, David Von Erich, Billy Robinson, El Halcon, Villano V, Kerry Von Erich, Tiger Mask, Luke Williams, Mr. Pogo, Doug Somers, Steve Olsonoski, Mike Von Erich, Al Perez, Perry Jackson, Barry Orton, Mark Youngblood

Falling in March: Terry Funk, Antonio Inoki, Butch Miller, Curt Hennig, Koko B. Ware, Villano IV, Kevin Von Erich, Bobby Eaton, King Kong Bundy, Owen Hart.

-Definitely a good month for momentum as a whole. I really try to make sure everyone on the roster has something to do most of the time. Eaton/Ware have really plunged down. It's nothing wrong they did, really, just trying to freshen things up and let Ray Stevens' Federation run as the top heels for a while. Billy Robinson and El Halcon have been nice surprises.

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF March, 1985
*Workers on loan contracts

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
Greg Valentine*
David Von Erich
Terry Funk
Curt Hennig
Bobby Eaton
Dick Murdoch
Antonio Inoki
Jerry Lawler*

-Bobby Eaton drops out of this group this month. Jerry Lawler and Greg Valentine each have 1 appearance left on their load contracts. I figure I'll use Lawler to main event a show in the southeast, and Valentine will main event a Texas show with David Von Erich (they were the last 2 in the Last Man Standing Event). Inoki has the most scrutiny here - he'll drop down after the Backlund feud unless he really impresses.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

Luke Williams
Butch Miller
Bobby Eaton
Roddy Piper
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Sullivan
Grappler #1
Kamala

-Same group as last month, with the edition of Eaton, and the subtraction of Koko B. Ware. Kamala will return this month to terrorize WCCW. Grappler #1 has just had a great run of matches. It's not out of the realm of possibility that he could take the last step and main event.

MIDCARDERS

Kerry Von Erich
Koko B. Ware
Iceman Parsons
Tiger Mask
The Great Kabuki
Arturo Mendoza
Grappler #2
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
King Kong Bundy
Mr. Pogo
Terry Gordy
Leon White

-Terry Gordy, Koko B. Ware, and Leon White join this group to make it the biggest on the roster (as it really should be). Gordy is the biggest question mark in the company right now. He couldn't win the Last Man Standing event, so he's still "banned" from WCCW. But I have him cheap for a little longer. I have a couple of ideas to get some more use out him, but I don't think he'll be back on the active roster full-time. As much as I'd like to build White slowly, I just couldn't keep him as a lower midcarder with his performances as of late, highlighted by an "A" rated match with Grappler #2. Kerry definitely doesn't want to be this low on the card, but he's just never really impressed me enough to be any higher. My roster is gaining in star power all the time, and his long-term niche is probably teaming with Kevin.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Doug Somers
Villano V
Villano IV
Mark Youngblood
Charlie Cook
El Halcon

-White is up and out of this group. Villano IV moves in here to join his brother, after a promotion. The Villanos have had some big wins recently, and are about to become even more relevant in April. El Halcon is on the verge of the midcard, but at 37 years old, I'd rather have him down here, mostly jobbing, with the occasional "surprise underdog" success, like he had at Last Man Standing.

OPENERS

Al Perez
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton

-Owen Hart moves down from this group, Villano IV moves up and out. Of the remaining three, my road agents definitely like Perry Jackson the best.

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Owen Hart

-Hart moves down here because Dusty Wolfe requested to be an occasional wrestler, and my "ideal roster" settings require 1 Enhancement Talent. Hart, who's at the very bottom of our individual momentum ratings, was the obvious choice. Hart's record in WCCW is 11-65-3. I'm actually surprised he has that many wins.

OCCASIONAL WRESTLERS

Billy Robinson
Dusty Wolfe

-Robinson had a good month for me in March - he wrestled B+ matches with Koko B. Ware and Terry Gordy. He's 45 years old, and far more useful at this point than the departed Bruno Sammartino. He'll continue to tag with the younger faces, win some, bust mostly lose to stronger heels.

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
Bill Mercer
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
Ray Stevens
Ricky Romero
Jackie Fargo
Ox Baker
Vince McMahon
Jerry Usher
Jerry Calhoun

-A few new names here. Ox Baker will debut on screen soon as a manager, I don't think he'll be around very long. Usher and Calhoun were signed as referees in case I can't bring back David Manning. Vince McMahon is a member of Ray Stevens' "federation' stable, but he really doesn't carry a lot of clout, he's mostly just for experimentation/amusement. He's probably fizzle out and disappear at some point.

CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-The Great Kabuki (14 Days)
-David Manning (15 Days)
-Tiger Mask (28 Days)
-Skandor Akbar (29 Days)
-Kamala (34 Days)
-Roddy Piper (41 Days)
-Terry Funk (50 Days)
-Mr. Pogo (57 Days)
-Iceman Parsons (59 Days)
-Perry Jackson (60 Days)
-Barry Orton (60 Days)

-There's a lot of interesting decisions coming up in the next two months. I'm definitely looking to reduce my payroll, in the hopes that it will encourage Fritz to let me sign some bigger names. Tiger Mask and his $2,000/show salary is a huge candidate to help out there (though after the events of recent shows, I'd love to use a Tiger Mask/Arturo Mendoza tag match). The Great Kabuki is also at risk. That would definitely blow up the current Gary Hart storyline. I'd actually like to bring Kamala back, he's just too interesting, and there's too much to do with him. Piper, as my most expensive wrestler, seems like an easy choice to let go when his contract is up, but I've thought that before and he's somehow survived. Terry Funk might be the toughest decision of all. Right now, I'm leaning towards letting Kabuki, Tiger Mask, and Terry Funk walk away, and re-signing everyone else as long as their demands are reasonable. That would definitely free up some cash.

[hoopsguy]

Does Piper have compromising pictures of you? Seriously, how does that guy stay on the roster time and time again?

[molson]

Does Piper have compromising pictures of you? Seriously, how does that guy stay on the roster time and time again?

Ya, someday I'll have to go back and see exactly how he survived so long. It was just one little idea after another kept me running with him: The Adrian Adonis feud/alliance, the mini-feud with David, the never-ending Sammartino angle - throw in a bunch of month-long suspensions where I only had to pay him his downside guarantee, and he was just always able to survive for "one more angle".

I think to me, Piper v. pretty much everyone just sounds like a fun storyline, heel or face.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, April 1985
Dallas, TX (Texas - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,337 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Billy Robinson defeats Dusty Wolfe in 7:31 by pinfall. (C) Robinson looked good.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Mark Youngblood in 6:33 by countout (D). After the match Bill Mercer interviewed Charlie Cook, who continued his verbal attack on Leon White. Cook says that he knows that White is competing later tonight, so he's going to stick around. (C-)

-Bill Mercer interviewed the team of Curt Hennig, Terry Funk, and Anotoni Inoki, who are scheduled to compete tonight against the World Six Man Tag Team Champions: Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, and Kevin Sullivan. However, as a result of a injuries inflicted by Inoki at the conclusion of the World Title Match at the Last Man Standing show, Bob Backlund is not present tonight. Ray Stevens is also not in the arena. Bill Mercer notes, however, that the match is still scheduled to take place, regardless of whether or not Murdoch & Sullivan can find another partner. Inoki hypes his performance in the world title match, and says that in light of the interference that he feels cost him that match, he's petitioning the WCCW Championship Committee to name him #1 Contender to the World Title so he can get another shot. Mercer notes that the Championship Committee will in fact name the #1 contender on the TV show this week. Funk & Hennig also hyped the match tonight, and their ongoing alliance as mentor/protoge. (B)

-King Kong Bundy, The Great Kabuki, and Gary Hart come to the ring and perform their collective "crazy" shtick. Hart attempts to play guitar and sing an Elvis song, Bundy rants and raves in his new preacher gimmick, and the The Great Kabuki performs his bizarre salt ritual. The spectacle is broken up by their opponents tonight, The Villanos. (B-)

-The Villanos defeat King Kong Bundy & The Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) in 5:47 when Villano IV pinned Kabuki after mass confusion amongst the heels. (C).

-After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed The Villanos about their win. (C). The Villanos say their continued success justifies their decision to refuse Gary Hart's offers of managerial service. They also note that on the TV show this week, the WCCW Championship Committee will name the #1 Contenders for the World Tag Team Titles. The Villanos say the committee should take a close look at them and their success of late, which has included victories over The Road Warriors, Eaton/Ware, and now Bundy/Kabuki twice.

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Barry Orton & Perry Jackson in 3:54 when Somers pinned Orton. (D+). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Somers & Olsonoski, who stated that while they're a new team, the WCCW Championship Committee should pay attention to their dominant win tonight, and the fact that they're undefeated as a team. (C-)

-Members of the Federation Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, and Vince McMahon come to the ring. They confirm that Bob Backlund and Ray Stevens are not in attendance tonight, and that Antonio Inoki will pay dearly for his attack on Backlund at Last Man Standing. Dick Murdoch, then, turns his attention to Curt Hennig. Murdoch taunts Hennig for his short world title reign, and blames him for losing their random-pairing tag team match at the Last Man Standing event. Murdoch claims that as soon as he found out that he would be teaming with Hennig, he knew he had no shot at advancing, since Hennig is "worthless". (B+). Murdoch and Sullivan then mocked the teams of The Villanos, and Somers/Olsonoski for thinking they have any right at being named #1 Contenders for the World Tag Team Titles. Murdoch and Sullivan say the only team that should be considered is them, as they're the only team tough enough to deal with The Sheepherders. (B+). Finally, they announce that tonight, they will face the Funk/Hennig/Inoki team, however, it won't be a handicap match, and their six-man titles won't be on the line. After teasing that Vince McMahon might round out their team, the introduce their real partner - a returning "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, who comes the ring, with his bodyguard, Grappler #2. (B+) Piper cuts a promo putting over the Federation, insulting their opponents, and hyping the fact that entire Federation stable will be on the next edition of Piper's Pit, this week on the TV show. (B+).

-The team of Funk/Hennig/Inoki comes to the ring for the match, however ring introductions are barely underway when Hennig and Murdoch argue and come to blows, before being separated by the referee, road agents, and other participants. (C+) Finally, the match is ready to start.

-Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, & Roddy Piper (w/Vince McMahon & Grappler #2) defeat Curt Hennig, Terry Funk, & Antonio Inoki in 15:40 when Sullivan pinned Hennig after inference and distractions from McMahon and Grappler #2 outside the ring. (B). During the match, Grappler #2 was decimated by Inoki after he attempted to interfere. Grappler #2, still groggy, had to try to prepare for the next match.

-Leon White defeats Grappler #2 in 5:41 by pinfall. (B+). The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. Immediately after the match, Charlie Cook, as he promised, came to the ring to attack White. White however, easily repelled the attack, sending Cook flying from the ring. (D+).

-Greg Valentine came to the ring to cut a promo, insulting his opponent tonight, David Von Erich, the winner of last week's Last Man Standing Event. Valentine was the runner-up in that competition. (B)

-David Von Erich defeats Greg Valentine in 22:47 by pinfall. (A) After the match, David cuts a promo hyping his win at the Last Man Standing event - he says he's already signed the contract - he'll face the World Champion, whoever it may be, for the World Title at Parade of Champions. In the meantime, he's focused on winning the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament for a 3rd straight year. (C)

-Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Decent show, saved by the second half.

-That's the end of Valentine's loan contract, he certainly made a good showing while he was here, I'm sure we'll use him again at some point. David's promo at the end tanked, but he can definitely deliver main event caliber matches with a variety of competition.

-Leon White and Grappler #2 had another solid match, though it didn't approach their "A" classic from last week. They have a little rivalry going at moment, they were also randomly paired together in a losing effort at last man standing. (Grappler #2 cost White his undefeated record, though White is sill undefeated in 1-on-1 matches, and he's never been pinned in WCCW). Charlie Cook is obviously out of White's league, but that little storyline will go on a while, just to elevate White. It's kind of the equivalent of Goldberg v. Steve McMichael in WCW, all the way down to football player v. football player.

-The six-man tag was the standard controlled chaos that the real WCCW did a lot in six-man matches. It also got Murdoch a win, which hopefully will placate him a little. Also, we saw the return of Roddy Piper from his latest suspension. There's a lot of intertwining alliances here. Piper showed he's still running with the Grapplers as bodyguards (even though the profile of both Grapplers have risen since Piper was last around - he better not piss them off, there's an easy face turn there if I want it). That faction is obviously friendly with the Federation. Skandor Akbar's Destruction Inc., however, stands out on it's own, hated by everyone.

-The Villanos have clearly gotten the better of this "feud" with Gary Hart and his clients. But their match tonight was a pretty big disappointment compared to what they've been doing lately.

[molson]

NEWS

-Some major, critical changes to this dynasty may be in the works as Fritz Von Erich has revealed to me new owner goals and blocks at the 2 year anniversary of my employment.

-I had only been dealing with one block - I wasn't allowed to sign any worker with resilience under C-. That wasn't very much of a handicap. There was really only one guy I was really interested in that I had to stay away from. So upon the end of this block, I went ahead and requested negotiations with Andre the Giant. Andre has been on the shelf with injuries for over a year, but he's looking to get back in the ring soon.

-And I might need him, because the new blocks are much more challenging, and they're in place for the next 2 years. #1 - I cannot sign any wrestler who has less than a B- rating in "basics". That will be very restrictive. I'm allowed to keep guys who are rated lower than that that I already have under contract - but I don't think I'll be allowed to re-sign them when their contracts are up (not 100% sure on that). Some of the current guys on my roster that wouldn't make that cut include Kamala, Kevin Sullivan, Nikita Koloff, Mr. Pogo, The Villanos, Mike Von Erich, and Leon White. This block will transform my roster over the next 2 years into one that's more scientific-wrestling friendly.

-The #2 block is even more interesting, and perhaps more restrictive. Fritz is now on an anti-steroid crusade. He will refuse to do business with any wrestler that has been "known" to use steroids. This is tricky, because it's a hidden rating (I won't cheat by looking in the editor). But, it's safe to say that I probably won't be able to re-sign Kerry, or sign Hulk Hogan.

-So Fritz wants scientific wrestlers, that are steroid-free, at least for two years. A whole new challenge.

-Fritz has also assigned a new necessary goal: The promotion cannot drop below $787,427 at any time. We're currently at $1,315,712. With my new PPV revenues, this shouldn't be a problem, but I'll have to build up more cash reserves to accomplish my planned "burn money on the way to National Status" strategy (once I get within striking distance).

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show.

-Dick Slater & Dusty Rhodes won the annual Crocket Cup tag team tournament in Mid-Atlantic, defeating Rick Harris and Masa Fuchi in the finals

-Mid-Atlantic has not re-signed Terry Funk after his contract expired - he now works only for us.

[hoopsguy]

Wow, losing a pair of the Von Erichs because of the new rules would be a pretty huge change. I'm sure you'll continue to come up with new angles to entertain us, but it will definitely feel different when you have to slash the first family of this dynasty.

[sabotai]

Fritz Von Erich is the father of Mike and Kerry, right? (What I mean is, that relationship was put into the mod, right?) I'm not 100% on this, but an owner will extend a deal with a worker on his own, and with the blood relation, Fritz might ignore his own goals and resign his sons himself.

(Edit: I'm not sure as to when this was put into the game. It might have been a new feature for TEW08)

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 1, April 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
El Halcon defeats Dusty Wolfe in 4:09 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Halcon about his win. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Luke Williams (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Mark Youngblood in 7:51 by pinfall. (C+). Williams looked good. After the match, Akbar cut a promo hyping his Williams, and his stable. He also promised that Kamala and Nikita Koloff would return soon. (C+)

-David Von Erich & Antonio Inoki cut a promo to open the show, hyping their main event match against Kevin Sullivan & Dick Murdoch. (B). Murdoch & Sullivan also cut a promo hyping the match, again promising revenge for the injuries Inoki inflicted on the World Champion, Bob Backlund. (B)

-Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) defeated Billy Robinson in 11:42 by pinfall. (C+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Robinson shook hands with Hennig in a sign of mutual respect. (C+)

-Bill Mercer's 2-minute "Update" segment recaps the result of the Last Man Standing Event, and the house show 2 nights ago in Dallas. He also hinted at rumors that Skandor Akbar and WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario are close to some kind of arrangement that will allow Kamala to return to the ring, after his indefinite suspension. (D+)

-Backstage, Jose Lothario says he has two announcements. First, the WCCW Championship Committee has determined the new #1 Contenders for the World Tag Team Championship, and the World Heavyweight Championship. First, Lothario announces at the King of Texas Wrestling Show at the end of the month, The Sheepherders will defend the World Tag Team Titles against...The Villanos. (C+). Lothario says that the Championship committee has been impressed with The Villanos victories of late over The Road Warriors, Eaton/Ware, and Kabuki/Bundy, among others. Then, Lothario announces that in light of the inference during the World Title Match at Last Man Standing between Bob Backlund and Antonio Inoki, the Committee has determined that Antonio Inoki is the #1 Contender for the World Title, and he will face World Champion Bob Backlund in a Steel Cage match at the King of Texas Wrestling event for the title, in order to eliminate the possibility of interference. (B-)

-Then, Skandor Akbar and WCCW TV Champion Butch Miller enter the screen, and Akbar draws from the rolling drum of volunteer challengers to Miller's title - Akbar draws the name of Kerry Von Erich. (C+)

-Charlie Cook comes to the ring for his match. He grabs a mic, insults Leon White again, and challenges him to a match on next week's show. (D+)

-Terry Funk defeats Charlie Cook in 6:33 by pinfall. (B-).

-A video recaps the recent eccentric antics of Gary Hart, King Kong Bundy, and The Great Kabuki (B-)

-Tiger Mask & Arturo Mendoza defeat King Kong Bundy & The Great Kabuki in 7:40 when Mendoza pinned Kabuki. (B-). The announcers noted the evolving relationships between the four competitors - Tiger Mask & Arturo Mendoza had been involved in a lengthy, bitter feud for almost a year, but they have recently buried the hatchet to oppose Gary Hart. Tiger Mask is a former tag team partner of Kabuki, who he faced at Last Man Standing in a losing effort (thanks to outside interference). Tiger Mask seemed off his game.

-Piper's Pit, w/guests, The Federation.
Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Vince McMahon, and World Champion Bob Backlund join Piper and his bodyguard, Grappler #2 in a heel love-fest. (C) Highlights include:
-Comments that Ray Stevens is still absent, as he's off on a scouting assignment.
-Bob Backlund saying that while he was injured in the "savage" attack by Antonio Inoki at Last Man Standing, he'll be ready to face him in the steel cage at the King of Texas Wrestling Show, where he'll get his revenge.
-Dick Murdoch says that this is the most money he's ever made in wrestling, and that he's proud to be in professional wrestling's most elite organization - The Federation. Murdoch says that Bob Backlund has offered he and Kevin Sullivan World Title matches whenever they want them, but they have declined, saying they're focusing on being a cohesive unit, and acquiring more gold.
-Murdoch & Sullivan mocked the decision to name The Villanos the #1 Contenders to the World Title. They both claim they'll just continue kicking ass until the Championship Committee has no choice but to award them a title shot.
-Murdoch, as usual, also unleashes a vicious verbal attack on Curt Hennig.
-Both Murdoch and Sullivan plan on being involved in the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling tournament, and state that David has "zero chance" of a 3-peat.

-Kerry Von Erich cuts a promo hyping his upcoming TV Title shot against Sheepherder Butch Miller. Von Erich says that Kevin has suffered some setbacks in his attempted comeback from injury and that honestly, he doesn't know when, or if, Kevin will wrestle again. Kerry says he hopes to exact a little revenge on the Sheepherders tonight, by winning Butch Miller's TV Title. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats Kerry Von Erich after blatant interference from Akbar. (C). Miller makes his 6th defense of this title.

-Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan (w/Vince McMahon) defeat David Von Erich & Antonio Inoki in 18:03 after by DQ after Inoki lost his temper and struck Sullivan with a steel chair. (B). After the match, David voiced his displeasure with Inoki for costing them the match. The argument grew heated, before Inoki stormed out. (C). David Von Erich cut a promo to end the show, admitting that he was upset with Inoki for losing his temper and costing them the match. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS

-OK show. Or really, a slightly below average one, I definitely want to be getting Bs, and B+s in Texas.

-The Inoki/David argument obviously teases the possibility that Inoki defeats Backlund for the title, then faces David at Parade of Champions. Just another wrinkle in the main event scene.

-Murdoch/Sullivan definitely have a point about getting a tag team title shot after that win. Instead though, The Villanos are the #1 Contenders for the time being.

-The Kerry/Miller match was pretty bad. Kerry just doesn't have it.

-Tiger Mask/Mendoza are a pretty intriguing team, too bad Tiger Mask will probably be out of here in a few weeks after his contract expires.

-It's kind of funny how Charlie Cook still thinks he's "somebody", challenging Leon White to a match, only to get defeated handily by Terry Funk. That's one of those little random things I try to do in booking shows - in pro wrestling, whenever someone makes some kind of challenge, or has some storyline going, you no they're going to win, every single time, in matches outside that storyline. With Cook, he's trying to have a feud with White, but gets his ass kicked by everyone else. Cook though, certainly did have a good showing in his match with Funk. That B- is his highest rating ever for us, his previous high is only "C".

-The Piper's Pit rating was disappointing, especially since it ran 10 minutes, that definitely didn't help our overall rating. Vince probably brought it down.

-Billy Robinson will spend some more time wrestling faces in scientific face v. face matches. Just a chance to help improve the young guys.

[molson]

NEWS

-Kerry was late to the last show. He's suspended for a week.

-Dick Murdoch is again exhausted after the last show.

-The TV show delivered a record 4.97 TV rating. That shatters last week's all time high of 4.57.

-Andre The Giant has rejected negotiations, saying we're "not big enough" for him. His popularity is apparently still high enough where he refuses to wrestle for anything less than a national promotion (of which there are none in the world, currently)

-I manage to re-sign referee David Manning for $825/show. So I'm able to release those other two referees I brought in.

-WWC in Puerto Rico have signed their first PPV deal. That will definitely make them more relevant.

-I manage to re-sign Kamala for another 3 months at $2,175/show, a modest raise from his old $1,900/deal. He also gets 10% of any merchandise revenue I generate for him. Kamala has a basics rating of C+, so apparently, Fritz's block does not apply to workers I already have under contract.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, March 1985
Johnson City, TN (Southeast - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,499 Ticket prices: $4 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Fritz Von Erich and WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario come to the ring to hype the show and welcome the fans. They recap some of the ongoing storylines and upcoming events in WCCW. Specifically, they hype the King of Texas Wrestling tournament to be held at the end of the month. Lothario points out that one month ago, in this very arena, he announced what was at stake in the Last Man Standing event, and the fans in attendance were treated to the first qualifying matches for that event. Tonight, says Lothario will be no different, as the first 3 qualifying matches will be held later on tonight. Then, Lothario breaks down the rules, and what's at stake in this year's tournament:

1985 King of Texas Wrestling Tournament
-12 Participants. 4 Receive First Round Byes.
-4 First Round Matches in the "Lightning Round". These matches will have only a 5 minute time limit. If the time limit expires, or the match otherwise ends in a draw, a panel of three ringside judges will determine who advances to the final 8.
-4 Quarter-Final Matches with 10-minute time limits. Once again, three ringside judges will determine who advances, in the case of a draw of any kind.
-2 Semi-Final Matches with a 30-minute time limit. (Judges at ringside again)
-The final match will have no time limit (and no judges).
-David Von Erich, the two-time winner of this event, has already earned a first round bye, by virtue of his winning the 1985 Last Man Standing Event.
-The final 11 spots will be determined via qualifying matches over the next several weeks. The final 3 all-important byes will be determined during the last TV show before the event. Also at that event, the participants will be randomly slotted into the tournament.

The Winner of the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling Event Will Receive:
-$10,000 Cash
-A brand-new, 1985 Honda Civic
-The Prestigious King of Texas Wrestling Trophy.
-A Contract For a Championship Match - (Can Be Used To Challenge For Any Championship, Single or Tag-Team (with any partner), With at least 7 Days Notice, and No Expiration Date). (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
-Bill Mercer interviews Barry Orton about his upcoming match with Mike Von Erich. (D-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Mike Von Erich defeats Barry Orton in 8:06 by submission. (C-) Mike was visibly tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Mike about his upcoming Cruiserweight Title Match, to take place on the TV show this week, against his frequent rival, Villano V. (D). Mike puts over Villano V as a friend and a rival, but says that this will be Villano V's last shot at his title.

-Pre-Show Dark Segment.
King Kong Bundy comes out with Gary Hart. Hart hypes Bundy's upcoming King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match with Tiger Mask. Hart, showing slightly more sanity than in recent weeks, insults Tiger Mask for his alliance with "traitor" Arturo Mendoza. (C)

-As the show starts, Jerry Lawler comes to the ring and interrupts Bundy and Hart. Lawler claims that Hart and Bundy jumped their spot in the schedule tonight, and he's not going to stand by and let them take away his chance to talk to his home-state Tennessee fans. Hart and Bundy are annoyed, but leave the ring. Lawler hypes tonight's main event, a King of Texas Wrestling Tournament match with Bobby Eaton. Lawler notes that last month, he defeated Eaton in the main event of a show here, in order to qualfying for the Last Man Standing event. He expects a similar result tonight. Lawler also mocks Bobby Eaton's in-ring slump since he lost the World Title. (B)

-1985 King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match
King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) defeats Tiger Mask in 8:04 by pinfall to advance to the tournament. (B+). After the match, Bundy, in his preacher ring gear, cut a "sermon" while standing over the fallen Tiger Mask. (C-)

-Billy Robinson & El Halcon come to the ring to hype their upcoming match with the WCCW World Tag Team Champions, The Sheepherders. Robinson & El Halcon say that this will be a tough match, but if they can pull off a win, they feel that puts them in line for a title shot. (C)

-Skandor Akbar comes to the ring with the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. He hypes his team as the most awesome in all of professional wrestling. (C-). Akbar also says that he can confirm the rumors - Kamala's suspension has been lifted, and he will return at the TV show this week. Akbar says that he has looked all over the world for a man that can him help control the monster Kamala. He's finally found him, and it's a man almost as wild as Kamala himself. (C)

-Non-Title Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Billy Robinson & El Halcon in 7:57 when Miller pinned El Halcon. (C+)

-1985 King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match
-Charlie Cook defeated Mark Youngblood in 7:51 by pinfall. (D+). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Cook about his match with Leon White on the TV Show this week. Cook says that finally, he'll have a chance to show the world that he's the best pro wrestler to come out of the NFL, and he'll expose White for the fraud that he is. (D-)

-Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan come to the ring with Ray Stevens. They hype their upcoming match with the Villanos. They claim the match will prove what a joke it was that the Villanos were named #1 Contenders to the world tag team titles, and not them. (C)

-The Villanos defeated Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 8:50 when Murdoch was counted out after a high-risk move to the floor by the Villanos. (C+). After the match, The Sheepherders stormed the ring and attacked the Villanos - their challengers for the World Tag Team Titles at the King of Texas Wrestling Event. (C-)

-Bobby Eaton comes to the ring and hypes the main event, a King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match against Jerry Lawler. (B+)

-1985 King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match
Bobby Eaton defeats Jerry Lawler in 24:58 by pinfall after using Lawler's tights for leverage. (A+). After the match, an enraged Lawler attacks Eaton and throws him from the ring, to the crowd's approval. Eaton escapes to the locker room as the show ends. (A)

-Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS

-A huge show for the southeast, where our popularity is rapidly growing, but is still well short of our big two regions.

-Fantastic main event that matches their performance last month. This one was somewhat surprising considering Eaton's loss of momentum recently from all the jobs he's done. Overall, this was Eaton's 3rd A+ match (2 with Lawler, the other where Curt Hennig defeated him for the World Title)

-The Villanos get a big upset, in quirky fashion, against Murdoch/Sullivan. They've beaten everybody (though not always cleanly), and will have momentum going into the title match with The Sheepherders. This is sort of an underdog/fluky tag team push. The match was solid at C+, I expect them to have a better match with the more established team of The Sheepherders.

-Cook really is pretty awful. Though I feel like in something like the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament, it's good to have a little variety in the lineup. That allows for some creative booking, and it brings down the cost a little for the entire event.

-The Sheepherders' C+ with Robinson/El Halcon was impressive - I don't think a B or B+ with the Villanos is out of the question.

-Akbar hypes the return of Kamala - who will be on double-secret/last chance probation status with his new "handler", who will also debut at the TV show.

-Bundy/Tiger Mask sounds like a fun match to me, and Bundy gets a rare victory with his new gimmick. With Tiger Mask's contract up, he's been getting some losses lately.

[molson]

NEWS

-With that loss to Bobby Eaton, Jerry Lawler's loan contract with us has expired. I'm sure I'll bring him back someday for another run.

-I let The Great Kabuki enter the final week of his contract without requesting negotiations - that means he'll be gone at the end of that week. He'll be with us for the TV show this week, and maybe next week's house show. Just a cost-cutting move, really, as I try to get my payroll low enough to where Fritz will let me offer more money to superstars. Kabuki was making $1,650/show, and is one of the few guys that was with us since the start of this dynasty (the others are the Von Erichs, King Kong Bundy, Iceman Parsons, and non-wrestlers Gary Hart, Skandor Akbar, David Manning, and Jose Lothario). Terry Gordy and Bill Mercer were here at the start too, but they both had long absences in the meantime. I'll always periodically look to bring in real-life WCCW guys.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 2, April 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,579; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,726

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Luke Williams (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats El Halcon in 7:36 by pinfall. (C+) After the match, Akbar cut a promo hyping his client. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-King of Texas Wrestling Tournament Qualifying Match
Doug Somers defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:48 by submission. (D+)

-As the show starts, the team of David Von Erich, Antonio Inoki, Curt Hennig, and Terry Funk hype their main event, 8-man elimination tag match against Federation members Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan, and their new "associates", Roddy Piper and Grappler #1. David and Inoki claim that while they had some disagreements during last week's main event tag team match, they're back on the same page. Curt Hennig says he'll be looking for Dick Murdoch, and Funk hypes his rivalry with Kevin Sullivan. (D-)

-Backstage, WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario says he has several announcements. First, tonight's match between Charlie Cook and Leon White, at the request of both men, will be a no-DQ, falls count anywhere match. In order to maintain some semblance of control, Lothario has requested that Fritz Von Erich serve as special guest referee. (D+)

-Then, from a segment taped earlier tonight, Lance Russell interviews Lothario about the status of Kamala, who was indefinitely suspended several weeks ago. Lothario says that after negotiations with Skandor Akbar, he has agreed to reinstate Kamala, with several conditions. First, Kamala will have a new "handler", who much accompany Kamala at all times. Second, Kamala will be on a zero-tolerance policy - if he comes off the top rope, or is disqualified in a match, he will immediately be banned from WCCW. (C)

-Then, a very happy Skandor Akbar enters the scene with TV Champion Butch Miller, who is prepared to draw his random challenger for the night. He draws The Great Kabuki. Akbar smiles, saying it's always a pleasure to out-manage Gary Hart, and these days, after Hart's mental breakdown, it's easier than ever. (C)

-A music video hypes the destructive path of Kamala, and features highlights of his attacks on Owen Hart, Al Perez, and Iceman Parsons, attacks which put all three men out of action. (B-)

-Kamala (w/Ox Baker & Skandor Akbar) defeats Mark Youngblood by submission in 3:24. (C). Kamala debuts a new submission nerve-grip hold. Baker debuts as Kamala's new "handler", and he seems to have more control over Kamala than Akbar did alone. After the match, Kamala wildly celebrates in the ring. (C+). Soon however, he is interrupted by a returning Iceman Parsons, who comes out of the audience and surprises Kamala with an attack. Parsons sends Kamala flying through the ropes to the floor. (C+). Parsons then challenges Kamala to a match at the King of Texas Wrestling show. (C+). Baker and Akbar accept on behalf of Kamala. (B-)

-Lance Russell interviews Villano V about his "final chance" at the Cruiserweight Title tonight, in a match against Mike Von Erich. Villano V says that he's been focusing on he and his brother's tag team title shot against The Sheepherders at the King of Texas Wrestling show, and he'd love to add to their momentum with a win tonight. In just a few weeks, says Villano V, he could very well be a double champion. (C)

-Bill Mercer has his 1-minute "update" segment, quickly catching the fans up on recent events in WCCW, specifically the results of the recent house show and qualifying matches for the King of Texas Wrestling tournament. (C-)

-As Mike Von Erich comes to the ring for his Cruiserweight title defense, Lance Russell gets a few final comments from him. (C). Russell also gets final comments from the challenger, Villano V. (C+)

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Villano V in 6:41 by submission to make his 3rd defense of the Cruiserweight Title. (D+) Mike was visibly tiring towards the end of the match. The two showed poor chemistry. Mike celebrated in the ring after the match. (C+)

-No-DQ/Falls Count Anywhere Match
Leon White defeated Charlie Cook in 1:37 by pinfall in a dominating victory. (D+). The two showed poor chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Bill Mercer spots Terry Gordy at ringside, and conducts a brief interview with him. Gordy says that there's though he's no longer allowed to wrestle in WCCW, there's no rule about him attending the show as a fan, and that's all he did tonight, buy a ticket. (B-).

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) defeats The Great Kabuki (w/Gary Hart) in 9:11 by DQ. Miller makes his 7th defense of the TV title. (B-). Kabuki and Hart were as erratic as ever, and it negatively impacted Kabuki's performance in the ring. The Great Kabuki looked good.

-8-Man Tag Team Match
-Elimination Rules
Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Roddy Piper, & Grappler #1 (w/Ray Stevens, Vince McMahon, and Grappler #2) defeat David Von Erich, Antonio Inoki, Curt Hennig and Terry Funk in 31:34. (B) The order of elimination was as follows:
1. David Von Erich made Grappler #1 submit (4-3)
2. Terry Funk & Kevin Sullivan were counted out brawling outside the ring (3-3)
3. Dick Murdoch pinned Curt Hennig after interference from Vince McMahon (3-2)
4. Antonio Inoki was disqualified for striking Murdoch with a chair (a weapon that Ray Stevens had introduced into the match). (3-1). Again, David and Inoki got into a heated argument over Inoki's lost temper, which led to a 3-1 disadvantage for David. This time, the two came to blows, to the delight of the heels. They were eventually separated, and an angry David returned to the match
5. David Von Erich pinned Roddy Piper (2-1)
6. Dick Murdoch pinned David Von Erich (after David had been worn down from 3-1 and then 2-1 odds). (Murdoch and Sullivan win the match)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS

-This was a below-average show for us, but I needed to work a bunch of storyline elements in that had been sitting out there, so it served a purpose.

-The mini-feud between David and Inoki continues - with David guaranteed a World Title shot at Parade of Champions, he would face Inoki in the main event there if Inoki can defeat Backlund in the steel cage in a few weeks. Backlund is still "out" selling the concussion that Inoki gave him after their last match.

-The main event obviously saved us, but the solid heel/heel Kabuki/Biller match also helped a great deal. That's probably Kabuki's last match with WCCW for the time being. Gary Hart will be left with King Kong Bundy in his faltering stable. Something will have to give with him eventually, he can't stay a comedy joke forever.

-White absolutely dominated Charlie Cook. The match was crappy but short. White is still undefeated in 1-on-1 matches in WCCW, and he's never been pinned or made to submit.

-Mike/Villano V got a lot of attention tonight, as I had to fill out the final storyline elements in that feud. It's over now. Eventually, I'll put together a real Cruiserweight division, and promote that belt out of it's current lower-card status, but for now, it gives all those guys something to do. Mike has now held that belt for 4 1/2 months.

-Kamala is back - he'll get Parsons again at the King of Texas Wrestling Show. Now that he can't come off the top rope, he's debuted a submission move (which I imagine as just some kind of nerve grip).

[molson]

NEWS

-The TV Show delivers another all-time high rating of 5.15, besting last week's high of 4.97. We're in great position to jump to a better time slot and/or network when TV negotiations start in a few weeks.

-Dick Murdoch is exhausted after the last show. He's definitely a workhorse, and I've been relying on him a little too much. His workload might decrease a little though, as he just left Georgia Championship Wrestling after his contract expired. He leaves the Georgia National TV Title vacant.

-Roddy Piper complains about his push. He has 28 days left on his contract.

-The Great Kabuki is officially gone, and unemployed. He's the first of a slow roster purge we'll be taking part in over the next few weeks and month. Kabuki never managed a championship during since this dynasty started. He finishes with a WCCW dynasty W/L record of 38-41-12. His best match was an A+ rated effort against Tiger Mask at last month's Last Man Standing Event. He started the dynasty as a part of Gary Hart's Hart Limited Stable, teaming with Magic Dragon. He also feuded with Manny Fernandez and Bruiser Brody. Eventually, he turned on Hart and formed a team with Tiger Mask. Finally, he was seduced by a post-mental breakdown Hart to rejoin him, which started a short feud with former partner Tiger Mask. He wrestled 7 matches after rejoining Gary Hart, and only won one of them.

-"Gentleman" Ken Timbs shockingly won the NWA United States Championship from Dory Funk Jr, who had held the title about 3 months.

-Buddy Rose has decided he's too big for his current promotion, SWCW. I request negotiations (being quite sure that Rose won't be barred by Fritz' no-steroids block). Rose has some tremendous matches with WCCW during prior loan trade agreements.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, April 1985
Dallas, TX (Texas - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,290 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Bill Mercer interviews Mr. Pogo about his upcoming King of Texas Wrestling Tournament Qualifying Match against Billy Robinson. (C+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-King of Texas Wrestling Qualfying Match
Billy Robinson defeats Mr. Pogo in 13:41 by pinfall. (B). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Pre-Show Dark Segment.
Bill Mercer interviewed Billy Robinson about his win and his chances in the tournament. Robinson says he's been taken lightly a few times in WCCW, and with the right draw, he could make some serious noise in the tournament. (C-)

-As the show starts, Lance Russell interviews Arturo Mendoza about his upcoming King of Texas Qualifying Match with Koko B. Ware. Mendoza also talked about how proud of he was of his brothers, The Villanos, for earning a World Tag Team Title Match at next week's King of Texas Wrestling Event. (C+)

-King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Koko B. Ware in 12:11 by pinfall. (A+)

-Lance Russell interviewed the team of Al Perez & Owen Hart, who are making their first appearance back in WCCW since they were injured by Kamala. Tonight, they join forces to face Kamala in a handicap match. (D)

-Before the next match starts, Kamala hits the ring and attacks Perez and Hart before the bell rings. Kamala's new handler tries to control him, knowing that a DQ will lead to a permanent banning for Kamala. (C)

-2-on-1 Handicap Match
Kamala (w/Ox Baker) defeats Al Perez & Owen Hart in 2:28 when Kamala pinned Perez. (D+). Kamala was off his game. After the match, Ox Baker cut a promo hyping Kamala, and his match at next week's King of Texas Wrestling event against Iceman Parsons. Baker claims that Parsons' attack on Kamala on the TV show last week was the biggest mistake of Parsons' life. Baker promises that Kamala will "finish the job" this time. (C+)

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat The Grapplers in 7:59 when Olsonoski pinned Grappler #2. (C). Grappler #1 was off his game. The Grapplers looked good. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Somers & Olsonoski about their upset win. (C) Olsonoski & Somers hype that they're still undefeated as a team, and this was their biggest win yet. They say the only way they'll keep climbing the ladder is to keep facing the best competition, so they're challenging the former World Tag Team Champions, Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware to a match.

-Antonio Inoki comes to the ring and is interviewed by Lance Russell. Russell says that much controversy has surrounded Inoki after his attack on Bob Backlund last month, and then his issues with David Von Erich over the last few weeks. Inoki says that he has agreed to face David 1-on-1 at the TV show this week. Inoki says that after that, he hopes that the personal issues with David will be behind them. But says Inoki, he expects that match to be a preview of the main event of Parade of Champions, an event which Inoki expects to enter as the World Champion. Inoki takes several subtle digs at David, and notes that he doesn't understand why his match tonight with Kevin Sullivan isn't the main event, and why they're taking a back seat to David v. Roddy Piper. (C+) Inoki also hypes his cage match next week against Bob Backlund for the World Title. Lance Russell notes that Bob Backlund hasn't yet been medically cleared to wrestle, and he may not be able to defend his title that night. Inoki says that if Backlund can't wrestle, the WCCW Championship Committee should award him the title on the spot, as the #1 Contender. He also says that if the match happens, he's excited to get Backlund in an environment where there can be no interference (B-)

-Kevin Sullivan (w/Vince McMahon) defeats Antonio Inoki in 18:04 by countout after interference from Ray Stevens and a returning Bob Backlund outside the ring. (A). The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Bob Backlund cut an angry promo in the ring, as his fellow stablemen Stevens, McMahon, and Sullivan continued to attack Inoki. Backlund swears he'll defend the title next week, regardless of whether he's medically cleared. (B+). After several more minutes of rambling promo/beatdown of Inoki, David Von Erich hits the ring with a chair and clears the ring of the entire Federation stable. He then quickly leaves, without checking on Inoki. (C)

-David Von Erich defeats Roddy Piper (w/Grappler #2) in 20:52 by submission. (B+).

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS

-Any time a show has an A+ match, and an A match, a B overall rating is a little disappointing. This was a rare show for me in that the main event was only the 3rd best match on the card.

-David/Piper at B+ was a tad disappointing, though looking back, those two have wrestled a couple of times and have never had a better match than that. Obviously this one wasn't backed by a storyline or anything, it was just a chance to keep David's momentum going.

-Inoki/Sullivan was better, at an A rating. I kind of liked the story of that match - Inoki appears to be turning heel, but still hates the Federation. Backlund shows up and costs Inoki the match, and then the Federation beats the crap of Inoki. David gets to be the superface and make the save for Inoki, the guy who keeps costing him matches and subtly insulting him. It will be interesting to see what the two of them can do on the TV show next week.

-Somers/Olsonoski beating the Grapplers is a pretty huge upset, it was just to help jumpstart their program with Eaton/Ware. That feud will either make or break the Somers/Olosonoski team. It's definitely a big step down for Eaton/Ware, but once that feud is over, I see them moving back up the card eventually, either as a team or individually.

-Kamala squashes Perez/Hart - I can't wait to see what Kamala does against good wrestlers. He did wrestle a B rated 1-on-1 match with Al Perez last month, so that's a good sign.

-The match of the night was the first match of the main show - Mendoza/Ware. Mendoza is awesome and he's been a little underutilized since he turned face. He'll get some kind of major program at least after Parade of Champions next month. That was Mendoza's first ever A+ match. It was #3 for Ware (the previous two were against David)

-Billy Robinson and Mr. Pogo also had a solid match on the pre-show. I see Robinson as the older guy that can't win the big match anymore, but gets damn close a lot.

[molson]

NEWS

-The King of Texas Wrestling Show stacks up like this so far:

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Steel Cage Match (Classic Rules: Pinfall or Submission Only)
Bob Backlund v. Antonio Inoki

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sheepherders v. The Villanos

-Kamala v. Iceman Parsons

-12-Man King of Texas Wrestling Tournament.
At stake:
-$10,000 Cash
-A brand-new, 1985 Honda Civic
-The Prestigious King of Texas Wrestling Trophy.
-A Contract For a Championship Match - (Can Be Used To Challenge For Any Championship, Single or Tag-Team (with any partner), With at least 7 Days Notice, and No Expiration Date).
-7 of the 12 participants have been determined:
Bobby Eaton
Charlie Cook
King Kong Bundy
Doug Somers
David Von Erich
Arturo Mendoza
Billy Robinson

-Roddy Piper is exhausted after the last show. I'll probably try to use him (and his inflated contract) somewhat sparingly in the last month before that contract expires.

-In pretty big news, Kevin Von Erich is FINALLY back to 100%. It's been months since he injured his shoulder. This opens up all sorts of storyline possibilities with the TV and Tag Team Championships.

-Buzz Sawyer has signed with Calgary Stampede - I just mention this because Stampede has done pretty well in this dynasty to hold on to their talent and bring in some big names. Current guys on the roster include: Bob Backlund, Bret Hart, Bad News Allen, Dynamite Kid, Tiger Mask, Bobby Eaton, and Ricky Steamboat. There's some pretty awesome match possibilities there. Of course, a lot of those guys are probably used only sparingly because of costs and other commitments. Though I have noticed that Bob Backlund and Bret Hart have met in a couple of main events up there (with Backlund playing the heel).

[Swaggs]

Has Al Snow debuted into the universe yet?

[PilotMan]

Villano III, IV & V FTW! With how far they have come you are missing a chance to get them back together and put the six man straps on 'em! :)

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, April 1985
Lincoln, NE (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,675; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 4,684

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mark Youngblood defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:49 by pinfall (D+).

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-King of the Ring Qualifying Match
Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) defeats Steve Olsonoski in 10:01 by pinfall after Grappler #2 interfered (The Grapplers pulled the "masked switch" where Grappler #2 enters the match as a fresh man). (C+)

-David Von Erich cuts a promo hyping his main event match with Antonio Inoki. (B-). Inoki cuts a promo hyping the match also. (B). Both hope to settle the issues they've had in recent weeks.

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware defeat Al Perez & Owen Hart in 2:35 when Eaton pinned Hart. (C). Eaton looked great, Koko looked good. After the match, Eaton and Ware addressed the challenge issued by the team of Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers at the live event in Dallas earlier in the week. Eaton and Ware mock Olsonoski & Somers as not being in their league, and claim that they'll prove their superiority in two weeks on the TV show. (C+).

-Backstage, Jose Lothario stands with the rolling drum of challengers for the TV Title. TV Champion Butch Miller enters the picture with his manager, Skandor Akbar, and draws a name - former TV Champion Iceman Parsons. (C)

-Lance Russell interviews Billy Robinson about his upcoming match with Kamala. Robinson puts over Kamala as a monster, and says that he'll try to turn this contest into a wrestling match. (C) As Robinson is in the ring preparing for the match, Kamala attacks him before the bell rings. (C+)

-Kamala (w/Ox Baker) defeats Billy Robinson in 5:43 by submission. (B-) Once again, Ox Baker seems to have more control over Kamala than Skandor Akbar did. After the match, Ox Baker hypes Kamala's match with Iceman Parsons next week at the King of Texas Wrestling Show. (B-)

-Bill Mercer runs his 1 minute "update" segment, reporting on the recent events and results in WCCW. He especially hypes next week's TV show, the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament draw show, where the 1st round matchups and 1st round byes will be determined. (D+)

-Lance Russell notes that despite Leon White's domination of Charlie Cook last week, Cook as apparently asked for another match with White. A video recaps the one-sided "feud" between the two. (D+) Leon White then comes to the ring for the next match. He says that if Cook wants more, he'd be glad to give it to him. (D)

-King of Texas Wrestling Qualfying Match
Leon White defeats Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) in 9:25 by pinfall in a competitive match. (B). White overcame the interference of Grappler #1. White was off his game. The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) drew with Iceman Parsons in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (B-). Miller makes his 8th defense of the TV title. Parsons largely dominated the match. After the match, Parsons cut a promo hyping his match at the King of Texas Wrestling Show with Kamala. Parsons vows he'll get revenge for the injuries Kamala inflicted upon him several weeks ago. The key, said Parsons, will be surprise - as he showed last week. (B-)

-A video hypes the issues between Antonio Inoki and David Von Erich in recent weeks - specifically, Inoki losing his temper in several tag team matches, costing David DQ defeats. (B-)

-Before the match starts, Bob Backlund and Ray Stevens come down the aisle to serve as guest commentators for the match. During the match, Backlund hypes his steel cage title defense against Inoki at the King of Texas Wrestling show next week. Lance Russell points out that Backlund still hasn't received medical clearance, but Backlund promises to defend the title regardless. After he gets through Inoki, Backlund claims, he'll also defeat David in the main event of Parade of Champions. (B)

-David Von Erich drew with Antonio Inoki in 30:00 when the time limit expired. (A). The match suffered from a lack of selling. Bob Backlund and Ray Stevens interfered throughout the match, trying to stir up trouble between the two participants. At one point, Backlund attacked Inoki outside the ring, but David refused to pin Inoki when he was thrown back in, refusing to take a "cheap" victory. When the time limit expired, David was standing tall in the ring, and Inoki was weakened on the outside. Then, David challenged Backlund to come in the ring. Despite the discouraging of Ray Stevens, Bob Backlund eventually entered the ring, where he was quickly attacked from behind by Inoki. Inoki & David them attacked Backlund 2-on-1 as the show ends. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS

-This was my first TV show in forever outside of Texas - the midwest has caught up to the Texas area in terms of popularity, so I'll probably mix things up a little in the weeks to come. It will keep the Texas fans from getting too sick of me, and it will let some of our guys gain more national popularity more quickly.

-Inoki was kind of re-established as a face tonight (though he still attacked Bob Backlund from behind). But he's the clear face heading into his back with Backlund, with David awaiting the winner at Parade of Champions. An A rating is definitely solid - we probably would have gotten a A+ if not for the "lack of selling" penalty.

-Iceman Parsons is very solid - he's one of the few guys outside of the midcard on my roster that can deliver B- rated interviews. He gets another shot at Kamala next week.

-Grappler #2/Leon White have a pretty decent litte rivalry going - tonight was the 5th time they've wrestled. They also teamed up (via random pairing) in a losing effort during the Last Man Standing event. White has won all 5 matches, which have reached as high as an "A" rating. They couldn't quite get up there tonight with White's "off night".

-Billy Robinson impressively carried Kamala to a B- match. Solid effort for both guys.

-It was a rare win for Mark Youngblood on the pre-show - he's now 3-32-2 (two of those victories have come against Dusty Wolfe, who is 0-39-2. He somehow managed to draw with Leon White in White's debut match (I think the idea was that White was "raw" or something at that point.)

[molson]

Has Al Snow debuted into the universe yet?

Yup, Al was actually in the original universe for the dynasty, as a 19-year old. He's now 21 and has wrestled for Atlantic Grand-Prix wrestling in Canada his entire career. He's still a heel jobber right now, wrestling as Allen Sarven.

[molson]

Villano III, IV & V FTW! With how far they have come you are missing a chance to get them back together and put the six man straps on 'em! :)

I've been having a lot of fun with The Villanos' insane (and lucky) winning streak leading up to a tag team title shot. And Mendoza's awesome any time he does anything. They'll definitely work together at some point soon. Though I also want to push Mendoza in some kind of individual storyline that doesn't involve Kabuki/Tiger Mask/King Kong Bundy/Gary Hart. Those guys have been feuding in various face/heel incarnations for most of the dynasty.

[molson]

NEWS

-For the 6th consecutive week, the TV show delivers an all-time high rating (5.30).

-I have made two loan trades with WWC and Puerto Rico to bring in Freebirds Michael Hayes and Buddy Roberts for 3 appearances each. I send off Kerry Von Erich and Leon White, two guys who could really benefit from the opportunity to get roughed up down there by the likes of Carlos Colon and The Invaders. I still have Terry Gordy under contract for another 53 days also. I don't intend to bring them back as active wrestlers, but I have a couple of ideas for them to make some sporadic appearances. It's been about 8 months since they lost the "loser leaves WCCW" match.

-Speaking of WWC, Bill Irwin, who has had a great run in this dynasty, won their main event title, the Universal Heavyweight Championship, from Carlos Colon.

-Kevin Von Erich showed up late for the last show. Obviously, he hasn't been used in months since his injury, so I'll take advantage of the opportunity to send a message to the locker room and suspend him for a week.

-Jake Roberts won the vacant Georgia National TV Championship for the second time, defeating Bob Armstrong. The belt was made vacant when Dick Murdoch left the company.

-I negotiate with Buddy Rose, but his asking price of $2,475/show is too high for me at this point, as I'm trying to cut down a little and save up money. Fritz was capping my offer at just south of that anyway.

-I'm happy to re-sign Skandor Akbar at $1,400/show, only a slight raise from his current $1,325/show deal. The negotiation screen showed him only requesting $700/show - it appears nobody will ever take a paycut, which is one of the reasons one needs to keep their roster fresh. At some point, I'll probably have to cut Akbar loose for 6 months, then bring him back at lower pay.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, March 1985
Billerica, MA (New England - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,387 Ticket prices: $4 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) defeats Al Perez in 3:43 by pinfall. (C). After the match, Hart, as crazy as ever, cuts a promo hyping Bundy and his chances in the upcoming King of Texas Wrestling tournament. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers defeat Barry Orton & Dusty Wolfe in 9:14 when Olsonoski made Wolfe submit. (D-). Olsonoski looked good. After the match Olsonoski & Somers hyped their match with Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware on the TV show in two weeks. (D).

-WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario and Fritz Von Erich come to the ring to welcome the fans, and hype the show and the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament later this week. (D-)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Qualfying Match
Curt Hennig (w/Terry Funk) defeats Perry Jackson in 8:22 by pinfall. (C+). Hennig looked good. Curt Hennig cut a promo after the match. (B+).

-After a minute or two, Dick Murdoch came out to the ring for his match, with Hennig still cutting a promo. Murdoch appeared to be motioning for Funk and Hennig to leave the ring - he thought they were taking too long. An argument ensued between the three, before Hennig and Funk decided to leave peacefully (B-).

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Qualfying Match
Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Kerry Von Erich in 17:50 with the help of interference from Stevens and Kevin Sullivan. (B). The two showed good chemistry. Murdoch looked good. After the match, Murdoch cut a promo hyping his win, and the tournament. (B-)

-Skandor Akbar and Ox Baker come to the ring with their Destruction Inc., clients, Kamala, and the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. Akbar cuts a promo hyping the trio, and their debut tonight as a six-man tag team. Akbar claims that while in the past, Kamala might have been simply too wild for a tag team, he is now, with the help of new handler Ox Baker, a more disciplined, more focused monster, as dangerous as ever. Akbar hypes Kamala's match at the King of Texas Wrestling Show against Iceman Parsons, and The Sheeperders' World Tag Title defense against The Villanos. (D+).

-Their opposition, the Villanos & Arturo Mendoza come to the ringside area and also cut a promo hyping the match, as well as the Villanos title shot later this week, and Mendoza's participation in the King of Texas Wrestling tournament. (D+) Before the match starts, Kamala attacks the Villanos, quickly igniting a 3-on-3 brawl. (D+)

-The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza defeat The Sheepherders & Kamala in 8:20 when Mendoza pinned Williams. (w/Skandor Akbar & Ox Baker) (C). Once again, Ox Baker was able to establish a reasonable amount of control over the wild Kamala.

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Qualifying Match
Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Terry Funk 23:20 with the help of some interference from Dick Murdoch (returning the favor from earlier tonight). (B+). After the match, Kevin Sullivan & Dick Murdoch continued the attack on Funk. (C+). Soon, however, Curt Hennig & Kerry Von Erich made the save. (C+). Funk & Hennig cut another promo to close the show, with Kerry standing by their side. Funk said that while he won't be in the King of Texas Wrestling tournament, he'll do his best to help lead Hennig to a win there, just like he led Hennig to the World Title. (B).

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Great show for the northeast region. There was a clear rating distinction between guys that have some overness in New England (Murdoch, Sullivan, Funk), and guys that don't (The Sheepherders, Villanos, Mendoza). So I used enough of the the known New England guys to get a good rating, and gave some live exposure to the guys who need to build their overness here. That's the goal of course, to have a roster of nationally known wrestlers.

-There's some major names being left out of this year's King of Texas Wrestling tournament - Terry Funk & Kerry Von Erich will be on the outside after tonight (and Roddy Piper didn't even get the chance to qualify), while lesser names like Charlie Cook and Billy Robinson are in. That will help keep the costs of the tournament down, and will also help balance things out - every match won't be a main-event level contest where someone has to do a job. Some guys, through luck of the draw, might get further then you'd think they would.

-Sullivan and Funk renewed their rivalry with their standard strong match. Maybe Hennig's getting annoyed with Funk seemingly taking credit for Hennig's success. On the other hand, it's kind of annoying how every mentor/protege relationship in wrestling always ends badly, and with Funk's contract up soon, maybe these guys break the mold and separate on good terms.

-The Six-Man Tag was pretty bad just because the fans weren't into these guys. Hennig/Jackson would actually have been a better choice to put there before the main event.

-It was good to see Kerry in a good match, even though that shouldn't be tough to do with Dick Murdoch. Kerry missing out on this tournament has to be his low point with us during this dynasty. Looking back, Kerry hasn't won a 1-on-1 match since the first week of January - almost 4 months ago. I need to give him a little more love.

-I don't really explain the unfairness as to why Terry Funk has to face Kevin Sullivan to qualify for the tournament, and Hennig only has to deal with Perry Jackson. We'll just assume these are random draws. The C+ was a very good effort from those two - that's Jackson's highest rated match since losing a 3-on-1 handicap match against Bob Backlund back in January. It's his highest rated 1-on-1 match since losing to Hennig last September.

[molson]

NEWS

-Tiger Mask is apparently "playing politics" and pissing everyone off in Calgary Stampede. I'm glad he hasn't pulled that nonsense off down here. It's probably because we have too many locker room leaders.

-Bob Backlund had a radio interview where he said that the more he's pushed, the more nervous he gets. I'm not sure what that means - he performs poorly after a roster promotion? He's never been anything but main event for WCCW.

[EdReedIsGod]

I wondered into this thread early in the week. One of the best Dynasties I have ever read. I registered just to comment on it. I don't even watch Wrestling anymore, but these names bring back memories. The Four Horseman need to take over WCCW, Wooooooooo!

One question, I couldn't believe how over Eaton & koko were. especially Koko, why such a short push for him? That was one of your most over guys in the whole thing, weird as it was.

[molson]

I wondered into this thread early in the week. One of the best Dynasties I have ever read. I registered just to comment on it. I don't even watch Wrestling anymore, but these names bring back memories. The Four Horseman need to take over WCCW, Wooooooooo!

One question, I couldn't believe how over Eaton & koko were. especially Koko, why such a short push for him? That was one of your most over guys in the whole thing, weird as it was.

Thanks for reading!

Ya, I brought in Koko & Eaton as a lower-midcard tag team and they just took off, first in their tag team feud with The Sheepherders and then as inidividual workers.

I don't think either are really main event level relative to my current roster, and Eaton really benefited from just a storyline I wanted to run that involved him holding the World Title for a while.

Eaton will definitely have more opportunities in high profile stuff, though right now the company kind of revolves around the Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan stable. Playing this game has definitely made me appreciate how easy it is for wrestlers to be lost in the shuffle of a promotion, there's only much ring and TV time to distribute.

I always perceived Koko as a notch below Eaton, though he's had his share of great matches too.

[EdReedIsGod]

Thanks for reading!

Ya, I brought in Koko & Eaton as a lower-midcard tag team and they just took off, first in their tag team feud with The Sheepherders and then as inidividual workers.

I don't think either are really main event level relative to my current roster, and Eaton really benefited from just a storyline I wanted to run that involved him holding the World Title for a while.

Eaton will definitely have more opportunities in high profile stuff, though right now the company kind of revolves around the Backlund/Murdoch/Sullivan stable. Playing this game has definitely made me appreciate how easy it is for wrestlers to be lost in the shuffle of a promotion, there's only much ring and TV time to distribute.

I always perceived Koko as a notch below Eaton, though he's had his share of great matches too.


I feel ya, Koko certainly never was very good in the real world. Maybe it was just reading it all in a couple of days. But if you ever go back, when he first turned heel, I don't think he had a segment or a match under a B. And most were B+ and up. It was freaking me out.

I wouldn't spend much time with him either. Just couldn't believe how money he was. I wasn't really questioning moving him out of ME type story lines. but he turned into a jobber. I think he could have drawn big ratings in a midcard storyline. Keep in mind, I've never played the game, I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, April 1985
Fort Worth, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,579; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Kerry Von Erich defeats Barry Orton in 6:34 by pinfall. (C+) After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Kerry about his win. (C). Kerry says that he's very disappointed that he didn't qualify for this week's King of Texas Wrestling tournament, but he'll be in Dallas that night, pulling for David to win for the 3rd year in a row.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Steve Olsonoski defeats Mr. Pogo in 6:51 by pinfall. (C+)

-As the show starts, the announcers hype what promises to be a historic show. First, with the news that World Champion Bob Backlund has officially been medically cleared to wrestle, he'll take part in the main event tonight, in a tag team match against his challenger for the World Title at this week's King of Texas Wrestling Event, Antonio Inoki. Both men must find a tag team partner who isn't already competing tonight - the announcers point out that that rules out Backlund's usual cronies - Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan. (B+)

-Then, the announcers recap the events of this week's live event in Massachusetts, where the final spots in the 12-man King of Texas Wrestling tournament were filled. They note that David Von Erich, by virtue of his winning the 1985 Last Man Standing Event, has already earned a 1st Round Bye. The 3 other first round byes are on the line tonight, in three random pairing matches composed of the other 11 competitors: 2 4-way matches, and a triple threat match. All the matches will be contested under elimination rules (a wrestler is eliminated from the match if he is pinned, submits, is DQ'd, or counted out). All matches will feature every participant in the ring at the same time. The announcers note that first round byes are particularly critical in this format, where the first round match have only a 5-minute time limit, with any draws to be settled by ringside judges. Thus, without a first round bye, you're leaving a lot to luck. After tonight's matches, the full tournament drawings will be held, and then announced later on tonight. With that, the announcers hype and preview the three matches set for tonight:

-Match #1 (Triple Threat Match). Arturo Mendoza v. Grappler #1 v. King Kong Bundy. The announcers immediately hype the long-time issues between Mendoza and Bundy. They wonder if Grappler #1 can someohow take advantage of that bad blood and steal the win. (C+)

-Match #2 (4-Way Match). Charlie Cook v. Curt Hennig v. Dick Murdoch v. Billy Robinson. The announcers hype the bitter rivalry between Hennig and Murdoch. They also wonder what kind of condition Charlie Cook can possibly be in, after the beating he suffered recently at the hands of Leon White. (C+)

-Match #3 (4-Way Match). Leon White v. Bobby Eaton v. Doug Somers v. Kevin Sullivan. The announcers hype the fact that White has never been pinned, but he's never been in the ring against this kind of competition. Eaton is a former World Champion looking to break back up the roster. Sullivan might be the toughest wrestler in the sport today (C+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Position Match #1
-Triple Threat Match, Elimination Rules, All 3 Men in Ring at Same Time
-Winner Receives First Round Bye
Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) defeat King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) and Arturo Mendoza in 7:38 (B). King Kong Bundy was eliminated first, by DQ, after botched interference from Gary Hart. Grappler #1 then pinned Mendoza, after interference from Grappler #2. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Grappler #1 about his win, and his chances in the tournament. (C+) Bundy (with his preacher gimmick) & Hart (as Elvis) were once again a sad freak show, to the point where the announcers were taking pity on them.

-Backstage, WCCW TV Champion Butch Miller and his manager Skandor Akbar stand with WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario and the rolling drum of challengers for the TV Title. Miller draws a name - Arturo Mendoza. (B-). Akbar mocks Mendoza for entering the draw when he already had a match scheduled tonight. Akbar then stated that Miller will give Mendoza's brothers, the Villanos, a preview of what The Sheepherders will do to them at the King of Texas Wrestling Event.

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Position Match #2
-Four Corners Match, Elimination Rules, All 4 Men in Ring at Same Time
-Winner Receives First Round Bye
Billy Robinson defeats Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens), Curt Hennig, and Charlie Cook in 9:53. (B) A brawl between rivals Murdoch and Hennig got quickly out of hand, and the two spilled outside the ring area, where they were both counted out. The two brawled back to the locker room. Back in the ring, Robinson pinned Cook to earn the win. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Robinson about his upset win. Robinson says that at 45-years old, he still feels like he's got a lot in the tank, and this first-round bye is a huge advantage for him. (C-)

-The announcers note that they're getting word from the back that Murdoch and Hennig are still brawling backstage. A camera picks up some of the action. Murdoch appears to lure Hennig to the general vicinity of Kevin Sullivan's locker room. Once there, Sullivan emerges, and the two stomp down Hennig, leaving him laying. (B+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Position Match #3
-Four Corners Match, Elimination Rules, All 4 Men in Ring at Same Time
-Winner Receives First Round Bye
Leon White defeats Bobby Eaton, Doug Somers, and Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 8:06. (A). This was a dominating performance by White who pinned Somers, Eaton, and then destroyed Sullivan, sending him from the ring, and drawing a countout, to the delight of the fans. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Leon White, who says that it doesn't matter who his competition is, he'll steamroll through the tournament just like he did tonight's match. (C+)

-Backstage, Skandor Akbar cuts a promo with his client, Butch Miller, hyping Miller's TV Title defense against Mendoza, and The Sheepherders' tag team title defense against The Villanos this Saturday night at the King of Texas Wrestling Event. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Butch Miller (w/Skandor Akbar) in 6:06 by pinfall to win the TV Championship. (A+). The match was a wild, overbooked brawl, featuring early interference from Luke Williams and Akbar. The Villanos came down to ringside to even the odds. After a referee bump, and a 3-on-3 brawl, the Villanos managed to get the best of heels, leaving Mendoza pinning Miller as the referee came to. After the match, Mendoza emotionally celebrated in the ring with his two brothers. (B). Lance Russell interviewed Mendoza, who said this was the greatest night of his career. Mendoza also said that he'll be in the corner of his brothers this Saturday night as they challenge The Sheepherders for the World Tag Team Titles. (B)

-The announcers say that backstage, the full tournament draw for the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling Tournament has been completed, and that they're ready to announce the results. The announcers hype and preview the matches as they announce them. The bracket looks as follows: (B-)

David Von Erich
(First Round Bye)

Curt Hennig v.
King Kong Bundy

---

Billy Robinson
(First Round Bye)

Dick Murdoch v.
Charlie Cook

---

Grappler #1
(First Round Bye)

Arturo Mendoza v.
Bobby Eaton

----

Leon White
(First Round Bye)

Kevin Sullivan v.
Doug Somers

-WCCW World Champion Bob Backlund comes to the ring with his manager, Ray Stevens. Bob Backlund reveals and introduces the partner he chose for tonight's main event: Roddy Piper. (A)

-Antonio Inoki, this Saturday's challenger to the World Title comes to the ring, and introduces his chosen partner - David Von Erich (the man he had a mini-rivalry with over the last few weeks). (B) Bob Backlund looks annoyed.

-Antonio Inoki & David Von Erich defeat Roddy Piper (w/Grappler #2) and Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) in 16:39 when Inoki pinned Backlund. (B+). Backlund looked good. After the match, David and Inoki shook hands as a sign of respect, but the way they stared at each other revealed that some tension remained. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B+

THOUGHTS:

-Once again, I feel like I JUST MISSED my first A- show. The main event, I guess, ruined it by only getting to a B+. But prior to that, we had an A match, and a A+ match. Someday I'll pull that off (I'll have to to get to national status)

-I always like these kind of shows, where a story is told throughout the card, in matches. Where most of the matches add up and contribute to some theme.

-And even the main event, with 4 guys who aren't a part of regular tag teams, was incredibly solid at B+. Inoki and David have buried the hatchet, for now at least. This might end up being the final WCCW appearance for Roddy Piper.

-Mendoza winning the TV title was a lot of fun, since of course, he's the guy I've pushed up the card from WAY down. A+ was so far beyond anything I could have expected out of those two. In storyline terms, it was just the perfect lead-in to Saturday's Sheepherders/Villanos World Tag Title Match. It was Mendoza's 2nd A+ match in as many weeks - he accomplished the feat last week with Koko B. Ware. It's the first ever A+ match for Miller, individual or tag team. He had previously gotten as high as A in two tag team matches with Eaton and Ware last April. Miller had held the TV Title, under the wacky WCCW rules that require a defense against a random challenger every week, since mid-February - so it was a 2 1/2 month reign. Which I think is kind of long with these kind of defense commitments.

-The Brackets for this Saturday's tournament are set. The best of the 3 "position" matches was White/Somers/Eaton/Sullivan which managed an A. White's is on a huge roll and is building momentum. He could be in line for a heel turn before long.

-Robinson/Murdoch/Hennig/Cook was also solid. I don't think Robinson can make a match good on his own at this point, but he can wrestle strong matches against good competition. He'll await the winner of the Murdoch/Cook match for his quarter-final match this Saturday. Murdoch had some time after that match to outsmart Hennig and give him a 2-on-1 beatdown backstage. That rivalry will continue to heat up.

-Before he won the TV title, Mendoza couldn't quite get past Grappler #1, who is really kind of anonymously good. Gary Hart/Bundy are in a bad way. Hart's stable never developed for him after his return. But he still has Bundy in the tournament.

-I gave Kerry a much needed 1-on-1 win on the pre-show. I do have some things in mind for him, so he won't exactly be spending the rest of his career in dark matches.

[molson]

NEWS

-For the first time in a while, we don't pull off a new all-time high TV rating, but the 5.24 the show delivers is still very strong, the second highest all time for this show.

-In major news, Georgia Championship Wrestling somehow became the first National Promotion. I had enjoyed a prestige lead over them, but they apparently had more broad national appeal, and they got there first. That means their prestige shoots up, and they are now the first promotion with the ability to sign exclusive written contracts. For the first time in a LONG time in this dynasty, I know have to worry about my talent being booked elsewhere in a given night, or even plucked away entirely. They've already requested negotiations with Leon White. Which could mean the big man will be out of WCCW soon. Currently, none of my workers work for Georgia. But they're now looking to expand their roster. And they'll be the only promotion illegible to sign the guys who think they're too big for anything lower (Hulk Hogan, Andre The Giant, Harley Race) And of course, "Georgia Championship Wrestling" is no name for a national promotion. So I've gone into the editor, and from now on, they're ACW, "American Championship Wrestling". My own slow march to national status continues - I hope to get there sometime in 1986.

-Buzz Sawyer won the AWA World Title for the 2nd time, defeating Manny Fernandez. I've been hoping to bring Sawyer back for another talent trade/load run, I had a couple of ideas for him at Parade of Champions. AWA won't trade him, but I might be able to get him through one of his other employers.

-On the same AWA show, Koko B. Ware defeated Nacho Berrera to win the AWA Light Heavyweight Title.

-The dirt sheets are reporting rumors that Tiger Mask is indeed playing politics (whatever that means) in the WCCW locker room. His contract is up the day after the King of Texas Wrestling Show, which apparently will come as a relief to everyone.

-A new friendship has emerged backstage - between Kevin Sullivan and Mark Youngblood. I think that's the first time I've seen a defined friendship emerge in WCCW.

[molson]

WCCW: Last Man Standing: PPV/Closed Circuit
Saturday, Week 4, April 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Medium Venue)
Expected Attendance: 11,448 Ticket prices: $1 more than default
Actual Attendance: 9,480

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #2 defeats Tiger Mask in 13:57 by pinfall. (B-). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Grappler #2 about his win. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Fritz Von Erich and Jose Lothario cut a promo in the ring to hype the show. (D+)

-As the show starts, WCCW World Champion Bob Backlund cuts a backstage promo hyping his steel cage world title defense tonight against Antonio Inoki. Backlund promises revenge for the injuries Inoki inflicted upon him last month. (B) Inoki also cuts a promo hyping the match (B+)

-A lengthy video hypes the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling Tournament. It highlights results from the previous two years of the event (both won by David Von Erich). It recaps the results of the qualifying matches for this year's tourmnament, and shows the full bracket. It also breaks down the rules, and what's at stake (C+):

1985 King of Texas Wrestling Tournament
-12 Participants. 4 Receive First Round Byes.
-4 First Round Matches in the "Lightning Round". These matches will have only a 5 minute time limit. If the time limit expires, or the match otherwise ends in a draw, a panel of three ringside judges will determine who advances to the final 8.
-4 Quarter-Final Matches with 10-minute time limits. Once again, three ringside judges will determine who advances, in the case of a draw of any kind.
-2 Semi-Final Matches with a 30-minute time limit. (Judges at ringside again)
-The final match will have no time limit (and no judges).

The Winner of the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling Event Will Receive:
-$10,000 Cash
-A brand-new, 1985 Honda Civic
-The Prestigious King of Texas Wrestling Trophy.
-A Contract For a Championship Match - (Can Be Used To Challenge For Any Championship, Single or Tag-Team (with any partner), With at least 7 Days Notice, and No Expiration Date).

The bracket looks like this:

David Von Erich
(First Round Bye)

Curt Hennig v.
King Kong Bundy

---

Billy Robinson
(First Round Bye)

Dick Murdoch v.
Charlie Cook

---

Grappler #1
(First Round Bye)

Arturo Mendoza v.
Bobby Eaton

----

Leon White
(First Round Bye)

Kevin Sullivan v.
Doug Somers


-Gary Hart comes out to the ring with his client, King Kong Bundy, for the first match. Hart (in his Elvis costume), starts performing a song on his guitar in the center of the ring. (C). Soon however, he is interrupted by a returning Kevin Von Erich, who is making his first WCCW appearance in several months. Kevin is holding the old WCCW American Heavyweight Championship belt. Kevin says that he wanted to come out tonight to talk to the fans, but he didn't want to interrupt anything worthwhile, and he figured the fans wouldn't mind if he cut Gary Hart's song short. First, Kevin says, his rehab is done, he's ahead of schedule, and he's going to be back in the ring next week. (C+). 2nd, says Kevin, he has something to say to King Kong Bundy. Kevin says he's holding the old WCCW American Heavyweight Championship belt, a belt that he's held 5 times. He says that 2 1/2 years ago, he won this very belt from King Kong Bundy. Kevin puts over the kind of competitor Bundy was at the time - he was one of the best in WCCW. He was feared by the the other wrestlers. But now, Kevin says, Bundy has turned into a joke. The preacher costume, the association with the mentally unstable Gary Hart - Kevin stares down Bundy and tells him that until he turns things around, he'll never get anywhere close to championship gold again. Kevin holds up the belt for Bundy to see. Bundy seems very upset - Kevin's words have clearly gotten to him. (C+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: 1st Round Match
Curt Hennig defeats King Kong Bundy (w/Gary Hart) in 3:08 by DQ, after interference from Hart. (B) Hennig dominates as Bundy is obviously distracted throughout the match. A desperate Hart tries to turn the tide with interference, but is caught by the referee. After the match, Hart tries to explain his actions to Bundy, who begins to argue with him. The argument reaches a breaking point, and Bundy attacks Hart, and squashes him in the corner, to the approval of the fans. Bundy leaves Hart laying as he leaves the ring. (C)

-Backstage, Lance Russell interviewed Dick Murdoch about the tournament, and his upcoming first round match with Charlie Cook. He says in this first round, with the short time limit, it's important to leave nothing to chance, and he plans on taking out Cook quickly. (B)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: 1st Round Match
Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Charlie Cook in 0:46 by pinfall in a dominating victory. (C). Murdoch looked good.

-Backstage, Kevin Sullivan cut a promo hyping his upcoming 1st Round match with Doug Somers. Sullivan says that he was impressed by the way his stablemate Murdoch dismantled Cook in the previous match. Sullivan says his strategy is similar - leave nothing to chance (or the judges). (B+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: 1st Round Match
Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Doug Somers in 2:24 by pinfall. (C). The two showed poor chemistry.

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews the new WCCW TV Champion Arturo Mendoza about his 1st round match against Bobby Eaton, as well has his brothers' (The Villanos) challenge later tonight for the World Tag Team Titles. (C+). Back at the ringside area, Lance Russell interviews former World Champion Eaton about the match. (B+). Eaton says when he wins the tournament, he'll challenge for the World Title after next month's Parade of Champions.

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: 1st Round Match
Arturo Mendoza & Bobby Eaton drew in 5:00 when the time expired. (B+) The ringside judges, WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, and road agents Jackie Fargo and Ricky Romero confer. Lothario announces a unanimous decision - Mendoza will advance in the tournament. (C+). Eaton is enraged - he runs out and argues with Lothario. (C). He could be heard yelling that the two Hispanic judges were biased for Mendoza.

-A video recaps the feud between Iceman Parsons and Kamala. It highlights the attack that put Parsons out of action for a time, as well as Parsons' return and surprise attack on Kamala a few weeks ago. (B-) Backstage, Parsons cuts a promo hyping the match, saying he's not afraid of the Ugandan Giant. (C+)

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant (w/Ox Baker) defeats Iceman Parsons in 6:17 by pinfall. (B) After the match, Kamala wildly celebrates in the ring. (B-)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Quarterfinal Match
David Von Erich drew with Curt Hennig in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (B-). Jose Lothario announced the judge's split decision - David Von Erich will advance.

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Quarterfinal Match
Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Billy Robinson in 6:35 by pinfall. (B)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Quarterfinal match
Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Leon White in 7:45 by DQ. (B-). This was a wild, overbooked brawl that involved White dominating early, and the Stevens getting involved. Sullivan introduced a chair into the match, but White got caught using it, drawing the DQ.

-WCCW King of Texas Wresting Tournament: Quarterfinal Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) in 7:37 by pinfall. (B-) The two showed poor chemistry.

-A video hypes The Sheepherders v. Villanos match for the World Tag Team Championship. (C+)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat The Villanos (w/Arturo Mendoza) to make their second defense of the tag team titles when Miller pinned Villano V in 6:04. (B) The match featured interference by Akbar, and then by Mendoza to help even the odds. Miller looked good. After the match, The Sheepherders and Skandor Akbar beat down The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza in the ring, until Kevin & Mike Von Erich made the save (returning the favor for the Villanos rescue of Fritz Von Erich several weeks ago). (C+). The Sheepherders and Akbar angrily stare at the Von Erichs as they leave the ringside area.

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews David Von Erich about his upcoming semi-final match with Dick Murdoch. (C+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Semi-Final match
David Von Erich defeats Dick Murdoch (w/Ray Stevens) in 13:48 after botched interference from Stevens. (B+)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Semi-Final match
Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Arturo Mendoza in 9:55 by pinfall. (B). Mendoza was obviously weakened by his earlier involvement in the Sheepherders/Villanos match.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Steel Cage: Classic Rules (Pinfall or Submission Only)
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Antonio Inoki in 12:54 by submission to make his 2nd defense of the World Title. (C+) The two showed poor chemistry.

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews Kevin Sullivan, the only man standing between David Von Erich and a King of Texas Wrestling tournament 3-peat. (B-)

-WCCW King of Texas Wrestling Tournament: Championship Match
David Von Erich defeats Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 9:41 by submission. (B+) After the match, David celebrates his 3rd consecutive King of Texas Wrestling Tournament win. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

To come....

[molson]

NEWS

-Roddy Piper complains about his push. He'll have a lot more time to complain in two weeks when his contract his up and I don't re-sign him.

-Our 4-semi-finalists in the tournament - David Von Erich, Arturo Mendoza, Kevin Sullivan, and Dick Murdoch are all understandably exhausted after the last show. We'll try to give them all a bit of a break this week.

-Tiger Mask is officially done with WCCW, as his contract expired after his dark show match loss to Grappler #2. I figure 6-12 months down the road, he'll be willing to work for a lot less, and I'd probably be willing to bring him back at that point. I didn't realize he had been with us since back in November 1983. His overall W/L/D record was 33-25-9. He wrestled A+ matches with The Great Kabuki and Bob Backlund.

-It appears that Southwest Championship Wrestling - who I've occasionally screwed with by signing away their champions, will go out business by the end of May. It also appears that All-Star Wrestling (UK) will fold as well. That would be the end of wrestling in the UK. Finally - Mid-South is also in serious trouble. Later on this year, I'll have to take a look at the surviving promotions and decide if I'm going to add any....Obviously to some degree, the mass exodus of promotions is supposed to happen with this particular mod. But I'm really curious to see if the surviving promotions and really grow and thrive as a result. I would be interested in a buy-out attempt of any of the three failing promotions - but Fritz has me on that mandatory goal not to drop below a certain amount of money.

-Mr. Fuji announced that he will retire at the end of the month.

-Shawn Michaels has suffered a drug overdose and came within "a whisker of death". He's only 19.

-TV Shows are starting to accept proposals for the summer season. I will be all over that, looking to cash in on my exploding TV ratings.

-The PPV did a 1.32 buyrate, my highest ever. Each of our four PPVs have had higher buyrates than the last.

[DeToxRox]

I am curious to see if you start losing guys to GCW. They'll be making a lot of money I assume at National level so I can see some defections. Any in particular you're concerned about?

[hoopsguy]

Were you surprised by some of the match ratings in the PPV? They seemed to come in lower than I would expect for some of your more hyped contestants. Particularly a C+ for Backlund/Inoki but none of the matches recording anything higher than a B+ rating seemed unusual for where you are these days in Texas shows.

[molson]

I am curious to see if you start losing guys to GCW. They'll be making a lot of money I assume at National level so I can see some defections. Any in particular you're concerned about?

They've already requested negotiations with Leon White - I think he's a gonner. That's part of the reason he didn't win a match at the tournament. Their interest in him shows me that their interest is kind of unpredictable, as White doesn't have any particular overness in the southeast.

Once I see them sign a few people, then maybe I'll have an idea of what they're after (I guess their product type would effect that, though I won't cheat and look at it in the editor). Their roster is pretty well balanced right now - their main eventers are Buzz Sawyer, Steve Keirn, Greg Valentine, Jake Roberts, and Manny Fernandez. They also have Stan Hansen, The Road Warriors, Jim Duggan, The Iron Shiek, Ole Anderson, The One Man Gang, Tony Atlas, Ron Garvin, Tito Santana.

Really, I think anyone could go, other than Von Erichs. It's time to put new emphasis on pushing them.

[molson]

Were you surprised by some of the match ratings in the PPV? They seemed to come in lower than I would expect for some of your more hyped contestants. Particularly a C+ for Backlund/Inoki but none of the matches recording anything higher than a B+ rating seemed unusual for where you are these days in Texas shows.

There was definitely something off with that show.

I did experiment by using 3 "all out" matches, instead of my normal 2. I thought I might get away with it because I had so many matches, but I think it might have screwed up the flow of the show.

Ya, Backlund/Inoki was shockingly bad after they had an A rated match last month. I think it was hurt by it's spot before the main event. They didn't get the "all out" road agent note. Their storyline didn't have a lot of heat, I think I hurt that rating by developing things too slowly. I also wonder if the steel cage stip somehow hurt them....So it could be any number of things - definitely part of the fun of this game.

Overall though, I think the the show format was just too quirky....I had to cram 14 matches into 3 hours. I'm happy to get the B-, definitely strong enough to keep us growing. Anything B- or above on the PPV/TV shows is a small step forward.

[DeToxRox]

What road notes do you usually use?

[molson]

What road notes do you usually use?

I use the "go all out" note twice every show. I almost always use it for the main event, and then some other match that I think has potential.

I usually use the "work the crowd" note twice a show two - usually for matches that probably won't have great ratings, but have guys that are decently over.

I've read various philsophies about these notes and match order at the TEW board but I don't think there was ever a consensus. Clearly, the main event is the most important thing. And I think you want to build up towards it. But I've never figured out everything, like - does the fact that you want to build momentum as the show goes mean you should have a crappy opener?

[JonInMiddleGA]

does the fact that you want to build momentum as the show goes mean you should have a crappy opener?

As far as I understand it, the consensus is definitely no on that one. I believe the rule of thumb is either somewhere around the third or fourth best match of the show in the opener (depending on the length of the show of course) to start the crowd at a reasonably high level. Best match goes last, second best match usually goes next to last I think. In between the beginning & the end you want a sort of up/down effect with higher peaks on the second beat as you build, but never too big a drop (like you'd get from putting your worst match after your second best match)

So the typical pattern I'd run for say a seven match card would be

1) 4th best with work the crowd or all out (depending on how hot I think they could be)
2) Non-wrestling segment (angle, promo, whatever)
3) 6th best with work the crowd
4) 7th best no note
5) Non-wrestling segment
6) 4th best with work the crowd
7) 5th best with no note
8) Non-wrestling segment
9) 3rd best with work the crowd
10) 2nd best with no note
11) Non-wrestling segment (hopefully the strongest one)
12) 1st best with all out

[molson]

WCCW: Last Man Standing THOUGHTS

As I stated above in post #927, there was definitely something off about this show. I attribute that mostly to the chaotic format - trying to fit all that in 3 hours. Next year, I'll run the show at 3 1/2 hours.

Nothing broke out above B+. That was certainly disappointing, since there was a number of matches that had that kind of potential. Still though, the show was plenty good enough to increase my popularity everywhere outside of Texas and the midwest. That's pretty much where I've been in a while in this dynasty - trying to get achieve broad national popularity, then I'll begin the expensive final push to national status. Until then, B- is plenty good to keep moving forward (though Bs and B+s will make it happen faster).

-David gets the King of Texas Wrestling trophy for the third year in a row. He did it with 2 B+s and a B-, against opponents that he would generally do better against. He got through Backlund's fellow federation-members Murdoch and Sullivan, and now he gets Bob Backlund at Parade of Champions. He'll have to announce his intention for his earned "title shot", since he's already locked in to that title match at Parade of Champions.

-Backlund retains with a lackluster peformance....Backlund/David is the same main event we ran at Parade of Champions last year, but they're the two top guys and the outcome will really shape the promotion going forward. I haven't decided on a winner. I had originally intended Backlund to win and have a long reign as champion. But with Georgia Championship Wrestling going national, I'd rather not have them pluck away my World Champion, so I'm considering giving David the win and an extended reign of his own (David being too loyal to go anywhere else)

-Arturo Mendoza had a good run, winning twice and reaching the semi-finals, as his push continues. I believe he could reach an A- or better level match with either Bobby Eaton or Grappler #1, if given more time.

-The only match that surprised me in a positive way was The Sheepherders/Villanos match at a rating of B. That's much higher than my typical tag team match. It's the best tag match rating for the Villanos since they faced Eaton/Ware last July.

-Leon White's 1-on-1 undefeated streak ends at the hands of Kevin Sullivan, but he's still never been pinned. White is negotiating with American Championship Wrestling and could sign an exclusive deal with them any day. He'll get his push back after a week or so passes if he's still here.

-Kamala gets the better of Iceman Parsons once again, and I'm somewhat impressed with the B rating. That gives me hope that Kamala can deliver A- or better against main eventers.

-King Kong Bundy sees the light after being run down verbally by Kevin Von Erich, and he turns face by attacking Gary Hart. Bundy's face ratings aren't as high as his heel ratings, but my booking team has been telling me he's gotten stale. I have a storyline in mind for him, and Gary Hart, who has now truly hit rock bottom. He's gone crazy, and he has zero clients left.

-Tiger Mask does the job for Grappler #2 on his way out.....I hope to use Tiger Mask again someday, with a cheaper contract.

[molson]

As far as I understand it, the consensus is definitely no on that one. I believe the rule of thumb is either somewhere around the third or fourth best match of the show in the opener (depending on the length of the show of course) to start the crowd at a reasonably high level. Best match goes last, second best match usually goes next to last I think. In between the beginning & the end you want a sort of up/down effect with higher peaks on the second beat as you build, but never too big a drop (like you'd get from putting your worst match after your second best match)

So the typical pattern I'd run for say a seven match card would be

1) 4th best with work the crowd or all out (depending on how hot I think they could be)
2) Non-wrestling segment (angle, promo, whatever)
3) 6th best with work the crowd
4) 7th best no note
5) Non-wrestling segment
6) 4th best with work the crowd
7) 5th best with no note
8) Non-wrestling segment
9) 3rd best with work the crowd
10) 2nd best with no note
11) Non-wrestling segment (hopefully the strongest one)
12) 1st best with all out

Good info, thanks.

That's generally how I've booked shows, though I haven't consciously gone for the "higher peaks on the second beat" rhythm. I'll give that a shot. The only thing I've done inherently differently (just based on my own observations of wrestling shows), is that I hate to put the 2nd best match 2nd to last. It just feels like that match should be a match or two further down, with a comedy/sports entertainment type match 2nd to last. This stubbornness might be what's keeping me from breaking through to an A- or better show, though.

[molson]

WCCW - END OF APRIL 1985 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 69.0% (up from 68.1% last month)
-Midwest: 67.0% (up from 66.2% last month)
-Southeast: 61.6% (up from 59.6% last month)
-New England: 58.4% (up from 56.6% last month)
-Southwest: 57.8% (up from 55.7% last month)
-North West: 57.3% (up from 55.7% last month)
-Great Lakes: 57.1% (up from 55.5% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 57.1% (up from 55.5% last month)
-Tri-State: 57.1% (up from 55.5% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 40.9% (up from 40.3% last month)

-It's nice to see actual increases in Texas and the midwest - I had been flat in those areas for so long. It's be great if I could push Texas up another 2.0% and get to B- there - that would mean a whole lot more money. All of the other ranges are closing in on C popularity (59.1%).

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

PPV Revenue: 529,504 (484,560)
Ticket Sales: 613,504 (625,041)
Sponsors: 133,499 (137,858)
Merchandise: 16,480 (17,520)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 366,225 (353,675)
Show Costs: 135,000 (135,000)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 25,233 (25,247)
Production: 103,500 (103,500)
Misc: 490,403 (465,474)

Total Profit: $152,626 ($156,813)
Cash in Bank: $1,472,413 ($1,319,787)

-With the new PPV revenue, we're had a pretty happy place financially. We can bounce around a little with PPV revenue and worker costs and still be in the same ballpark every month with about a $150k profit. I'm pretty content to build that pile of money in the bank, in preparation for our expensive mad dash to national status somewhere down the road.

-The big thing going on this month, of course, is negotiations for a new TV network/time slot. The game handles that a little funny - at my current cult status, no network will talk to me since they feel I can only support 1 TV show. So I actually have to cancel my current show and take the chance at getting another one. I'll be conservative and do that after week 3 - that will wipe out the 4th TV show of the month, but give me extra time to land a new TV deal before next match. I'll run a major Texas house show in place of the TV show that 4th week.

-With the more comfortable financial situation, I'm going to make a change to our show schedule. All four weekly "WCCW Stars on Tour" shows will take place in venues outside of Texas and the midwest. That will more quickly increase our popularity in those areas, at the expense of money-loser shows. I'll cut down on the worker expenses somewhat on those shows, which will help mitigate that loss.

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise, unless noted)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Roddy Piper
-Curt Hennig
-Antonio Inoki
-Terry Funk
-Arturo Mendoza

-Same levels as last month, except that Arturo Mendoza replaces the departed Tiger Mask, and we also add Leon White to the lowest level.

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - END OF APRIL 1985

-World Heavyweight Champion - 100.0% Prestige (Same As Last Month)
Main Event Title
Bob Backlund (2 title defenses, 6-week reign).

-Television Champion - 70.0% Prestige (Same As Last Month)
Midcard Title
Arturo Mendoza - (newly crowned)

-World Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (same as last month)
Midcard Title
The Sheepherders - (2 title defense, 2-month reign)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 71.6% Prestige (same as last month)
Main Event Title
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan (2 title defenses, 2 1/2 month reign)

-Cruiserweight Championship - 38.0% Prestige (Same as last month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 3 title defenses, 5-month reign

-I'm inclined to eventually retire the Cruiserweight and Six-Man Titles, and replace them with a re-instated Texas Heavyweight Championship, which would be a mid-level title. I think it could co-exist with the TV Title. The TV title has it's quirky rules (10 minute time limits and random challengers), where the Texas Heavyweight Championship would be a more traditional title that would be defended against worthy contenders in longer matches.

-On the other hand, I could eventually develop the Cruiserweight Title into a more legitimate championship - bringing in capable cruiserweights from Mexico and Japan.

-Personally, I don't think a promotion can have too many championships, as long as all of them serve a specific defined purpose.

-The Federation stable as been sitting on the six-man-tag titles for more than 30 days. My kayfabe explanation for that is that only the World Title and World Tag Team Titles are subject to the oversight of the WCCW Championship Committee. The TV Title has it's own weird rules, and the Cruiserweight and Six-Man Tag Titles are kind of out there, doing their own thing, at the whim of whoever the current champion is.

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF APRIL 1985

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Kamala's Rampage: Kamala/Parsons (March)
2. Hart Limited Drama: Gary Hart/Mendoza/Bundy/Villano IV (January)
3. Backlund/Inoki (March)
4. Leon White's Rise: White/Cook/Kolof (March)
5. Hennig v. Murdoch Part II: Hennig/Murdoch/Funk/Sullivan/Grappler #1 (January)
6: Tag Team Title Storyline: Sheepherders v. Kerry/Kevin (April, recently evolved to include The Sheepherders, and to eliminate Tiger Mask/Kabuki, Mendoza/Bundy)
7. Tag Feud: Olsonoski/Somers v. Eaton/Ware (April)

Set to Debut:
-The Freebirds Return

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-David Von Erich
-Roddy Piper
-Mr. Pogo
-Grappler #2
-Mike Von Erich
-Mark Youngblood
-El Halcon
-Villano V

-The Mike/Villano V storyline officially ended last month, leaving both without storylines.

-The Kamala storyline is now the hottest thing in the company. That's largely due to mismanagement and some injury issues. Inoki/Backlund developed too slowly, and Kerry/Kevin v. The Sheepherders was derailed by Kevin's injury.

-Backlund/Inoki will continue, probably on the house show circuit. There's no easy way to evolve that storyline to include David, and I can't end it without a prestige penalty.

-I currently have all 3 Freebirds under contract (3 of them just for 3-appearance loan contracts), and the angle I have for them might have to wait until after The Parade of Champions, which probably won't make them happy.

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in October, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

NONE

-Now that the former Georgia Championship Wrestling is the most prestigious promotion in the world, any joint workers would work for them in a day where there's a conflict. Fortunately, we don't share any workers, so this isn't an issue yet.

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Antonio Inoki
-Barry Orton
-Bill Mercer
-Billy Robinson
-Charlie Cook
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-El Halcon
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Jackie Fargo
-Iceman Parsons
-Jose Lothario
-Kamala
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Mr. Pogo
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Steve Olsonoski
-Terry Funk
-Terry Gordy
-Villano IV
-Villano V
-Vince McMahon

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Antonio Inoki is very unhappy about how often he has been jobbed
-Buddy Roberts is unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Iceman Parsons in very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Kevin Von Erich is extremely unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Michael Hayes is unhappy about how often he's been unsused on shows
-Nikita Koloff is furious about how often he's been unused on shows.
-Roddy Piper is unhappy about how many losses he's taken
-Terry Gordy is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.
-Vince McMahon is extremely unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.

-It's a slightly unhappier locker room than we had last month. The Freebirds are annoyed that they're not being used, but pretty much unavoidable with the limited number of appearances I have them for. Inoki doesn't like jobbing - I knew that going in when I signed him. He'll probably settle at a level outside the world title scene where he wins a bunch of pointless matches as some kind of "international attraction". Now that Kevin Von Erich is back at 100%, he'll be happy again soon, as I'll rely on him as the workhorse he is. I haven't used Nikita Koloff in months, but he's set to get involved in Leon White's storyline (if White stays around).

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *). This doesn't include start-of-month changes.

-Barry Orton thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Bobby Eaton thinks he should be a main eventer
-Dusty Wolfe thinks he should be an Enhancement Talent
-El Halcon thinks he should be a midcarder
-Kevin Sullivan thinks he should be a main eventer
-Koko B. Ware thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Michael Hayes thinks he should be a main eventer
-Owen Hart thinks he should be an opener
-Perry Jackson thinks he should be a lower midcarder
-Roddy Piper thinks he should be a main eventer
-Villano V thinks he should be a midcarder

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of April, 1985), with last month is parenthesis.

B+
David Von Erich (B-)

B
Bob Backlund (B)

B-
Curt Hennig (C+)
Luke Williams (C+)
Butch Miller (C+)
Terry Gordy (B-)
Kamala (C-)
Bobby Eaton (C-)

C+
Dick Murdoch (C+)
Leon White (C+)
El Halcon (C+)
Nikita Kolof (C+)
Kerry Von Erich (C+)
Villano V (C+)
Iceman Parsons (C+)
Antonio Inoki (C+)
Roddy Piper (C+)
Villano IV (C)
Terry Funk (C+)
Grappler #2 (C)
Kevin Sullivan (B)

C
Kevin Von Erich (C)
Doug Somers (C)
Mike Von Erich (D+)
Arturo Mendoza (C)
Billy Robinson (B-)
Steve Olsonoski (C-)
King Kong Bundy (C-)
Grappler #1 (C+)
Koko B. Ware (C)

(C-)
Mr. Pogo (C)

(D+)
Al Perez (D+)
Charlie Cook (D+)

D
None

D-
Done

E+
Perry Jackson (D-)
Mark Youngblood (E)
Dusty Wolfe (E+)

E
Barry Orton (E)

E-
None

E
None

F+
None

F
None

F-
Owen Hart (F-)

Rising in April: David Von Erich, The Sheepherders, Curt Hennig, Kamala, Bobby Eaton, Villano IV, Grappler #2, Mike Von Erich, Steve Olsonoski, King Kong Bundy, Mark Youngblood

Falling in March: Kevin Sullivan, Billy Robinson, Grappler #1, Mr. Pogo, Perry Jackson

-Poor Owen Hart. I'd like to keep him around long enough for him to be picked up by Stampede. Otherwise though, a positive month for momentum as a whole. It's nice to see David back on top.

[BYU 14]

Question on Merchandise. What is your reason for selling less types of merch for your more popular wrestlers (Backlund, Von Erich's, etc) Is it because you are trying to build lower wrestlers by selling more variety?

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF APRIL, 1985
*Workers on loan contracts

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Terry Funk
Curt Hennig
Dick Murdoch
Antonio Inoki

-Same group as last month outside of the guys that were on loan contracts (Lawler, Valentine). Funk will depart in the next few weeks as I allow his contract to expire.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

Luke Williams
Butch Miller
Roddy Piper
Kevin Von Erich
Kevin Sullivan
Michael Hayes*
Buddy Roberts*
Kamala
Arturo Mendoza

-Bobby Eaton and Grappler #1 drop out of this group from last month, Arturo Mendoza moves up into it. It's time for Mendoza's push, he's the guy in this dynasty who I've built up from virtually nothing so I have a little soft spot for him. I'm not soured on Eaton, he's just about to start a feud with with lower guys though, so there's really no reason for him to be "ranked" this high. Same with Grappler #1 - I think he's a great talent, but there's no reason for him to be this high in the card at this point.

MIDCARDERS

Villano V
Kerry Von Erich
Koko B. Ware
Iceman Parsons
The Grapplers
Bobby Eaton
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
King Kong Bundy
Mr. Pogo
Terry Gordy
El Halcon
Leon White

-Tiger Mask and The Great Kabuki have left WCCW so they're out of this group. Bobby Eaton and Grappler #1 drop down to the midcard. Villano V and El Halcon move up.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Doug Somers
Villano IV
Mark Youngblood
Charlie Cook

-Villano V and El Halcon move up and out of this group

OPENERS

Al Perez
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton
Owen Hart

-Owen Hart moves up into this group

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Dusty Wolfe

-Wolfe requested to be an "occasional wrestler" last month, now he wants to be an Enhancement Talent again. I make him happy (to the benefit of Owen Hart)

OCCASIONAL WRESTLERS

Billy Robinson

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
Bill Mercer
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
Ray Stevens
Ricky Romero
Jackie Fargo
Ox Baker
Vince McMahon

CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-Roddy Piper (13 Days)
-Terry Funk (22 Days)
-Mr. Pogo (29 Days)
-Iceman Parsons (31 Days)
-Gary Hart (31 Days)
-Perry Jackson (32 Days)
-Barry Orton (32 Days)
-King Kong Bundy (33 Days)
-Kerry Von Erich (33 Days)
-Steve Olsonoski (34 Days)
-Mark Youngblood (34 Days)
-Terry Gordy (42 Days)
-Dusty Wolfe (53 Days)
-Lance Russell (55 Days)
-Owen Hart (56 Days)
-Doug Somers (56 Days)
-Nikita Koloff (57 Days)

-I'm going to let the expensive contracts of Roddy Piper and Terry Funk expire. Hopefully that, (along with the similar decision to let Tiger Mask go), will loosen up Frtiz' purse to allow me to pursue the likes of Hulk Hogan. We're going to scale down our roster to see if that encourages Fritz to let me offer more to big names.

[molson]

Question on Merchandise. What is your reason for selling less types of merch for your more popular wrestlers (Backlund, Von Erich's, etc) Is it because you are trying to build lower wrestlers by selling more variety?

I don't really understand merchandise yet, expect that I'm losing money on it (except for a couple of freak months)

Everyone's merchandise sales are rated as "awful" in the custom merchandise screen - I imagine they won't go any higher than that until I reach national status. So in the meantime, it seems like it makes sense to keep everything low.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, May 1985
Seattle, WA (Northwest - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,224 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,162

-Pre-Show Dark Match
King Kong Bundy defeats Barry Orton in 6:38 by pinfall. (C+). Bundy debuts his new "mountain giant" gimmick after his face turn at the last show. It's similar to his original WCCW gimmick - blue jeans and a rope belt. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Bundy about his win, and his firing of Gary Hart last week. Bundy says he wants to thank Kevin Von Erich for helping him "see the light" - Bundy hopes that he can earn back the respect of the fans.

-Pre-Show Dark Segment.
Bill Mercer conducts interviews with some of the participants of tonight's show. First, he talks to Billy Robinson about his match tonight with Mr. Pogo. (D+). Then, he talks to Charlie Cook, who has inexplicably agreed to get in the ring with Leon White once again. (E-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Fritz comes to the ring and cuts a promo hyping tonight's WCCW debut show in Seattle. He also hypes the upcoming Parade of Champions event at the end of the month, which we now know will feature a main event of WCCW World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund defending his title against the 1985 King of Texas Wrestling Tournament Winner, David Von Erich (D-)

-El Halcon defeats Perry Jackson in 6:40 by pinfall. (C-)

-The three-time King of Texas Wrestling tournament winner David Von Erich comes to the ring and cuts a lengthy promo, hyping his latest tournament win. He notes that he also won the 1985 Last Man Standing tournament, and now, there's only one accomplishment left - the World Heavyweight Championship, which he'll challenge for at Parade of Champions. David points out that he had already earned that title shot before his King of Texas Wrestling Tournament win. David says that he's conferred with WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario, and has confirmed that his newly earned title shot is transferable to anyone, for any title. So, says David, he wants to give his brothers, Kevin & Kerry a shot at the World Tag Team Titles at Parade of Champions. David notes that Kevin returns to the ring tonight, for his first match since he and Kerry lost the tag titles to the Sheepherders several months ago. David admits that he's reluctant to just hand such an opportunity over to anyone. Further, Kerry and Kevin want to earn their shot like any other team, claims David. Therefore, David says he will transfer the title shot that he earned at the King of Texas Wrestling tournament to the winner of tonight's tag team match between Kevin/Kerry and The Grapplers. (C-)

-Owen Hart defeated Dusty Wolfe in 5:46 by pinfall. (D-)

-Leon White came to the ring, and Bill Mercer interviewed him about his upcoming match against a man he has dominated - Charlie Cook. White says that he thought the issues with Cook were settled, but if he wants another beating, he'll give it to him. (E-)

-Leon White defeats Charlie Cook in 4:39 by pinfall. (C-) The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, while White was celebrating in the ring, Cook sneaked back in and struck White with a steel chair. (E-). White however, was barely impacted at all. Cook fled the ring in terror, with White in hot pursuit, back to the locker room. (E-)

-World Tag Team Title Shot To The Winners.
Kevin & Kerry Von Erich defeat The Grapplers in 10:48 when Kevin made Grappler #2 submit. (C+) After the match, Kevin & Kerry cut a promo hyping the win, and their earned title shot against The Sheepherders at Parade of Champions. Kevin thanks the fans for their support in his comeback to the ring after being out for several months with an injury (C+)

-Billy Robinson defeats Mr. Pogo in 13:20 by pinfall. (C+). The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Robinson celebrated in the ring.

-Skandor Akbar comes to the ring with his client, Nikita Koloff, making his first WCCW appearance in several months. Akbar hypes the main event match between Koloff and David Von Erich. Akbar claims Koloff has been training in the Siberian wilderness and is more vicious than ever. Akbar also hypes his Destruction Inc., stable as a whole, which now includes the World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders, the undefeated Kamala, and Koloff. (C-)

-David Von Erich defeats Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) in 12:56 by DQ after Akbar interfered. (C). Koloff was tiring towards the end of the match.

Overall Show Rating: C

THOUGHTS:

-That's the worst-rated show I've had in a while. That's not surprising, since the northwest is probably our weakest American region, and I really brought a B-team, outside of the Von Erichs. The show actually dipped my popularity here very slightly - that shows me that my national popularity is broad enough now that I have to run shows C+ or better in these emerging regions. That definitely shows how far I've come.

-It's a good thing that I didn't bring many expensive workers, because I ran a building one size higher than I intended.

-It's difficult to put much stock in any of these match ratings - but I was happy to see Robinson (one of my more popular wrestlers in the northwest) pull a C+, and Kevin/Kerry reach that same rating in Kevin's return match. I'm hoping a healthy Kevin can lead to a B- or B with the Sheepherders.

-David earned two title shots the last two months, so he transfers one here to his brothers. I had considered going a couple of different ways with the Parade of Champions, but since I still have this Von Erichs/Sheepherders official storyline going, I decided to run with it until the end, even though the storyline rating is in the toilet because no steps have developed in months.

-I picture King Kong Bundy's new face gimmick as some kind of slow-witted country giant deal. I don't think he'll take of as a face, his ratings just aren't good enough. His limited stamina doesn't warrant a higher place on the card.

[molson]

NEWS

-David Von Erich is exhausted after the last show. He's definitely had a heavy workload lately

-Fresh off their promotion to national status, American Championship Wrestling (formerly the Georgia promotion) has made some major talent acquisitions. Most importantly, Hulk Hogan has signed on. Hogan hasn't wrestled since the WWF went out of business last November. I'm assuming that's an exclusive written contract, so that ends the hope of the Hulkamania running wild in WCCW any time soon. Ric Flair, who hasn't wrestled since last July, is also in the fold.

-ACW also signs Gino Hernandez, Gorilla Monsoon, Butch Reed, The Grand Wizard, and Gene Oakerland.

-Finally, as I expected, ACW has signed away Leon White....He's given his notice, and will be under contract with us for another 7 days. So it's safe to say his unpinned streak is going to end in a hurry.

-I have most of the lineup for Parade of Champions in my head, but I'm still trying to put together a couple of pieces. I'd like to use Antonio Inoki in some kind of "international main event" type match with someone from outside WCCW. Mil Mascaras would be my first choice, though he's rejected me in the past. I'd also like Mike Von Erich to defend his Cruiserweight Championship against a foreign Cruiserweight - I've just completed a talent trade to ship Iceman Parsons to UPW (the new Japanese promotion) for Mitsuharu Misawa.

-The TV networks are scheduling, and this is always a tricky time of the year...No network will negotiate with me if I already have a TV show (since I'm only Cult size). So to get a better time slot, I have to cancel my show first, which leaves a limited window to get a new deal by the end of the month, or go 3 months without TV. I haven't decided yet whether I'll cancel my show after week 3, which would be more conservative, or after week 4.

[BYU 14]

ACW is going to be a real threat with Hogan, do you have the resources to compete with over the long haul as it appears you two are going to the WWF / WCW of your world.

[molson]

ACW is going to be a real threat with Hogan, do you have the resources to compete with over the long haul as it appears you two are going to the WWF / WCW of your world.

They're the clear number #1 in the universe now, but as long as I can keep increasing my popularity and can get to national eventually, there's no reason I can't compete. But that ride up just got a whole lot more complicated.

AWA and Mid-Atlantic are also doing well, I expect both of them to reach national status eventually. So it's really a "big 4" at the moment. Or at least a "big 1", with 3 others just behind.

[PilotMan]

I can't say enough how cool the development of this universe has been. Your dynasty has the true feel that a good dynasty needs. I only wish I could get the same things out of my own games. I tried a similar styled dynasty on my own a while back, but even at 50 wpm typing it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Kudos to you for making it this long and keeping us all entertained.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 1, May 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,579; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) defeats Al Perez in 4:50 by pinfall. (C) After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Grappler #2 about his win. (C-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Non Title Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Barry Orton in 6:50 by submission. (C) Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Mike cut a promo hyping his win. He also stated now that David will be challenging for the World Title at Parade of Champions, and Kerry & Kevin will be challenging for the World Tag Team Titles, he wants to put his Cruiserweight Title on the line, so that all the Von Erichs will be involved in championship matches. Mike says he's looking all over the world for the right challenger. (C)

-As the show starts, Ray Stevens cuts a promo with his federation stable (Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, Kevin Sullivan, Vince McMahon) by his side. He puts over Backlund's retention of the World Title last week at the King of Texas Wrestling Show, and hypes the Federation's defense of the Six-Man-Tag team championship in the main event tonight, against David Von Erich, Curt Hennig, and Terry Funk. (C)

-Lance Russell interviews Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware about their upcoming match against the new team that has called them out in recent weeks - Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers. Eaton & Ware mock the team for being out of their league - they claim they'll make Olsonoski & Somers regret their foolish challenge. (C+)

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware in 7:37 by fluke pinfall when Olsonoski pinned Ware. (C+). Eaton and Ware looked good. Immediately after the match, Ware & Eaton attacked Olsonoski & Somers, who were ecstatic and distracted after their win. The heels left Olsonoski & Somers laying in the ring. (C+)

-Bill Mercer ran his 2-minute "update" segment, which recapped the results of the King of Texas Wrestling Event, and the recent house show in Seattle. He also announced card thus far for WCCW's biggest event of the year, Parade of Champions, to be held at the end of the month:

-WCCW World Championship Match
Bob Backlund v. David Von Erich

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sheepherders v. Kerry & Kevin Von Erich

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich v. Challenger To Be determined.

Antonio Inoki v. Opponent To Be Determined

-Stipulation to Be Determined
Dick Murdoch v. Curt Hennig

-The Grapplers v. The Villanos.

Mercer promised more match announcements over the next few weeks. (D+)

-Backstage, WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario is with the newly crowned WCCW TV Champion, Arturo Mendoza. Both stand near this week's rolling drum of volunteer challengers for the TV Title this week. Mendoza draws the first challenger to his title - Grappler #1. (B-)

-A video recaps the Gary Hart/King Kong Bundy incident from the King of Texas Wrestling show, when Bundy attacked Hart after encouragement from Kevin Von Erich. (C)

-King Kong Bundy defeats Perry Jackson in 4:57 by pinfall. (C+)

-Kamala comes to the ring for the next match, with his handler Ox Baker, and surprisingly, Gary Hart - who is sans the Elvis costume he was wearing the last several months. Hart still seems mentally unstable, but is somewhat more coherent then in recent weeks. Hart says he's made the gamble of his life - he's mortgaged his house, sold every real estate holding he had left, maxed out his credit lines, all to raise money and risk his entire future on one purchase - Kamala's contract (and Ox Baker's), from Skandor Akbar. Hart conceds that Kamala's "last chance probation" (under which he'll be indefinitely suspended for any match DQ or interference) makes this an incredibly risky purchase, but Hart says he's desperate. He's at the lowest point of his life, he had no clients left, and is staking everything on Kamala (and his handler Ox Baker) to succeed and bring in money through winning big matches, and ultimately, championships. Hart says he is literally down to the clothes on his back, and needs a big Kamala win tonight just to get enough money to get through the month. Therefore, he has arranged a match for right now between Kamala, and that "overhyped, flash-in-the-pan, Leon 'the Bull' White". (C+)

-Leon White comes to the ring to a huge ovation, where he is immediately attacked, before the match starts, by Kamala (highlighting the risky nature of Hart's "investment".) (B-)

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant (w/Ox Baker & Gary Hart) defeat Leon White in 9:34 by pinfall in a violent match. (B+). The two showed good chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Arturo Mendoza drew with Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) in 10:00 when the time limit expired to make his 1st defense of the TV title. (C+). The two showed poor chemistry.

-Skandor Akbar comes out to the ring with his clients, the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. Akbar cuts a promo confirming the news that he has sold the contract of Kamala to Gary Hart. Akbar calls Kamala a "high risk" and a "liability". Akbar says Gary Hart is an idiot - Kamala will snap soon and be suspended, Hart will be left with nothing, and Akbar will happily keep the profits from the sale. Akbar says that with the "desperate" amount of money Hart paid for Kamala's contract, he will soon be able to upgrade and expand his Destruction, Inc. stable. (C+)

-Non-Title Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Billy Robinson & El Halcon in 7:51 when Williams pinned Halcon. (C+). After the match, Akbar and The Sheepherders cut a promo mocking the Von Erichs for having a tag title shot handed to them by David. This time, claim the Sheepherders, they plan on putting both Von Erichs out of action for longer then few months Kevin was away after their last match. (C+)

-David Von Erich, Terry Funk, and Curt Hennig cut a promo hyping their challenge for the six-man-tag team titles in tonight's main event. The men put over the talents and accomplishments of one other: David's amazing run which has include winning both the Last Man Standing and King of Texas Wrestling tournament championships, David and Hennig's classic quarter-final matchup at the King of Texas Tournament, Funk's success in turning Hennig into a meaner, more intense wrestler, etc. They all hype their individual issues with members of the Federation stable - particularly, Hennig hypes his match with Dick Murdoch at Parade of Champions. (B)

-WCCW Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match
Dick Murdoch, Bob Backlund, & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens & Vince McMahon) drew with Curt Hennig, David Von Erich, & Terry Funk in 13:47 following a Double DQ after the referee lost control of the match. The Federation makes their 3rd defense of their titles. (C+). Funk & Backlund looked good.

-Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS

-I need to save those six-man-tag main events for house shows - they don't rate well enough to main event a national TV show. C+ is good enough to help us out in our weaker regions, but it won't help us make any progress in Texas or the Midwest.

-The Sheepherders matched the C+ they delivered with Robinson & El Halcon at a house show several weeks ago - that's a very solid tag match rating when a non-established team is involved. The Sheepherders storyline with the Von Erichs is finally back on.

-Gary Hart takes a step back towards sanity as he has hit rock bottom, and now is trying to build up his stable with a major gamble - I think that's kind of a fun storyline. Hart is staking everything on the wild, unpredictable Kamala who will be banished from WCCW the next time he's DQ'd. It's almost a sympathetic angle, really. Kamala had his best WCCW match yet, a B+ with Leon White. Obviously, that's bittersweet, since White is on his way out soon. I may get one more match (sure to be a job) out of his at the house show next week.

-Mendoza delivering only a C+ with Grappler #1 is disappointing, though I had forgotten that those two had poor chemistry. Part of the reason Mendoza has the TV title is that I expect him to be able to pull B- or better matches with a variety of competition every week.

-Eaton & Ware carried Olsonoski & Somers to the latter team's best ever tag team match rating, as the babyface underdogs get the flukey upset win. Koko was NOT happy about being asked to job here....but this is just a slump for he and Ware, and an attempt to elevate some other guys into the midcard, they'll be back in the upper midcard (at least), eventually.

[molson]

I can't say enough how cool the development of this universe has been. Your dynasty has the true feel that a good dynasty needs. I only wish I could get the same things out of my own games. I tried a similar styled dynasty on my own a while back, but even at 50 wpm typing it felt like I wasn't getting anywhere. Kudos to you for making it this long and keeping us all entertained.

Thanks, I really appreciate it, this thing has really taken on a life of it's own, it's keeping me going with it.

[molson]

NEWS

-After looking over Mitsuharu Misawa's current ratings, I decide I'm not sold on him as Mike's challenger at Parade of Champions. I need to bring a couple of guys in, to see how they do. I work the phones with Portland Wrestling again, and trade El Halcon to them for three appearances to the British Cruiserweight, Les Thorton (who has formed a pretty dominant tag team in the AWA with the Iron Shiek). I also request negotiations with Hector Guerrero, who had a 3-month run with us back in 1983. Since I realize I'm now only 1 nationality away from an "international cruiserweight tournament" (which would be consistent with Jose Lothario's campaign promises to make WCCW more "international"), I decide to look for an American Cruiserweight as well. My first target is former WCCW Cruiserweight Champion Buddy Landell, but he wants no part of my company, because I fired him (this is why it's better to let contracts expire). Then I target Brian Adias - who would also be a pretty awesome addition to the Gary Hart storyline (since Gary Hart treated him like crap and fired him as a client last year - he would be an ideal member of Hart's new "desperate/make-shift" stable. Unfortunately, I can't negotiate with him because his "Basics" stat is below B-, so Fritz blocks that. Finally, I find old friend Ricky Morton in WWC, and trade Curt Hennig for the privilege of using Morton for three appearances. I didn't have to offer someone as good as Hennig, but he'll benefit from the experience of being brutalized in Puerto Rico.

-Terry Gordy arrived late for the last show. I suspend him 1 week to send a message. I'm not sure when exactly I will use the Freebirds again.

-Bob Backlund & Arturo Mendoza are exhausted after the last show. I really need to run a low-key house show next week and rest some guys. There's only so much I can do with Backlund though, who also wrestles regularly with Calgary Stampede and IWA (Montreal).

-The TV show delivered a 4.97 rating - the first time in 4 weeks we've dipped below 5.0. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of ratings we can generate with a new timeslot/network next month.

-With ACW now dominating the wrestling landscape, I attempt to make peace with some of the rival promotions, so that we all may have greater options in talent trades, and not steal talent from one other. Nobody wants to listen. So as it stands, I only have "working agreements" with the following:
-Pacific Northwest
-WWC (Puerto Rico)
-Mid-South
-St. Louis Wrestling Club
-Atlantic Grand-Prix Wrestling (Canada)
-All-Star Wrestling (UK)
-Calagary Stampede
-CWA (Europe)
-Maple Leaf Wrestling
-Universal Pro Wrestling (Japan)

-Stan Hansen has surprisingly left ACW just as its taking off - maybe they had to free up some cash to pay Flair and Hogan. That leaves Stan unemployed - I immediately request negotiations, as I have several times in the past with Stan.

-At their most recent show, WWC used two of the guys we're loaning to them - Kerry Von Erich lost to Rip Rodgers, and Curt Hennig lost to Carlos Colon.

-ACW ran their first show as a national promotion, here is the results:
-Thunderbolt Patterson defeats Road Warrior Animal
-Brad Rheingans defeats Road Warrior Hawk
-Hulk Hogan & Ole Anderson defeat the One Man Gan & Butch Reed
-Ricky Morton & Tito Santana drew with Mr. Wrestling II & Dutch Mantell
-Bob Armstrong defeated Jim Duggan
-The Iron Shiek defeated Ric Flair
-Stan Hansen defeats Manny Fernandez.

-By the way, the main event champion (the "national heavyweight champion" of ACW, and thus the top guy in wrestling, is Greg Valentine. I can't imagine he'll hold that title long.

-Fritz caps my offer to Mil Mascaras at a level that won't bring him in.....So my search for a Parade of Champions opponent for Antonio Inoki continues...After a couple of false leads I decide to request negotiations with IWA in Montreal to develop a working agreement solely to attempt to acquire Nick Bockwinkle via talent trade.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, May 1985
Anaheim, CA (Southwest - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,224 Ticket prices: $2 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Mitsuharu Misawa defeated Dusty Wolfe in 6:27 by pinfall. (D+) After the match, Misawa celebrated his WCCW debut and win. (F-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Charlie Cook defeats Mark Youngblood in 6:50 by submission. (D). After the match, Bill Mercer tried to interview Cook about his win, but all Cook wanted to talk about was Leon White's defeat at the hands of Kamala on TV last week. Cook taunted White, and said that he'll be stick around the arena tonight to watch Kamala to destroy White again, in their rematch. (D-)

-As the show starts, Antonio Inoki comes out to the ring and cuts a lengthy promo. He concedes that he came up short in is match for the World Title against Bob Backlund at the Last Man Standing show. He says he's looking to move back up the ladder again, and earn another title shot. To do that, says Inoki, he has signed to wrestle at Parade of Champions against an opponent to be determined. Inoki says he has made an "open international challenge" and hopes to compete against an international superstar on wrestling's biggest stage - Parade of Champions. Inoki also hypes his main event on tonight's show, with Roddy Piper, a man he has never faced 1-on-1. (B-)

-The tag team of Billy Robinson and El Halcon talked to Bill Mercer about their upcoming match with the Grapplers. (D+)

-Billy Robinson & El Halcon defeat The Grapplers in 8:28 by DQ. (C)

-Bill Mercer interviewed Al Perez & Owen Hart about their upcoming tag team match against Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware. Perez & Hart say this match will be a huge challenge for them, but the think that Eaton and Ware may be a little distracted by their recent loss to Steve Olsonoksi & Doug Somers, so they may be ripe for an upset tonight. (E+)

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware defeated Al Perez & Owen Hart in 6:49 when Ware pinned Perez. (C). Perez was exhausted by the end of the match. Eaton and Ware looked good.

-Roddy Piper came out to the set of Piper's Pit, where he first hypes his main event match with Antonio Inoki. (B+)

-Piper's Pit
-w/guests Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware
Piper interviewed Eaton & Ware (B-) who challenged Steve Olsonoski and Doug Somers to a rematch at Parade of Champions. (D+) Eaton & Ware say their upset loss to Olsonoski & Somers last week was meaningless, and they'll bury the upstarts on the biggest stage of WCCW. Piper offers generous compliments to both Ware & Eaton.

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant (w/Gary Hart & Ox Baker) defeats Leon White in 9:31 by submission. (B). The two showed good chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Gary Hart hyped his client, and said that with every win, Hart comes closer and closer to financial solvency. The next step, says Hart, would be a big-money payday at Parade of Champions. Hart says he can accomplish that, and settle some business with an old client, by challenging King Kong Bundy to face Kamala that night. (D)

-Antonio Inoki defeats Roddy Piper (w/Grappler #2) in 30:40 by pinfall despite interference from Piper's bodyguard, Grappler #2. (A+). The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Inoki celebrated for several minutes around ringside. (B+)

Overall Show Rating (B)

THOUGHTS

-Very solid show for the Southwest, one of our weaker and less-visited region.

-I only have Piper for a few more days, and had planned to just let his contract expire, but I decided to throw him into a main event. The cost of his appearance was probably overkill for this region, but I thought that Inoki needed a big win after losing a bunch lately, and I really don't have many guys that are over in the southwest, except for our few guys that are known nationally, like Piper. But that main event tonight, and the Piper's Pit segment, will be Piper's final WCCW appearance on his current contract. He's had a wild, controversial, and successful run, and I hope to bring him back down the road at a lower cost.

-This was also the final WCCW show for Leon White, who will wrestle exclusively for ACW starting this week. So he got to job to Kamala for a second straight show. Kamala is on a roll - he's still undefeated on his current WCCW run.

-Mitsuharu Misawa, who will be taking part in the Cruiserweight Contender tournament over the next two weeks on TV, debuts and gets a win on the pre-show. He's nowhere near ready to be any kind of factor, so he'll disappear quickly after the tournament.

-Billy Robinson & El Halcon over The Grapplers was kind of upset, but I'm trying to very slowly develop a tag team division. At Cult level, where you pay per appearance, regular tag teams don't make a whole lot of sense. But I'd like to have some established teams in the pipeline in case I ever get to national status.

[molson]

NEWS

-Stan Hansen rejected my negotiation request, saying we're not big enough for him. Since he just left the only promotion bigger than WCCW (American Championship Wrestling), he'll be sitting out on the sidelines for a while. So I'm still in search of a Parade or Champions opponent for Antonio Inoki.

-The dirt sheets are hyping Charlie Cook as a future star, which is bizare to me, because I certainly haven't seen that.....But I'll keep the ex-NFLer around in a lower midcard role to see if he can improve

-Hector Guerrero wants $2,300/show to sign, and I'm just not going to do that. I'm letting the contracts of Piper, Terry Funk, and others expire in the hopes that Fritz lets me spend more money on huge stars like Harley Race. So it while I had tentatively planned for Hector Guerrero to win the Cruiserweight Contender Tournament, and the Cruiserweight Title at Parade of Champions, I'm just not going to pay him as much as I pay Bob Backlund. So we still only have three Cruiserweights for the tournament - Misawa, Les Thorton, and Ricky Morton. Mike Von Erich may retain his title after all.

-For a potential lower-cost replacement for Guerrero, I request negotiations with Mexican Enrique Vera, who is quite a step down. He hasn't wrestled since the UWA went under in January of this year.

-ACW brings in Paul Orndorff to their already impressive roster.

-I try to request negotiations with The Dynamite Kid, who appears to be in his last days with Calgary Stampede, but Fritz blocks the request because the Dynamite Kid is a "known steroids user".

[JeffNights]

I'm hoping there is a massive heel turn for Bundy once he builds up his popularity, turn on kevin, massive heat, yadda yadda yadda.

BUNDY SHOULD FOREVER BE A HEEL!

:) Great Dynasty, its taken on a life of its own.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 2, May 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,579; Ticket Prices: default
Actual Attendance: 4,634

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Kerry Von Erich defeats Perry Jackson in 6:47 by pinfall. (B-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Charlie Cook & Dusty Wolfe in 6:44 by pinfall when Somers pinned Wolfe. (C-) After the match, Somers and Olsonoski cut a promo accepting the challenge laid out by Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware for a match at Parade of Champions. Somers and Olsonoski say it was gutsy for Eaton & Ware to challenge a team they've already lost to, to a match at the biggest show of the year. (C+)

-As the show starts, a highlight video recaps last week's main even World Six-Man Tag Title match between Backlund/Sullivan/Murdoch and David/Funk/Hennig that ended in a double DQ. (B)

-Lance Russell announces that tonight, due to the controversial finish of last week's main event match, the teams will meet again tonight for the World Six-Man Tag Team Titles. Russell says that in order to ensure a decisive winner, the match will be contested under elimination (aka Survivor Series)r ules. Russell also states that to ensure that the match is given maximum time, it will be the first match on tonight's show. Finally, Russell announces that tonight's match has importance beyond even the World Six-Man Tag Title, as the winning team will earn the right to decide the stipulations in the Backlund/David and Murdoch/Hennig matches at Parade of Champions. (B-)

-Backstage, WCCW TV Champion Arturo Mendoza stands with Commissioner Jose Lothario and the rolling drum of volunteer challengers for the TV Title. Before Mendoza can draw a name, says Lothario, he has an announcement to make about the TV title. The TV title, says Lothario, is already the most grueling championship in all of wrestling, with mandatory weekly title defenses. However, the title is about to get even more grueling. Lothario says that starting at Parade of Champions, the TV Title will be defended at each and every monthly PPV/Closed Circuit event. And for those events, instead of a random challenger, the champion will face a contender named by the WCCW Championship Committee. The Championship Committee has determined that at Parade of Champions, the challenger for the TV title will be determined by the outcome of tonight's huge six-man tag match. If Terry Funk's team wins, he gets the title shot, and if Kevin Sullivan's team wins, he gets the title shot. Lothario emphasizes that there's no guarantee that Mendoza will still be TV Champion come Parade of Champions, and that whoever holds the gold at that time will defend against one of those men. Mendoza then draws his challenger for tonight - Mr. Pogo. (B-)

-WCCW World Six-Man Tag Team Championship Match
-Winners Decide Stipulations For Parade of Champions Matches
-Elimination Rules
-#1 Contender For TV Title Determined (Between Funk & Sullivan).
Bob Backlund, Dick Murdoch, & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeat David Von Erich, Curt Hennig, & Terry Funk in 29:53 to make their 4th defense of the six-man tag titles. (B). Funk & Backlund looked good. The order of elimination was as follows:
-Kevin Sullivan pinned Terry Funk (3-2, advantage heels)
When Funk got back towards the locker room area, he was attacked from behind by Sullivan and Murdoch, while Backlund and Hennig were the legal men in the ring. (C+). Hennig fell for the trap and rushed to his mentor's aid, which led to:
-Curt Hennig was counted out (3-1, advantage heels)
Sullivan, Murdoch, and Backlund worked on David's left arm for the rest of the match.
-David Von Erich pinned Kevin Sullivan (2-1, advantage heels)
-David Von Erich made Dick Murdoch submit (1-1, even)
-Bob Backlund made a weakened David Von Erich submit to win the match

-After the bell rang, Bob Backlund refused to release his submission hold on David's arm, until Curt Hennig ran to the ring to make the save. Murdoch and Sullivan also returned, and Hennig quickly dispatched them to the outside. The heels regrouped near the announce table, where Ray Stevens cut a promo hyping his stable's win. He notes that as the result of the win, Kevin Sullivan will now receive a TV Title shot at Parade of Champions. Also, Stevens says he now gets to choose the stipulations for the Backlund/David and Murdoch/Stevens matches at Parade of Champions. Stevens says that while Hennig is an excellent wrestlers, he's still not tough enough to hang with the big boys. So, says Stevens, Hennig's match with Murdoch will be a Bunkhouse Brawl - come as you are (no ring gear), no countouts, no DQ, weapons are legal, pinfalls count anywhere. Finally, says Stevens, since David Von Erich has proved tonight that he's a quitter, his match for the Backlund's World Title at Parade of Champions will be a submission match. (C)

-Bill Mercer ran his 2-minute "update" segment, which recapped the goings-on in WCCW. Specifically, he announced several new matches for Parade of Champions. First King Kong Bundy has accepted a challenge laid out by his former manager Gary Hart to face the Ugandan Giant Kamala. Also, Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware will try to avenge their upset loss against Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers. Kevin Sullivan will face the TV Champion, whoever that may be. Antonio Inoki is still searching for an "international superstar" to face. (D+)

-Lance Russell interviews WCCW Cruiserweight Champion Mike Von Erich about the upcoming "Intentional Cruiserweight Open", which is a triple threat match between 3 Cruiserweights to determine Mike's challenger at Parade of Champions. Mike discusses each competitor - from Japan, Mitsuharu Misawa; from the UK, Les Thorton; and from the USA, Ricky Morton. Mike notes that Morton is his former tag team partner (the two held the WWA Tag Team Championship 2 years ago). (C+)

-Mike Von Erich is introduced as a guest ring announcer for the International Cruiserweight Open match. He comes to the announce table and joins Fritz Von Erich and Lance Russell. (C)

-International Cruiserweight Open
-Triple Threat Match (One Fall To A Finish)
-Winner faces Mike Von Erich for Cruiserweight Title at Parade of Champions.
Les Thorton defeats Mitsuharu Misawa and Ricky Morton in 6:48 when he pinned Misawa. Thorton dismantled the opposition in a dominating victory. (B). After the match, Thorton cut a promo hyping his match with Mike at Parade of Champions. (C+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Mr. Pogo in 6:56 by pinfall to make his 2nd defense of the TV Title. (B)

-A video hypes Gary Hart & Ox Baker's "workout regiment" for Kamala, which largely involves Ox Baker striking Kamala with fists and chairs to little effect. (C+)

-A video hypes the feud between Kevin/Kerry Von Erich & The Sheepherders, which dates back to the latter defeating the former for the World Tag Team Titles several months ago. Kevin came into the match injured after an attack by the Road Warriors, and the Sheepherders finished the job, putting Kevin out of action for several months. Since then, the champs have often mocked Kevin and his injury on TV. (B-)

-Backstage, Kevin & Kerry cut a promo hyping their tag team title shot against The Sheepherders at Parade of Champions, and also Kevin's 1-on-1 match tonight against the man who ended his amazing TV Title run - Sheepherder Butch Miller. Kerry says he will be in Kevin's corner tonight, to mitigate any interference from Skandor Akbar. (C+)

-Kevin Von Erich (w/Kerry Von Erich) defeats Butch Miler (w/Skandor Akbar) by submission in 8:43. (B-) Akbar tried to interfere during the match, but Kerry limited his impact. The two showed poor chemistry.

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-A lot of good stuff here, but nothing great to push us any higher than B-.

-The six-man went on first because of the low rating of that matchup last week. Of course, here, they pull off a "B". There was a lot at stake in that match, and now the deck is stacked in the Federation's favor for Parade of Champions. This might have been the final WCCW match in Terry Funk's current run.

-Kevin needed a win here to start building up his momentum after his injury absence. I have high hopes for the tag team title match at Parade of Champions.

-A "B" rating for Mendoza/Pogo is solid - that's exactly the kind of reliability I want in a TV Champion. It'll be Mendoza v. Sullivan at Parade of Champions if Mendoza can hold onto the belt that long.

-The TV Champion will now defend the title at every PPV/Closed Circuit event against a challenger selected by the Championship Committee. I still love the random weekly challenger setup, and that won't change, but I wanted a belt for midcarders to be able to aspire to, instead of just hoping that their names gets randomly drawn each week. I had considered bringing back the Texas Heavyweight Title for that purpose (and retiring the Cruiserweight Title), but now the TV Title can be the best of both worlds.

-I was very pleasantly surprised with the Cruiserweight Open Match. I had original planned on running a 4-man tournament, but after negotiations with Hector Guerrero didn't work out, I decided to just have a single, triple-threat match. I think Les Thorton was the key to the match, he's doing really well in this universe (multiple time AWA tag champion with the Iron Shiek), and I think he'd be a good fit with us. It's too bad I only have him for two more appearances on a loan contract. It's no slam dunk that Mike retains, I might have Thorton win and then disappear, taking the Cruiserweight belt with him. Thorton is slotted as an uppermidcard heel with a "British Bulldog" gimmick.

[molson]

I'm hoping there is a massive heel turn for Bundy once he builds up his popularity, turn on kevin, massive heat, yadda yadda yadda.

BUNDY SHOULD FOREVER BE A HEEL!

:) Great Dynasty, its taken on a life of its own.

Ya, there's a strong chance that Bundy's face run doesn't go anywhere and he goes crawling back to Gary Hart.

[DeToxRox]

Bundy is working on a stand up routine in the North West. I can only imagine how good it will be.

[molson]

NEWS

-Georgia Championship Wrestling going national created the potential for some serious challenges for us, and now, those challenges have doubled. The AWA has risen to national status, allowing them to sign wrestlers to exclusive contracts. We're now the clear #3 in the wrestling landscape, which is not a happy place to be.

-AWA has thrown their weight around immediately, and the results are shocking - they have offered contracts to Dick Murdoch, Curt Hennig, Bob Backlund, and Ox Baker. All could be gone soon. To say that losing those guys on the eve of Parade of Champions would change the direction of WCCW is an understatement.

-The rise of Georgia and the AWA makes us incredibly vulnerable - everyone on the roster (except for the Von Erichs) could go at any time. Of course, that also makes this game a whole lot more fun. Our own race to national status is obviously more urgent than ever, but it's still not likely to happen before 1986. I can hold out hope though, that a better TV deal, which I'm in a good position to get, might accelerate our climb.

-Georga and the AWA won't just impact us in terms of poaching workers, it will also make it harder to sign big stars - those promotions at national status will increase the popularity of their employees, and those workers, even if fired by one of the "big two", will be less willing to work for a "small" Cult sized promotion like WCCW.

-From now on, we need to target guys who are released by either the AWA or Geogria - as at least I know that those guys won't resign with their former company for six months. That cuts the risk of losing them by half, I guess.

-Roddy Piper is late for the last show. His contract is days away from expiring, so I just fine him. I'm tempted to fire him to make a point, but I don't want to risk a bad relationship with him in case I want to use him down the road. So it's somewhat fitting, then, that Piper shows up late to his last show. I would consider negotiating with him again, after the shocking AWA offers, but now it's just too late in the contract for that to work - Piper is moving on.

-Ox Baker was also late. That's a first offense for him, so he gets a warning.

-The TV show delivers a 5.07 rating. That's a jump from last week's 4.97, as we're back above the 5.0 mark. I'm leaning toward canceling our TV deal after the next show, giving me a week and a half to find a better time slot. That leaves us without TV the week of Parade of Champions, but I'll run some kind of supershow Parade of Champions preview live event in Dallas that week.

-Sika won the Mid-South TV Title from Stan Lane.

-My latest attempt to find an outside opponent for Antonio Inoki at Parade of Champions has failed, as Nick Bockwinkle feels we're "too small". I've gone to plan B and have made a decision on what to do with Inonki at Parade of Champions. That will be revealed at the next TV Show

-Ricky Morton complains about his push. He has two appearances left on his loan contract so I'm not worried about it.

-Buddy Roberts (who I brought in on a loan contract a while ago) is getting antsy about not being used. I have a couple of variations of Freebird angles in mind, but for creative reasons, they keep getting pushed back.

-Greg Valentine & Ric Flair won the ACW tag team championship from Steve Kerin & Manny Fernandez. Keirn and Fernandez had held the belts for almost 7 months.

-I had requested negotiations with Enrique Vera as a cheap replacement for Hector Guerrero, but now that I ran the triple threat match, Vera's services won't be required, so I cancel negotiations.

-The Junkyard Dog, who had been sitting on the sidelines since January, has signed with ACW.

-So the Parade of Champions Card is basically complete, though it may be ravaged by ACW and/or the AWA over the next few weeks:

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Submission Match
Bob Backlund v. David Von Erich

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sheepherders v. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich

-WCCW Television Championship Match
TV Champion (TBD) v. Kevin Sullivan

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich v. Les Thorton

-Bunkhouse Brawl
Curt Hennig v. Dick Murdoch

-Kamala, The Ugandan Giant v. King Kong Bundy

-The Grapplers v. The Villanos

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware v. Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers

-Antonio Inoki v. Opponent TBD

-20-Man Battle Royal

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 3, May 1985
Dallas, TX (Mid-South/Texas - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,175 Ticket prices: Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Dusty Wolfe drew with Mitsuharu Misawa in 5:41 by double count-out. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) defeats Owen Hart in 7:45 by pinfall. (D+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match the Grapplers cut a promo hyping their Parade of Champions tag match with their fellow masked tag team, The Villanos. (C)

-Ray Stevens and his Federation stable (Backlund, Murdoch, Sullivan, & McMahon) came to the ring and cut a promo hyping their Parade of Champions matches (Backlund v. David, Hennig v. Murdoch, and Sullivan v. The TV Champion). The also hyped their matches on tonight's card - Murdoch/Sullivan v. Olsonoski/Somers, and Bob Backlund in a non-title match v. Terry Funk. Stevens mocks Funk for his early exit from the elimination six-man tag match on TV last week, and especially the way Funk was beat up and humiliated on his way back to the dressing room. (C-). The insults continue for a few more minutes until an enraged-looking Terry Funk comes out of the locker room area with a fire extinguisher. Without a word, Funk sprays all of the heels with the fire extinguisher, disorienting them long enough to be able to attack the whole group, 1-on-5, with a steel chair, sending them flying from the ring and back to the locker room. (C+). Funk cuts a promo and says that with David Von Erich & Curt Hennig not in the arena tonight, the Federation probably thought they'd have an easy night. But Funk says he has revenge on his mind after the post-match attack on him last week, and the Federation better watch their backs. (B)

-Before the next match starts, Kamala, The Ugandan Giant attacks his opponent, Villano V. (B-)

-Kamala (w/Ox Baker & Gary Hart) defeat Villano V in 7:29 by submission (B-). After the match, Gary Hart cut a promo hyping how every win brings him more money, and brings him and closer to WCCW dominance - Hart took a huge financial risk on Kamala and it is paying off. Hart says that Parade of Champions, will be his biggest payday yet, when Kamala squashes King Kong Bundy (C)

-Non-Title Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Billy Robinson & Mark Youngblood in 6:35 when Miller pinned Youngblood. (C+) After the match, Akbar hypes his team's tag team title defense at Parade of Champions against Kerry & Kevin Von Erich

-Kevin Von Erich defeats Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) in 11:34 by submission. (B)

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski defeat Dick Murdoch & Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) when Olsonoski pinned Sullivan after interference from Terry Funk. (C). Sullivan looked good.

-Non-Title Match
Terry Funk defeats Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) by pinfall in 23:53 despite interference from the entire Federation stable. (B). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Funk drove off the entire Federation again, with a steel chair and and the ring bell. Outside the ring, Bob Backlund threw a tantrum, over his loss, and the general embarrassment Funk caused his stable on tonight's show. (B+). Funk grabbed a mic and cut a promo addressing Backlund, who was standing with Ray Stevens in the entrance-way towards the locker room. Funk said that Backlund looked embarrassed, but if the champ wanted another shot at wrestling him, he could defend the World Title against him on the TV show this week. Stevens shot down the suggestion immediately. Funk then upped the ante - he said that if Backlund puts the World Title on the line against him this week on the TV show, Funk will leave WCCW if he loses. After consultation, Stevens and Backlund agree (B+)

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-Dissapointing show rating, though this was a show that served a purpose - which does tend to lower our rating (where there's a couple of things I feel like I have to do)

-If there was an internet in 1985, they'd be buzzing about the Backlund/Funk World Title match this Wednesday on TV. Funk's contract is known to be up in the next 10 days, and Backlund is negotiating with the AWA. I have a couple of different scenarios in place, depending on what happens.... It's too bad though, that Backlund/Funk have such bad chemistry. That was definitely a disappointing match

-Terry Funk just went nuts tonight, making the entire Federation look foolish. This will all come to a head in the next week or so, with the future direction of WCCW at stake.

-Big win for Olsonoski/Somers, albeit by tainted means. That'll give them some momentum going into their Parade of Champions match against Eaton/Ware. Once we get to national status, I'll utilize tag teams much more (since at national, you're playing people a monthly rate, so tag team matches don't cost double, like they do at lower than national status). So I'm trying to develop a team here or there in the meantime, just to see what can develop. Tonight was a big opportunity for Olsonoski/Somers, and they didn't really deliver from a match quality standpoint

-Robinson/Youngblood managed a better match rating against The Sheepherders. Robinson continues his "teaming with younger wrestlers" gimmick. He and Youngblood have the best chemistry of any of the Robinson tag teams.

-Kevin's win over Grappler #1 was Kevin's highest-rated match in 1985 (though he missed about 2 months via injury, and was pretty banged up even before that). Grappler #1 is very solid.

-Kamala and Villano V had a nice match to start the show - I don't expect much from Kamala/Bundy at Parade of Champions, but after that, I look forward to seeing how he does against top talent.

[molson]

NEWS

-Our fears have been realized, as Curt Hennig & Dick Murdoch have given their 7-day notice - they're off to the AWA. Interestingly - no word about Bob Backlund yet, even though he was negotiating at the same time. Michael Hayes has also signed with the AWA - I'm not sure if that will impact his 3-appearance loan contract he current has with us. I don't believe it will.

-Murdoch and Hennig will obviously be missed - I'll have more reflections once they're gone for good. Their bunkhouse brawl match at Parade of Champions is out the window.

-The AWA also signs Adrian Adonis, Sgt. Slaughter, & Lou Albano

-The draw with Dusty Wolfe ends the loan contract of Mitsuharu Misawa. He finishes 1-1-1 here (fulfilling my house rule that loaned workers can't have losing records)

-Ricky Morton & Buddy Roberts complain about their push

-Terry Gordy arrived late - this is the second time in a week or two, but I may need him with all the craziness going around, so he just gets a fine.

-I request negotiations, again, with Buddy Rose. Rose had an incredible 3-match run with us last spring (3-straight "A" rated matches), and I've been trying to get him ever since. Fritz, however, caps me at $2,378/show, about $100/less than what it will take. Fritz is really cramping my style. I don't know what I can do to make him loosen the wallet - I suppose, having more money in the bank, and letting go of some contracts (Piper has recently departed, and the AWA is signing away some of our talent).

-One again, the dirt sheets hype Charlie Cook as a future star.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 3, May 1985
Lincoln, NE (Midwest - Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,350; Ticket Prices: $1 less than default
Actual Attendance: 4,452

-This will be the final show of our current TV deal, which means this is the last TV show before Parade of Champions. We will run a "bonus" house show in Dallas next Tuesday night, which will follow a Monday show somewhere else.

-I hadn't been in the habit of checking these things, but since the AWA is running a show tonight, all of the guys that I have that work for them are unavailable: Bobby Eaton, Koko B. Ware. Les Thorton, Michael Hayes, Buddy Roberts, & Ricky Morton. This means that when Eaton & Ware's pay-per-appearance contracts are up with AWA, they may very well sign exclusive contracts, which would result in them leaving WCCW.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-Non-Title Match
Mike Von Erich defeats Dusty Wolfe in 6:43 by submission. (C-) Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Mike about his win, and his Cruiserweight Title Defense at Parade of Champions against the tough Englishman Les Thorton. (C+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Owen Hart & Al Perez drew with Charlie Cook & Perry Jackson in 6:49 following a double DQ. (E+) Perez was exhausted at the end of the match

-As the show starts, a highlight video shows the events of this Monday night in Nebraska, when Terry Funk embarrassed the Federation stable, defeated Bob Backlund, and agreed to put his WCCW Career on the line tonight against Backlund, who puts up the World Title. (C)

-WCCW TV Champion Arturo Mendoza is backstage with WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario and the rolling drum of volunteer challengers for the TV Title. Lothario reminds Mendoza that this is the final TV Title match before Parade of Champions, so the winner will defend against Kevin Sullivan at that event. Mendoza draws a name - Kerry Von Erich. (C)

-David Von Erich defeats Mr. Pogo in 10:45 by pinfall. (C). After the match, David cut a promo about his reactions to the events of Monday night, and tonight's World Title match. David says that whatever happens, he's still in the main event of Parade of Champions with a shot at the World Title - if the champion that night ends up being Terry Funk, he'll be ready. (B-)

-Bill Mercer runs his 2-minute "Update" segment which hypes the entire Parade of Champion card - he also notes the addition of a 20-man over the top rope Battle Royal to that night's event. He also tells fans to check their local listings to see where WCCW TV will air after Parade of Champions (D)

-Kevin & Kerry Von Erich cut a pre-taped, backstage promo about their World Tag Team Title Shot against The Sheepherders at Parade of Champions. (C+)

-Before the next match, Kamala once again attacks his opponent, Villano IV, before the bell. (C+)

-Kamala (w/Ox Baker & Gary Hart) defeat Villano IV in 4:52 by pinfall. (B-). After the match, a hype video recaps the dominating win streak of Kamala. (B-).

-Gary Hart cut a promo hyping Kamala's match at Parade of Champions against King Kong Bundy. (D+)

-Lance Russell interviews Antonio Inoki in the ring - Inoki says he still hasn't officially signed with an opponent for Parade of Champions, but that he expects to do so in the next few days. (B) Inoki is interrupted, however, by the Soviet National Anthem blaring through the arena. Skandor Akbar comes to the ring with Nikita Koloff, who is making his first TV appearance in several months. Akbar challenges Inoki to a match with Koloff at Parade of Champions. (C+) After some back-and-forth (including some Akbar/Koloff insults towards Japan), Inoki eventually agrees. (B-)

-Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Curt Hennig in 17:55 by pinfall. (B+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Sullivan cut a promo hyping his TV Title Shot at Parade of Champions, and says he doesn't care who wins the next match - Arturo Mendoza or Kerry Von Erich - he's walking out of Parade of Champions with the belt no matter what. (C+)

-Backstage, Bill Mercer interviews Kerry Von Erich about his upcoming TV Title shot with Arturo Mendoza. Mercer points out that if Kerry can win the TV Title tonight, then he'll have to wrestle twice at Parade of Champions - once to defend the TV Title against Sullivan, and once teaming with Kevin for their Tag Team Title shot with The Sheepherders. Kerry says he'll pull double duty if he has to. (C-)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Arturo Mendoza drew with Kerry Von Erich in 10:00 when the time limit expired to make his 3rd defense of the TV Title. (B-). Mendoza looked good. After the match, the two men shook hands in a sign of respect. (C-)

-David Von Erich comes out to the announce table area to serve as guest commentator for the Terry Funk/Bob Backlund World Title Match. David is set to face the winner for the gold at Parade of Champions next week. (C+). Both Terry Funk (B) and Bob Backlund (B) cut backstage interviews hyping the match.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Funk Must Leave WCCW If He Loses
Terry Funk defeated Bob Backlund by DQ in 9:11 after the entire Federation stable interfered, after it appeared that Funk had the match, and the title, won. (C) Backlund retains the title. The two showed poor chemistry. The Federation beat down Funk 5-on-1, but David Von Erich quickly joined the fray. David & Funk held their own, and then a fresh Kerry Von Erich ran down to the ring to give the faces the advantage. The Federation began to leave the ringside room area, with Backlund clutching the World Title belt. (C+) However, just before the show ends, WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario makes an appearance, and heads down the announce table. He criticized the actions of The Federation, and announced that while he typically likes to stay out of day-to-day matchmaking, he is ordering Bob Backlund to defend the World Title against Terry Funk once again next Monday night in Kansas City. This time, says Lothario, since The Federation can't seem to stop interfering (despite heavy fines issued every time they do), that match will be held inside a steel cage). (C+)

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-All of the ratings were probably a little lower in Nebraska than they would have been in Texas. But our slightly-lower midwest popularity will be more forgiving to a C+ overall rating, in that it won't negatively impact us as much.

-The main event really tanked us this time. And we're running the same matchup again next week! I had hoped to resolve things tonight, but I bought myself a little more time to see what happens with the contracts of Backlund & Funk. Exciting times.

-Hennig does the job for Sullivan. Once Murdoch, Hennig, and possibly Backlund are gone, Sullivan will likely find himself in a main event role. B+ with Hennig is just a tad disappointing - I'd like to see Sullivan reach A- or higher with that kind of talent.

-My unsuccessful search for an "international superstar" for Antonio Inoki at Parade of Champions ended right on our own roster with the TV return of Nikita Koloff. That could be a fun little rivalry, if the two have decent chemistry.

-Kamala again impresses with a Villano. Kamala's another guy probably looking at a main event run after the AWA defections.

[molson]

NEWS

-Going into Monday night's house show in Kansas City, Bob Backlund has still not left us for the AWA. I haven't received an official message either way, since the notice I received that they were negotiating. I don't know if that means I'm in the clear, but now that we're within the 7 day notice period before Parade of Champions, I do know that Backlund will be available that night, no matter what. So it appears the main event is intact.

-I officially cancel the contract for our TV show. Once the paperwork clears in a few days, I can start negotiating for a new network and/or time slot.

-Our final TV show on the current deal delivered a 5.01 rating, slightly down from last week's 5.07. Hopefully, starting in June with a new TV situation, we'll be able to greatly surpass that.

-Ox Baker shows up late for the last show, and when he finally does show up, he gives me his 1-week notice - he's headed to the AWA. I'll have to explain his disappearance, especially how it was part of Kamala's probation that he be with Baker at all times. I decide to fire Baker for being late, just to send a message (we've had a lot of late workers lately). Baker is PISSED OFF, and he probably won't work for me ever again.

-I request negotiations with a number of workers whose contracts are up in the next few weeks - Mr. Pogo, Gary Hart, and Iceman Parsons. Parsons refuses to talk to me - he's furious about how many shows he's missed. I'll use him on every show between now and when his contract is up - hopefully that will be enough to encourage him to come talk to me.

-Harley Race has joined the AWA's already loaded roster. I'll definitely be trying to reach national status with the scraps of the wrestling industry, as AWA and ACW are snatching up everybody who's anybody.

-Ed Leslie is being hyped by the dirt sheets as a future star.

-Backstage, Luke Williams and Mark Youngblood have developed a friendship. Youngblood had started a friendship with Kevin Sullivan in the past. He must be a fun drunk or something.

-I try to re-sign Terry Funk, but Fritz caps me out at a level too low.....Fritz also stops me signing a guy that I hoped to bring in as something of a big-name savior for the Parade of Champions show, Bruiser Brody. That one's particularly annoying because Brody has a "strong friendship" with Fritz. Fritz has been a huge roadblock recently, but he's definitely helping the status of his kids by preventing me from signing all these main eventers. Funk's last show with us will be Monday night in Kansas City, when he faces Bob Backlund for the World Title.

-Kevin Sullivan, Ricky Morton, and Buddy Roberts complain about their pushes. It's almost as if Sullivan can see the writing on the wall with the defections and is angling for his spot.

-ACW's Jake Roberts has suffered an injury, he'll be out 3 months. At the moment, AWA is very slightly more prestigious than ACW, but they're the clear Big Two.

[BYU 14]

Seems like Fritz is going to make it very hard to compete with the big 2 with his tight purse strings, which is a shame because you should be right there with them.

[PilotMan]

Certainly adds a interesting twist to the smooth train that had been running down the tracks.

[the_meanstrosity]

Still following along. Great job molson. Really interested to see how you'll manage the roster and push the product nationally while the two big companies try to poach your talent.

[kislingbury]

Ditto. Should be interesting to see the new approach to talent relations/acquisition...

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 4, May 1985
Kansas City, MO (Midwest - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,175 Ticket prices: Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Billy Robinson & El Halcon defeat Barry Orton & Perry Jackson in 7:40 when Robinson pinned Jackson. (C). Robinson looked good. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed the winners. (C)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Ricky Morton defeats Dusty Wolfe in 6:16 by pinfall. (B+) The two showed great chemistry.

-Fritz Von Erich & WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario come to the ring and hype the show, and this week's Parade of Champions Event. (D)

-Ray Stevens came to the ring with WCCW World Heavyweight Champion Bob Backlund. Stevens hyped Backlund's steel cage word title defense tonight against Terry Funk, as ordered by Lothario after the events of last week's TV show. Stevens complains about Backlund having to wrestle in such a match the same week as Parade of Champions, but on the bright side, Terry Funk will still leave WCCW once he loses, per the offer he made to get the original title shot last week. Stevens also claims that after Parade of Champions, his Federation stable will be expanding - Stevens says he already has several wrestlers lined up. Backlund looks annoyed at this news from Stevens. (B-)

-Skandor Akbar comes to the ring with the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. He cuts a promo hyping their World Tag Team Title defense against Kevin & Kerry Von Erich at Parade of Champions. Akbar says that he's been waiting for months for this opportunity to dominate the Von Erichs in the ring again. (C-)

-Non-Title Match
The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Mark Youngblood & Al Perez in 5:55 when Miller pinned Youngblood after a dominating performance by the champions (C-) The Sheepherders looked good.

-King Kong Bundy defeated Charlie Cook in 6:45 by pinfall in a dominating victory (C) After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Bundy about his match at Parade of Champions with Kamala, the client of Bundy's former manager Gary Hart. Bundy says that while he has a score to settle with Hart, he's going to have to focus 100% of his attention on Kamala, or he's going to be in trouble. (C)

-Kerry & Kevin Von Erich defeat The Grapplers in 12:46 when Kerry made Grappler #2 submit. (C+). Grappler #1 looked good. Immediately after the match, Skandor Akbar and The Sheepherders hit the ring and attach the Von Erichs. The Von Erichs are able to hold their own down 3-on-2 for a time, but the heels eventually take advantage of their numbers and leave the Von Erichs lying in the middle of the ring. Road agents come out to assure that the attack doesn't go further. (C-)

-Iceman Parsons defeats Mr. Pogo in 7:52 by pinfall. (B) The two showed great chemistry, but the match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Parsons cuts a promo. He says he doesn't have a match lined up for Parade of Champions yet, but he'll definitely be there in some capacity. (C+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Match
-Steel Cage (Classic Rules, Pinfall or Submission Only)
-Funk Must Leave WCCW If He Loses
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Terry Funk by pinfall in 18:36 to make his 3rd defense of the World Title. (B+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, once Backlund and Stevens had left, Funk cuts a promo to say goodbye to the WCCW fans. Funk says he's developed something of an unfortunate annual tradition of being forced to leave WCCW after losses, citing his "loser leaves WCCW" match against Bruiser Brody last year. Again, Funk says that nothing is forever, and the match contract only requires him to be gone 12 months. Funk says he's determined to wrestle in a WCCW ring again someday. (B-)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-This show looked pretty bad for a while, but then we were saved by the last two matches.

-The main event was remarkably better than the Funk/Backlund match on the TV show last week. Since I knew that they had poor chemistry, I gave the road agents the instruction to script out the match ahead of time, perhaps that helped. The steel cage environment probably helped Funk and his good brawler ratings. Probably though, the biggest difference is that this match wasn't marred by constant interference (I think Vince McMahon, in particular, kills the ratings of any segment or match he's involved in - he'll be shown the door soon).

-There were a lot of moving parts and changing plans that surrounded this Funk/Backlund mini-feud on the eve of Parade of Champions. If I was able to re-sign Funk, and if Backlund did indeed give his notice to leave the company for the AWA, then Funk would have won the title here, and then turned heel in retaining the belt against David Von Erich at Parade of Champions. He would have gone on to have a title run as the violent, crazy, Texas cowboy heel. If both Funk & Backlund were leaving, then Funk would have won the title here, only to be attached by the Federation stable, who would injure him and cause him to vacate the World Title. Backlund, Murdoch, Stevens, and McMahon would have all been "indefinitely suspended" for their actions, to explain their departure from WCCW. Parade of Champions would then have a 5- or 6- way main event for the vacant world title. David probably would have won that, but I also considered other possibilities - like David being eliminated from the match early, and then Arturo Mendoza overcoming the odds and getting the gold. I also thought about The Freebirds somehow getting involved, with the belt ending up on Terry Gordy or Michael Hayes. What actually turned out was the scenario I didn't expect. I was unable to sign Funk, but Backlund is apparently staying (at least through Parade of Champions). So the outcome here was obvious.

-I gave Parsons a big win - hopefully it's not too late to get back on his good side. I'd hate to lose one of the last guys from my original roster in this game.

-Kerry/Kevin v. Grapplers was a little disappointing. Since both teams are so well established, I was hoping for a B- or better rating, which is why I gave them the "all out" road agent note.

-Bob Backlund showed a little annoyance at Ray Stevens news that he's expanding the Federation stable roster. Apparently this decision was made without Backlund's consent. There's a lot of directions to go after Parade of Champions with our revamped roster, and I want to make sure I have planted the seeds for anything.

-The most amazing, ridiculous match of the night was Ricky Morton v. Dusty Wolfe - B+!. Easily the best match ever for both guys - and Ricky Morton has been in the ring with the likes of Bob Backlund and Adrian Adonis during his last WCCW run. He has 1 more appearance on his loan contract this time around.

[molson]

Thanks for the comments - this game definitely got a lot more challenging.

[molson]

NEWS

-Bob Backlund is exhausted after the last show. I'll have to give him the night off when we run our "Parade of Champions Preview" show this week.

-Terry Funk is officially gone from WCCW, once again.

-I re-sign Mr. Pogo for 3 more months at $1,300/show, a modest raise from his old $1,200/show deal. Pogo hasn't been in anything resembling a storyline, and hasn't had much in ring success (a W/L/D record of 2-16-3), but he's a solid enough midcard heel who breaks out a number of B- and B rated matches.

-I also re-sign Gary Hart for 9 months at $1,075/show, up from his last deal of $900/show. With the Federation stable soon to implode, Akbar's Destruction Inc, and Gary Hart's Hart Limited stable are about to come to the forefront once again.

-I request negotiations with a TON of guys - just to see if there's any deals out there, and if there's any big-name surprises that might be available for Parade of Champions. Basically, I went through the worker filter and sorted for completely unemployed guys with a minimum level of popularity in Texas. Fritz vetoed a couple of the negotiation requests because of blocks (I wasn't allowed to talk to "known steroid users" Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Putski, The Missing Link, Ken Patera. Fritz also won't let me talk to some guys whose "Basics" stat is too low, including Steve Williams, Brian Adias, and Mark Lewin.

-I am able to request negotiations with the following: The Masked Superstar, Terry Taylor, Rocky Johnson, Pedro Morales, Jerry Brisco, Tony Garea, Mr. Saito, Killer Tim Brooks, Baron Von Raschke, The Invaders, The Moondogs, Frank Dusek, Big John Studd, Buzz Tyler, and Don Bass. So that's not the most elite list of wrestling names ever, and they won't replace Hennig, Murdoch, and possibly Backlund, but there's some potential. I'm looking to bring in maybe 2-3 guys - a new member or two for Destruction Inc and/or Hart Limited, and maybe an upper-midcard face that I could push right off the bat.

[PilotMan]

I have had good success with both the Baron and Mr Satio. Especially in the midwest where they are both popular. Both are good technical wrestlers, and the Baron can deliver a good promo. His age is his only real detractor.

[BYU 14]

Studd would make a great addition for Hart, I also agree with Saito.

Speaking of Saito, he came after at a match back in Salt Lake one time when I was like 20. I was way too drunk and acting stupid and threw ice on him as he was leaving the ring. He literally tried coming over the rail and security grabbed him, he was pissed. I also set a record for sprinting up stairs that probably still stands. :)

[molson]

WCCW: Parade of Champions Preview
Tuesday, Week 4, May 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth/Texas - Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,350 Ticket prices: Default
Actual Attendance: 4,019

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Bobby Eaton defeats Doug Somers in 9:40 by pinfall. (C+) After the match, Eaton hyped he and Koko B. Ware's tag match at Parade of Champions against Somers & Olsonoski. Eaton promises to avenge his team's upset lost several weeks ago. (C+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Iceman Parsons defeats Dusty Wolfe in 3:34 by pinfall. (C-)

-As the show starts, WCCW Commissioner Lothario comes to the ring. He hypes the Parade of Champions Show later this week, as well as tonight's Parade of Champions Preview show. He also announces, somberly, that both Curt Hennig and Dick Murdoch have elected to leave WCCW, and thus will not be taking part in the bunkhouse brawl match at Parade of Champions. However, says Lothario - that bunkhouse brawl match between Hennig & Murdoch will take place tonight! (C-)

-Non-Title Match
Mike Von Erich drew with Ricky Morton in 5:04 in a no-contest after Les Thorton interfered and attacked both men. (B). Thorton continued the attack after the bell rang, dismantling both Morton and Von Erich with suplexes and submission moves. (B-). After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Thorton, who hyped his Cruiserweight Title match with Mike Von Erich at Parade of Champions. Thorton says he just proved he can beat two Cruiserweights at once - Mike alone will be no problem. (B-)

-The Villanos and their brother Arturo Mendoza come to the ring and hype their six-man tag match against The Grapplers & Kevin Sullivan. They also hype their Parade of Champions matches - where the Villanos will face The Grapplers and Mendoza will defend the TV title against Kevin Sullivan. (C+)

-The Villanos & Arturo Mendoza defeat Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) & The Grapplers in 9:46 when Kevin Sullivan was DQ'd. (B). Mendoza looked good. Sullivan, frustrated with his teammates, attacked Grappler #2 on his way out of the ringside area. (B-). Sullivan was then interviewed by Lance Russell. Sullivan said he got annoyed with The Villanos and The Grapplers "mucking things up" tonight, and he's looking forward to getting Arturo Mendoza all alone at Parade of Champions, so he can take his TV Title. (B-)

-2-on-1 Handicap Match
Kamala (w/Gary Hart) defeats Al Perez & Owen Hart in 2:31 when Kamala pinned Perez. (C-) After the match, Gary Hart cut a promo hyping Kamala's match at Parade of Champions with his former client, King Kong Bundy. Hart says that due to his leadership, and Kamala's "professional behavior", Kamala is now off the restrictive probation terms that Commissioner Lothario had imposed. Therefore, says Hart, Ox Baker's services were no longer required, and he has been relieved of his duties. Hart says it's one less man to get a cut of the money generation machine that is Kamala. (B-) Hart seems more lucid then recent weeks, and has now completely ditched the old Elvis costume.

-2-on-1 Handicap Match
King Kong Bundy defeated Barry Orton & Perry Jackson in 2:15 when Bundy pinned Orton. (C). Bundy looked good. After the match, and after consulting with the timekeeper, Bundy cut a promo noting that he defeated his two opponents faster than Kamala defeated his. (B). Bundy says that his decision to fire Gary Hart will be justified this Saturday night at Parade of Champions, when he defeats Kamala.

-Les Thorton drew with Billy Robinson in 15:00 when the time limit expired (B+). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Robinson offered a handshake to fellow Englishman Thorton, but Thorton refused and left the ring. (C+)

-Antonio Inoki, and Kevin & Kerry Von Erich come to the ring and hype Inoki's Parade of Champions match against Nikita Koloff, and the Von Erichs' challenge to the World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. They also hype their six-man tag team match tonight against their Parade of Champions opponents. (B)

-The Sheepherders & Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Antonio Inoki, Kevin Von Erich, & Kerry Von Erich in 11:42 when Miller pinned Kevin after interference from Skandor Akbar, and referee confusion when all six men got involved. (B+) Koloff was tiring towards the end of the match. After the match, Akbar cut a promo hyping his Destruction Inc. stable, and their matches at Parade of Champions.

-Lance Russell interviews Curt Hennig about his imminent departure from WCCW, and his bunkhouse brawl match against Dick Murdoch tonight. Hennig says he's leaving WCCW for family reasons, and will be able to spend most of his time in his home state of Minnesota. Hennig says that he understands the boos and disappointment of the fans, but that it's been an honor to compete in front of them, and to be their World Champion for a time. (C). Russell then interviews Murdoch, who hypes the match tonight and he says that he can't wait to get out of the hell-hole that is Dallas, and WCCW. Before then, however, Murdoch says he's going to settle a score with the "punk" Hennig. (C)

-Bunkhouse Brawl
-Come As You Are (Street Clothes)
-No DQ, No Countouts, Pinfalls Count Anywhere.
Dick Murdoch defeats Curt Hennig in 27:42 by pinfall in a weapons-filled brawl (B). After the match, fellow Federation stable members Bob Backlund, Kevin Sullivan, & Ray Stevens come to the ring. Murdoch expects to be congratulated, but the his stablemates stare him down, and then attack him. Sullivan slams Murdoch through a table, and then Backlund applies his chicken-wing submission hold. The remnants of the Federation stable leave Murdoch lying in the ring. (B-)

Overall Showa Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-I'm happy to get the B- after what was basically a gimmick show.

-The fans did get the Hennig/Murdoch blow-off match, a few days before Parade of Champions. Murdoch gets the win, but is then unceremoniously disposed of by the remaining members of The Federation stable, who weren't happy with his decision to leave.

-I was hoping that maybe Murdoch or Hennig would be injured in that match, so that the AWA might get damaged goods (that match type had a "high" injury risk rating), however, both men appear to have gotten through it OK.

-Everything else was pretty solid, I was surprised to see the two six-man tag matches deliver such solid ratings. Inoki and Sullivan weren't happy to be on the losing end of their matches, but they were both protected pretty well. Sullivan got to beat up his own partner on the way out, and Inoki didn't suffer the pinfall for his team.

-Les Thorton & Billy Robinson had a great match considering their lack of chemistry. If they had neutral chemistry, they probably would have managed an A-, and if they had great chemistry, it might have been an A+. Les Thorton is very impressive, both in his matches and his angles (its too bad he's in the AWA, and thus probably un-signable after this loan contract is up).

-Bundy & Kamala's handicap matches were the low-point of the night match-quality wise, but I think that was decent way to hype their Parade of Champions match.

-Mike Von Erich & Ricky Morton, former tag team partners, had a strong match while it lasted. That's the end of Ricky Morton's loan contract. I'll probably look to bring him back at some point.

[molson]

NEWS

-Dick Murdoch & Curt Hennig are officially gone from WCCW and on their way to the AWA.

-They are joined in AWA by Buddy Rose and Sgt. Slaughter. ACW gets Sika.

-Bobby Eaton is exhausted after the last show. That's largely due to his workload in other promotions.

[molson]

WORLD CLASS WRESTLING (LIVE TV SHOW)
Wednesday, Week 4, May 1985
Macon City, Georgia (Southeast - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 3,447; Ticket Prices: ($5 over Default)
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

When I advanced to this day I was surprised to see I still had a TV show to run - I thought I had canceled this TV show last week. I guess that's not official yet for whatever reason. So I'm going to run our first ever TV show in the southeast region, as a further preview of this week's Parade of Champions event. We'll assume it was some last minute deal between WCCW and the network.

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Barry Orton defeats Owen Hart in 7:01 by pinfall. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Doug Somers defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:42 by submission. (D-). Wolfe was really off his game. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Somers about his win, and his Parade of Champions match where he will team with Steve Olsonoski to face Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware. (D-)

-King Kong Bundy defeated Charlie Cook in 10:12 by pinfall. (C+). Bundy looked good. After the match, Bundy cut a promo hyping his Parade of Champions match against Kamala. He also warbs former manager Gary Hart not to interfere in the match (C+) A hype video recaps the Bundy/Hart relationship and the events that led up to the Bundy/Kamala match this week. (C)

-Backstage, WCCW TV Champion Arturo Mendoza stands with Commissioner Jose Lothario and a rolling drum of volunteer challengers for the TV Title. Lothario points out that last week was scheduled to be the last TV Title defense until Parade of Champions. As a result, Mendoza is not required to defend his title this week, since the TV show arrangements with the network were made so last minute. Mendoza, however, insisted on defending the title. He draws a name out of the drum - Steve Olsonoski. (C+)

-El Halcon defeats Perry Jackson in 10:40 by submission. (C+)

-Bill Mercer runs his 2-minute "update" segment that previews the card for Parade of Champions, and recaps the events of the last week - including the departure from WCCW of Dick Murdoch, Curt Hennig, & Terry Funk. (E+)

-A video highlights and recaps the lengthy feud between The Sheepherders & The Von Erichs, in anticipation of the their World Tag Team Title Match at Parade of Champion. (C+)

-A video hypes the Parade of Champions tag team match between The Villanos & The Grapplers. The announcers predict that the winner of that tag match will be in line for a World Tag Title Shot. (D+)

-Bill Mercer interviews Steve Olsonoski about his upcoming TV Title shot against Arturo Mendoza. Olsonoski notes that if he can win the title from Mendoza tonight, he'll have to defend it against Kevin Sullivan at Parade of Champions, in addition to his own tag match with partner Doug Somers against Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware. Olsonoski concedes that it was thus risky to volunteer for this match tonight, but he can't turn down such an opportunity. (D+)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Steve Olsonoski in 7:58 by pinfall to make his 4th defense of the title. (C) Mendoza looked good. After the match, a video hypes the TV Title match at Parade of Champions between Mendoza and Kevin Sullivan. (B).

-A video hypes the match at Parade of Champions between Antonio Inoki & Nikita Koloff. (B-)

-Billy Robinson defeats Mr. Pogo in 11:47 by pinfall. (B). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-A lengthy video hypes and recaps the Bob Backlund/David Von Erich feud, and features highlights of their many matches in the past. (C+)

-Iceman Parsons cuts a promo hyping his upcoming main event, non-title match against WCCW World Champion Bob Backlund. Parsons said he heard Backlund referring to the match as a tune-up match, and says that he's ready to pull an upset if Backlund takes him lightly. Parsons notes that he has defeated Backlund in the past. (C+)

-Non-Title Match
Bob Backlund (w/Ray Stevens) defeats Iceman Parsons in 9:51 by submission. (B+). After the match, Backlund cut a promo hyping his World Title defense against David Von Erich at Parade of Champions. Backlund says that the "submission match" rules are to his advantage, and he'll make David cry uncle and submit, just like Parsons just did. (B)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Strong show, especially considering we were in the southeast. I tried to avoid using many of our guys who have matches at Parade of Champions, and instead really used this as another preview show, with hype videos.

-The main event was good, I figured that since Backlund was the one big star that got the Parade of Champions Preview show off, he could wrestle here in the main event. He had a good match with Parsons

-Robinson defeated Mr. Pogo in the battle of the midcard-level-guys-who-wrestle-good-matches-but-are-never-involved-in-storylines. With the defections of this month, maybe that should change.

-Arturo Mendoza wrestled his worst 1-on-1 match since February. I had somewhat higher hopes for that match, even though I knew I'd be up against the face v. face penalty.

[molson]

NEWS

-After all the defections, the fears that I was going to lose 1/2 of our Parade of Champions main event with Bob Backlund, and then the relief that he stayed around, this is pretty amazing - Bob Backlund was injured in his match with Iceman Parsons and will be out for about a month. He is thus out of Parade of Champions and I have NO IDEA what I'm going to do.....The original plan was for David to defeat Backlund for the title. Kevin Sullivan & Ray Stevens would have attempted to interfere on Backlund's behalf throughtout the match, but Backlund would stop them, apparently because he wanted a fair match. After Backlund lost, he would handed the belt to David, and left. Then, after Sullivan and Stevens attacked David, Backlund would turn back towards the ring, and make the save for David, turning face. That is now all out the window. It's definitely been a challenging month.

-There was a little backlash from the fans in Macon City about the high ticket prices. It was one of those deals where the projected attendance was kind of between what would easily sell out a Very Small venue, but wasn't enough to come close to selling out a Small Venue. I went with Very Small and jacked up the prices, but in the future, I guess I'll go the other way.

-Dusty Wolfe is exhausted after the last show. He should feel lucky he gets as much work as I give him.

-The TV show delivered a 4.54 rating. That's our lowest rating in 10 weeks, but it isn't surprising, since I didn't advertise any matches for this show, as it was kind of a surprise.

-Stan Lane and Mr. Wrestling II won the vacant Mid-South tag team titles, defeating Jim Duggan & Magnum TA. The belts had become vacant after Dick Murdoch left the company - he had held the gold with Duggan.

-The AWA also crowned new tag champions - Michael Hayes & Buddy Roberts - they defeated Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware for the vacant belts. The belts became vacant when the Iron Sheik left the company - he had held the gold with Les Thorton. I would have tried to sign Sheik, but he still also works for ACW.

-The deadline to negotiate with Iceman Parsons has passed - he wanted nothing to do with me after he wasn't used to much over the last months. So he'll be gone shortly after Parade of Champions. He had been with WCCW for the entire dynasty. Hopefully this is just a 6 month hiatus and I can bring up back.

-Ronnie Garvin won ACW's vacant TV Title for the 2nd time - it had gone vacant after Jake Roberts was injured.

-I am allowing the contracts of Barry Orton and Perry Jackson to expire, as the shakeup continues.

-We have negotiations with a bunch of wrestlers. I bring in Big John Studd for 9 months at a very cheap $1,050/show. Studd is known across the US, though not all that well. His best skill attributes are Toughness, Power, Basics, Safety, Looks, and Menace. He'll definitely make some kind of appearance at Parade of Champions.

-I also bring back Frank Dusek for $475/show. That price is definitely right. Dusek doesn't bring much to the table, but I like the continuity of bringing back old WCCW guys. Dusek hasn't worked for anyone since last September, when we let his contract expire.

-I bring in the Masked Superstar for 3 months and $1,775/show. That might not be an exciting signing, but I think he'll bring a lot to the table. He has C+ overness in most of the country, and between B- and B+ ratings in 16 different skill categories. Just a very solid all around guy who can probably have good matches with anyone, and great matches with our main eventers (whoever they turn out to be after Parade of Champions).

-I sign Killer Tim Brooks for 3 months and $850 show. He's a real-life WCCW mainstay, and probably a decent lower midcard heel relative to our current roster.

-I sign Dory Funk Jr. for $1,850/show and a 10% cut of his merchandise. I'm pretty fired up about that signing. Funk is very well known in Texas and the Southeast. He's probably the most talented guy out there I have access too, considering our size and Fritz's cheapness. Funk has A+ ratings in Basics, and Respect, and A ratings in Safety and Stamina. He's a legit, main event guy, and will definitely be involved in however we crown a new World Champion at the Parade of Champions show.

-I sign Don Bass at $1,075/show. He'll basically be a more talented version of Barry Orton or Perry Jackson.

-I sign Mr. Saito at 18 months and $1,475/show. That seems like a good value for him.

-Dusty Rhodes rejected negotiations with us, citing loyalty to Mid-Atlantic.

-So, to sum up: Murdoch, Hennig, Terry Funk, Barry Orton, Perry Jackson, and Iceman Parsons are out. Big John Studd, The Masked Superstar, Dory Funk Jr, Frank Dusek, Mr. Saito, Don Bass, and Tim Brooks are in. I still have negotiations pending with Baron Von Raschke and Jerry Lawler.

[DeToxRox]

Wow. That Backlund injury is brutal. That is what I love about TEW, even though I really don't like it at the time; stuff like that.

In my WCW dynasty I was banking on Sting vs Raven and then the day before Halloween Havoc Sting was put in jail for a year. I mean, seriously, that was the match I had planned to be a Main Event and it was a part of the culmination of an A* storyline, all gone to shit.

You could always make a new title, have a 4 man tournament which David wins, then have Backlund come out as the real champion and have a Unification match at the next PPV? Just spitballing.

Regardless I can't wait.

[SirFozzie]

either that, or backlund doesn't show up.. there's a one night tourney, and then Backlund comes back.. saying "I looked at the Foundation.. and I realized that I didn't deserve to wear the belt.. till I could win it fair and square"

[molson]

On the morning of the Parade of Champions show, we've finally put together a final card.

Bob Backlund has been stripped of the World Title, and there will be a 10-man tournament to determine a new champion.

Since David Von Erich had previously earned a title shot at tonight's show, he gets the easiest path -first round and quarterfinal byes - he goes right into the semi-finals.

The previously scheduled Antonio Inoki/Nikita Koloff, and Kevin Sullivan/Arturo Mendoza matches will still happen. All four competitors, since they are established WCCW stars with big credentials, will get first round byes. Thus, those matchups will take place in the quarterfinals. The winners of those two matches will join David in the semi-finals.

The final spot in the semi-finals will be decided among the four men that have to wrestle in the first round. These are four wrestlers debuting or returning to WCCW tonight. Dory Funk Jr, The Masked Superstar, Mr. Saito, and Frank Dusek.

So, the tournament, and the Parade of Champions card, will look like this:

WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament:

First Round:
Masked Superstar v. Frank Dusek
Mr. Saito v. Dory Funk Jr.

Quarterfinal Round:
Arturo Mendoza v. Kevin Sullivan (match is also for the TV Title)
Antonio Inoki v. Nikita Koloff
Funk/Saito winner v. Superstar/Dusek winner

Semifinal Round:
David Von Erich v. Sullivan/Mendoza winner
Inoki/Koloff winner v. Superstar/Saito/Funk/Dusek winner

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
TBD

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

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Sheepherders v. Kevin & Kerry Von Erich

-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship Match
Mike Von Erich v. Les Thorton

-Kamala v. King Kong Bundy

-The Grapplers v. The Villanos

-Doug Somers & Steve Olsonoski v. Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware

-15 Man Battle Royal:
Iceman Parsons
Mr. Pogo
Big John Studd
El Halcon
Killer Tim Brooks
Charlie Cook
Billy Robinson
Mark Youngblood
Don Bass
Owen Hart
Al Perez
Barry Orton
Perry Jackson
Dusty Wolfe

[molson]

You could always make a new title, have a 4 man tournament which David wins, then have Backlund come out as the real champion and have a Unification match at the next PPV? Just spitballing.



I thought about doing that - saying that a champion can't be stripped of his title unless he doesn't defend it for 30 days - and this is the 30th day since Backlund defended it last, so he can't be stripped of it until midnight. So a new belt would have to be created to have any kind of championship might tonight. But I figured - this show is coming across as desperate enough already.

[molson]

either that, or backlund doesn't show up.. there's a one night tourney, and then Backlund comes back.. saying "I looked at the Foundation.. and I realized that I didn't deserve to wear the belt.. till I could win it fair and square"

Ya, that's probably one of those most rational way to have Backlund come back in a month if I still decide he's going to turn face. Which I think he pretty much has too, as most of the guys I just signed can only work heel.

[EdReedIsGod]

I thought about doing that - saying that a champion can't be stripped of his title unless he doesn't defend it for 30 days - and this is the 30th day since Backlund defended it last, so he can't be stripped of it until midnight. So a new belt would have to be created to have any kind of championship might tonight. But I figured - this show is coming across as desperate enough already.


I was thinking backlund is doing a promo at the PPV, when Big John Studd comes out and lays waste to him, grabs the microphone and announces that he is in WCCW and nobody, not even the champion is safe.

That's how realistic your uni is, makes you think of stuff.

[molson]

I was thinking backlund is doing a promo at the PPV, when Big John Studd comes out and lays waste to him, grabs the microphone and announces that he is in WCCW and nobody, not even the champion is safe.

That's how realistic your uni is, makes you think of stuff.

One of the annoyances about TEW 07 is if a guy is "out" because of injury, you can't use him for anything - even interviews.

[SirFozzie]

yup. TEW 08 has two categories of injuries, ones that will allow him to appear on screen but not wrestle, and serious injuries that will not allow him to appear on screen

[BYU 14]

yup. TEW 08 has two categories of injuries, ones that will allow him to appear on screen but not wrestle, and serious injuries that will not allow him to appear on screen

That is huge feature, also helps when workers are working somewhere else that night.

[dfisher]

WCCW is on the verge of one of the most important shows in company history, and you leave us in suspense for 10 days? I can't take the suspense!

BTW, I apologize to everyone who saw this thread bumped and thought molson updated it.

[PilotMan]

WCCW is on the verge of one of the most important shows in company history, and you leave us in suspense for 10 days? I can't take the suspense!

BTW, I apologize to everyone who saw this thread bumped and thought molson updated it.


Why you sonofabitch!

[molson]

LOL - this tends to happen to me before big shows. I get caught up in a CIV IV game and get distracted. But I'll get that show out soon!

[molson]

WCCW: Parade of Champions
Saturday, Week 4, May 1985
Dallas, TX (Midsouth - Medium Venue)
Expected Attendance: 11,854 Ticket prices: default
Actual Attendance: 9,454

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
Fritz Von Erich and WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario come to the ring and welcome the fans, hype the show, and fill everyone in on the recent card changes to Parade of Champions. Bob Backlund has been stripped of the World Title due to injury, and a 9-man tournament will be held tonight to crown a new champion. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Segment
A video hypes the recent events between WCCW Crusierweight Champion Mike Von Erich, and his challenger tonight, Englishman Les Thorton. The video tells the story of Thorton's domination over other cruiserweights during his brief WCCW run. (B-). Bill Mercer interviews Les Thorton, who says he doesn't expect the match to take a long time - he'll be the champion in just a few minutes. (B-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
-WCCW Cruiserweight Championship
Mike Von Erich defeats Les Thorton in 8:27 by pinfall after a fluke roll-up to make his 4th defense of his title. (C) Mike was tiring towards the end of the match. Thorton looked good. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Mike about his win - Mike says he doesn't think many people gave him a chance tonight, but he again proved that he's a worthy champion. Mike points out that it was one-year ago tonight that he became the 1st WCCW Cruiserweight Champion, and he intends on holding the belt for a long time to come. (B-)

-As the show starts, the announcers drop the bombshell - Bob Backlund has been injured and stripped of the World Title. Since news of this event, Commissioner Lothario and the WCCW Championship Committee have been scrambling to put tonight's event together. They decided on a 9-man tournament to award the vacant title tonight. They cut to Bill Mercer, who is standing near an interview podium where a bracket shows the participants in the tournament. Mercer explains that there are three tiers to the tournament. The man with the strongest claim to the title, David Von Erich (who had previously earned a title shot tonight), will advance directly to the semi-finals. 4 current WCCW wrestlers, who already had matches signed for tonight, will still compete in those matches - but now, those matches will take place in the quarter-finals of this tournament (Inoki v. Koloff, and Mendoza v. Sullivan - still for the TV title). Finally, 4 outside wrestlers, who just signed with the WCCW within the last few days to participate in this tournament, will wrestle in the first round: Dory Funk Jr. v. Mr. Saito, and Frank Dusek v. The Masked Superstar. So, Mercer sums up, standing next to the bracket: (B-)

WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament:

First Round:
Masked Superstar v. Frank Dusek
Mr. Saito v. Dory Funk Jr.

Quarterfinal Round:
Arturo Mendoza v. Kevin Sullivan (match is also for the TV Title)
Antonio Inoki v. Nikita Koloff
Funk/Saito winner v. Superstar/Dusek winner

Semifinal Round:
David Von Erich v. Sullivan/Mendoza winner
Inoki/Koloff winner v. Superstar/Saito/Funk/Dusek winner

World Heavyweight Championship Match:
TBD

-In a previously taped interview, Lance Russell interviews David Von Erich about the shocking events that led to this tournament. David says it's tough to switch gears - he's been focusing on Backlund for weeks, and now, he has no idea who he'll have to face tonight. David though, says he has the clear advantage in this tournament, and he promises to bring the gold back to the Von Erich family. (C)

-Dory Funk Jr. cuts a promo hyping his great career, his debut tonight in WCCW, and his 1st round match with Mr. Saito. Funk puts over his brother Terry, who recently left World Class after losing to Bob Backlund. Funk says that after tonight's tournament, he hopes to settle some of his brother's old scores. (C+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-1st Round Match
Dory Funk Jr defeats Mr. Saito by countout 14:56. (B). The match suffered from a lack of selling.

-Bill Mercer interviews Frank Dusek who makes his return to WCCW tonight in the the tournament. Dusek cuts a babyface promo, and says that it's great to be back - especially since he's no longer managed by Gary Hart. Dusek says he knows that he's the underdog in tonight's tournament, but notes that he's had some big runs in WCCW tournaments in the past. (C) Bill Mercer then interviewed Dusek's 1st-round opponent, The Masked Superstar, who put over his wrestling skills and his endurance. He claims he's better conditioned to win 4 matches in one night than anyone else. (C)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-1st Round Match
The Masked Superstar defeats Frank Dusek in 0:55 by pinfall in a dominating victory. (B)

-The Villanos defeat The Grapplers in 7:05 when Villano IV pinned Grappler #2. (C+)

-A music video hypes the reign of TV Champion Arturo Mendoza. (B+) Bill Mercer interviews Kevin Sullivan about his upcoming Television Championship/Quarterfinal Tournament match with Mendoza. Sullivan says that everyone wants to talk about who's not here tonight - including Bob Backlund and Dick Murdoch. Sullivan says everyone should be talking about who is here - Kevin Sullivan, the next TV and World Champion. (B)

-WCCW Television Championship Match
-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Quarterfinal Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Kevin Sullivan (w/Ray Stevens) in 11:49 by DQ after botched interference from Stevens. (A+). Mendoza makes his 5th defense of the TV Title. After the match, Sullivan and Stevens are arguing in the ring. Sullivan is very angry, and shoves Stevens to the ground. He makes an arm motion signaling that he's done with Stevens' services as a manger, and walks away. (B-)

-A video hypes the recent war of words been Antonio Inoki, who had been seeking an "international challenger", and Nikita Koloff, who accepted that challenge for tonight. (B) Inoki then cut a promo hyping the match. (B+). In the ring, Koloff's manager Skandor Akbar hyped the match as well. (B-)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Quarterfinal Match
Antonio Inoki defeats Nikita Koloff (w/Skandor Akbar) in 5:40 by pinfall. (A). The two showed pretty good chemistry.

-Dory Funk Jr. comes to the ring for the next Quarterfinal Match - he looks confused as Gary Hart comes to the ring and joins him. Hart cuts a promo - he says that he put everything he had left into the contract for Kamala, and now, with Kamala's success, that deal has paid off. And just tonight says Hart, he's been negotiating with wrestlers backstage. Wrestlers who have everything it takes to be champions, except the leadership that he can provide. Hart then announces his newest client, as he continues to rebuild his stable - The Masked Superstar. (C+)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Quarterfinal Match
The Masked Superstar (w/Gary Hart) defeats Dory Funk Jr. in 13:46 by pinfall after interference from Hart. (B+)

-The announcers note that we're now down to the final four in the world title tournament: David Von Erich, Arturo Mendoza, Antonio Inoki, and The Masked Superstar.

-A video hypes and recaps the feud between the teams of Koko B. Ware/Bobby Eaton and Steve Olsonoski/Doug Somers. The feud started when the new team of Olsonoski & Somers defeated the former World Tag Team Champions Eaton & Ware. Eaton & Ware have since been determined to prove to the world that that defeat was a fluke. (B-) Just as Olsonoski & Somers come out to cut a promo to hype the match, they are attacked from behind from Eaton & Ware, who beat down Olsonoski & Somers around the ringside area for several minutes before the match begins. (C+)

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware defeat Steve Olsonoski & Doug Somers in 2:36 when Eaton pinned Olsonoski. (B). Olsonoski & Somers got nothing going in the match after the pre-match attach. Eaton & Ware looked good. After the match, Eaton & Ware cut a promo at ringside mocking Olsonoski & Somers for their quick defeat. Eaton & Ware claimed that they were now back on top, and proclaimed themselves #1 Contenders for the World Tag Teams Titles, also individually as the top 2 Contenders for the World Heavyweight Championship. (B-)

-A video hypes and recaps the lengthy storyline involving Gary Hart, King Kong Bundy, and now Kamala. The video recaps Gary Hart's mental breakdown, where he lost his entire stable except Bundy - who appeared to suffer a mental breakdown of his own. Eventually, mounting losses and an inspiring talk from Kevin Von Erich convinced Bundy to fire Hart and go out on his own. Hart, at rock bottom, sold his house and put all his money together to purchase the managerial contract of Kamala from Skandor Akbar, who considered Kamala a "high risk asset" due to his probation status. Kamala, under Hart's leadership, immediately went on a dominating winning streak, allowing Hart to recover financially, and now, to seek revenge on Bundy. (C+) In the ring, Hart cut a promo hyping the match. (C+) As King Kong Bundy stepped through the ropes, he is immediately attacked by Kamala (B-)

-Kamala (w/Gary Hart) defeats King Kong Bundy in 3:49 by pinfall. (C) The two showed poor chemistry.

-Bill Mercer interviews Arturo Mendoza about his upcoming tournament semi-final match with David Von Erich. Mendoza said he never believed he'd be in this position - two matches from a World Championship. Mendoza says he's looked up to David for years, and can't wait for the match. (B-)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Semi-Final Match
David Von Erich defeats Arturo Mendoza by pinfall in 6:41. (B+). Mendoza appears to be tired from his previous hard-fought match with Kevin Sullivan. The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, the two shake hands in a sign of respect.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Semi-Final Match
The Masked Superstar (w/Gary Hart) defeats Antonio Inoki in 18:09 by pinfall. (A+) The two showed great chemistry. The match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, a delirious Gary Hart hypes The Masked Superstar's tournament final match against David Von Erich. (C+)

-Commissioner Lothario comes to the ring to introduce the competitors in the upcoming 15-man battle royal, but Gary Hart is still in the ring. Hart explains that he's about to make yet another big splash. Hart introduces yet another new client, a man who is about to participate in the battle royal, the 6 foot 7, 364 lb. Big John Studd. (C)

-A stunned Lothario introduces the remaining participants in the battle royal: Iceman Parsons, Barry Orton, Al Perez, Don Bass, Dusty Wolfe, Owen Hart, Mark Youngblood, Billy Robinson, Mr. Pogo, Killer Tim Brooks, Al Perez, Charlie Cook, and El Halcon. Lothario then notes that the 15th scheduled participant had some travel difficulties and is unable to be here tonight. Lothario says that fortunately, however, one man has promised him he'd serve an alternate for the battle royal if needed. Lothario introduces WCCW legend Fritz Von Erich, who leaves the announce table and enters the ring to compete in the match (C-)

-Big John Studd wins the 15-man over the top rope battle royal. (B-). The order of elimination was as follows:
1. Owen Hart (eliminated by Big John Studd)
2. Perry Jackson (eliminated by Fritz Von Erich)
3. Barry Orton (eliminated by Fritz Von Erich)
4. Don Bass (eliminated by Billy Robinson & El Halcon)
5. Dusty Wolfe (eliminated by Big John Studd)
6. Mark Youngblood (eliminated by Charlie Cook)
7. Charlie Cook (eliminated by Al Perez)
8. Al Perez (eliminated by Killer Tim Brooks)
9. Iceman Parsons (eliminated by Killer Tim Brooks)
10. El Halcon (eliminated by Killer Tim Brooks)
11. Killer Tim Brooks (eliminated by Fritz Von Erich)
12. Mr. Pogo (eliminated by Fritz Von Erich & Billy Robinson)
13. Fritz Von Erich (eliminated by Big John Studd)
14. Billy Robinson (eliminated by Big John Studd)

-After the match, Gary Hart celebrated in the ring with Big John Studd. (C-)

-A video hypes and recaps the lengthy feud between the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders and The Von Erichs. The Sheepherders defeated the Von Erichs for the gold several months ago when Kevin was injured. The Sheepherders then had been dominating the tag ranks for several months until Kevin returned. David Von Erich, who had earned a title shot for winning the King of Texas Wrestling Tournament for the 3rd straight year, and already had a guaranteed title shot tonight, decided to transfer his 2nd earned title shot to his brothers Kerry & Kevin to face the Sheepherders for the gold tonight. (C+)

-WCCW World Tag Team Championship Match
The Von Erichs defeat The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) in 10:16 by DQ. The Sheepherders retain the titles. (B-) The Von Erichs dominate the match until an incident at ringside where Kevin appeared to notice something unusual about a camerman. Kevin followed the cameraman around ringside until the camerman struck him with the camera. A melee ensued, and the Sheepherders took the opportunity to strike Kerry with a chair, drawing a DQ. The camerman got just outside of the ringside area to the runway and then removed his baseball hat, wig, and glasses, revealing himself as Michael Hayes. Hayes then fled down the runway, with Kevin & Kerry in hot pursuit. Cameras followed the trio all the way out to the parking lot area. Kevin & Kerry followed Hayes outside and then found themselves the victim of a trap - they were surrounded by Hayes, and fellow freebirds Terry Gordy and Buddy Roberts. The 5 brawled for several minutes outside the arena, with the Von Erichs holding their own until security personnel came to break up the fight. The Freebirds fled in a car. (B-)

-..The stunned announcers tried to regroup to call the World Championship Match. They note that it didn't appear that Kerry & Kevin were seriously injured.

-WCCW World Heavyweight Championship Tournament
-Championship Match
David Von Erich defeats The Masked Superstar (w/Gary Hart) to win the WCCW World Heavyweight Championship. (B+) David Celebrated in the ring. (B+)

Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Not a great show rating, but tonight, the goal was setting the stage for the next chapter of WCCW, and think the show definitely pulled that off. There was also some big match ratings that surprised me. More detailed thoughts to come....

[molson]

NEWS

-Arturo Mendoza, Buddy Roberts, Les Thorton, The Masked Superstar, and Dory Funk Jr. are all exhausted after the last show.

-Thorton though, has completed his 3-appearance loan contract with us, and he's gone. He had a really solid run carrying lesser wrestlers.

-Jerry Lawler has rejected negotiations with us, saying we're not big enough. This will be a huge problem for us until we reach national status.

-Buddy Roberts is unhappy about his push. None of the Freebirds will be here for long.

-Parade of Champions was the last stand for the Federation stable. With Kevin Sullivan firing Ray Stevens, I send Stevens on his way as well. I also fire Vince McMahon.

-I sign Baron Von Raschke for 18 months at $1,725/show. Under normal circumstances, I probably wouldn't be very interested in the 45-year old Raschke, but in this environment, where big stars want to be in the "big two", and Raschke may have had some kind of falling out with Verne Gagne and the AWA, it makes sense to bring him in, as he must be towards the top of the limits of star power that we can reach right now.

-It's another dark day in the wrestling industry, as Southwest Championship Wrestling, Mid-South Wrestling, and All-Star-Wrestling UK close down. The universe is down to 17 promotions - 2 National, 3 Cult, 9 Regional, and 3 Small. I'll have to check in to see who this might free up from WWC and Mid-South.

-Arn Anderson defeated Rick Martel for the AWA TV Title for the 2nd time.

-A number of wrestlers enter the universe, including Mick Foley, Sabu, and Jimmy Del Ray. Mr. Fuji officially retired.

-WCCW's latest challenge will come in the ending of its TV deal. I just screwed the timing of that one up. I requested negotiations with a lot of networks, and canceled my own deal (none of the networks will talk to me as long as I still had a running show). I didn't cancel my own show soon enough, which made the other networks go away, and then once my show canceled - it was too late. So it appears I'll be without TV for 3 months. I do still have a "pending business" entry regarding negotiations with my old network, but I think that ship has sailed. So for the next 3 months, we're going to have an innovative business model. We'll criss-cross the United States, and offer the weekly shows to PPV/closed circuit locations. That will cut into our weekly buyrates, and limit our audience, but for 3 months, it's do-able. I'll just take the opportunity to move the dynasty along a little faster, run cheap and save money, and thin out the roster before we come back for our new season in September.

[BYU 14]

Where is Abdullah now? Getting Colon and him (if in WWC) would make for a nice hard core feud.

[molson]

Where is Abdullah now? Getting Colon and him (if in WWC) would make for a nice hard core feud.

I was a little premature with that - it was SWCW that closed, not WWC just yet. Though WWC is in the red, and has 3 months to get get solvent or they will go under as well.

Abdullah retired at the end of last year. 24 years later, in real life, I see he's still getting in the ring once in a while.

If and when WWC does go under, Colon is definitely the prize that would be freed up. Though I wonder if he'll just immediately sign with one of the big two, like Tully Blanchard just did. (Blanchard was loyal throughout the dynasty to his father's SWCW promotion, but the very day it went under, he signed with ACW.)

[molson]

Finally finished up a CIV IV game (first win ever on Prince), so I'm back to making very gradual progress here.

PARADE OF CHAMPIONS THOUGHTS

-Like I said, not a great show ratings-wise, but there was a lot of promising things here, and the new direction of the company has been set.

-David wasn't the most exciting pick to win the title, and I did consider other options, but he made the most sense. While the AWA/ACW raids are going on, I can be sure that David isn't going anywhere. A lot of this decision, like others in the dynasty, was story-motivated as much as it was game-motivated. As in, I want to do things that would make sense in this universe, jut not succeed in the game. I couldn't bring myself to put the title on another babyface, like Inoki or Mendoza. And on the heel side, nothing made sense. I had a brief thought about the Masked Superstar winning the gold on his debut night, but I really didn't know what to except from him. Sullivan just didn't seem like he had the right momentum at this point with the implosion of his Federation stable. David's the guy.

-But I definitely have concerns. He doesn't seem to be capable of delivering consistent A+ matches like other guys on the roster might. This show had two A+ matches, and an A match, but none involved David.

-The first big highlight of the night was the A+ Kevin Sullivan/Arturo Mendoza match. That was pretty surprising because it involved two guys that I've really built up over the last year. Mendoza is creeping closer and closer to the main event. With the recent defections, Sullivan is there now.

-Inoki/Koloff also blew me away with an A. I think I might be underrating Inoki a bit. He gets a little whiny when I have him lose, but maybe he shouldn't. There's something odd about pushing Inoki as a main event babyface in Texas, especially since I've teased a heel turn with him the past. And he can't really play a heel. Koloff has only wrestled one other A rated match, with Buddy Rose last May.

-Things definitely came together for Gary Hart. Kamala gets a big win over King Kong Bundy, he introduces new client Big John Studd, who wins the battle royal, and then his other new client, The Masked Superstar makes it all the way to the finals. The Masked Superstar isn't an exciting guy, and he's sort of forgotten by history (at least with that gimmick), but it was around this time that he was apparently set to win the WWF Championship from Bob Backlund. I think he's a great value, and he lived up to my expectations tonight - with matches rating B, B+, A+, and B+. I don't expect as much from Big John Studd, but maybe he can develop into something passable. A tag team with Kamala could also be fun.

-I was pretty shocked to see Eaton/Ware v. Olsonoski/Somers pull a B rating. Wow. Olsonoski/Somers is like a late 80s AWA tag team or something, but they're gaining experience together and doing OK. I would develop more tag teams in such a manner, but it's pretty cost-restrictive on cult level when you have to pay per wrestler appearance.

-The Freebird/Von Erich stuff was pretty fun, too bad it really can't go anywhere with none of the Freebirds under long term contract. But it's another chapter in the long-term feud.

[molson]

WCCW - END OF MAY 1985 - MONTHLY REVIEW

POPULARITY

-Texas/Midsouth: 68.8% (down from 69.0% last month)
-Midwest: 67.0% (same as last month)
-Southeast: 62.4% (up from 61.6% last month)
-New England: 59.2% (up from 58.4% last month)
-Southwest: 58.6% (up from 57.8% last month)
-North West: 58.6% (up from 57.3% last month)
-Great Lakes: 58.1% (up from 57.1% last month)
-Mid Atlantic: 58.1% (up from 57.1% last month)
-Tri-State: 58.1% (up from 57.1% last month)
-Puerto Rico: 41.8% (up from 40.9% last month)

-With all the chaos of last month, not as much progress here. 71.1% is still the magic number to get to national status (I need that in 8 of these regions). Basically I need to get everywhere to around 69.0% where Texas is now, and then spend a ton of money and run crazy good shows for a few weeks to bust over that hump.

FINANCES

Income (Last month in parenthesis):

PPV Revenue: 567,544 (529,504)
Ticket Sales: 623,052 (613,504)
Sponsors: 136,863 (133,499)
Merchandise: 13,760 (16,480)

Expenses:

Worker Costs: 397,542 (366,225)
Show Costs: 151,500 (135,000)
Marketing: 25,000 (25,000)
Merchandise: 25,194 (25,233)
Production: 106,500 (103,500)
Misc: 515,136 (490,403)

Total Profit: $120,347 ($152,626)
Cash in Bank: $1,592,760 ($1,472,413)

-We have a pretty good cushion to get throw our summer recess from TV. We'll run 4 weekly shows in Texas, and the PPV there, and then 4 tour shows across the country.

Custom Merchandise Settings:

(All set to sell every type of merchandise, unless noted)

Very Low Level (T-Shirts, Misc., and Posters Only):
-David Von Erich
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Von Erich

Very Low Level (T-Shirts Only)
-Iceman Parsons
-Bob Backlund
-Bobby Eaton
-Antonio Inoki
-Arturo Mendoza
-Baron Von Raschke
-Dory Funk Jr.

-A bunch of talent defections here changes the available merchandise - Funk, White, Piper, Hennig are out, Raschke and Funk Jr. are in. Merchandise is still a money pit at the moment, as I wait for the random financial turnound that has occurred a couple of times in this dynasty.
-Same levels as last month, except that Arturo Mendoza replaces the departed Tiger Mask, and we also add Leon White to the lowest level.

[molson]

WCCW CHAMPIONS - END OF MAY 1985

-World Heavyweight Champion - 100.0% Prestige (Same As Last Month)
Main Event Title
David Von Erich (Newly Crowned).

-Television Champion - 70.0% Prestige (Same As Last Month)
Midcard Title
Arturo Mendoza - (5 Title Defenses, 1-month reign)

-World Tag Team Champions - 70.0% Prestige (same as last month)
Midcard Title
The Sheepherders - (2 title defense, 3-month reign)

-Six-Man Tag Team Champions - 71.9% Prestige (up from 71.6% last month)
Main Event Title
Vacant

-Cruiserweight Championship - 38.9% Prestige (Up from 38.0% last month)
Low Level Title
Mike Von Erich - 4 title defenses, 6-month reign

-With the implosion of the Federation stable, the six-man-tag titles are vacant. It would be a perfect time to make those belts inactive, but I have an idea for them, so they'll continue in some form. And after all, I had that whole 2-month tournament to crown the last champion.

-Mike Von Erich has held the Cruiserweight Title for 6 months now, and he's actually held it 10 out of the 12 months of the belt's existence.

[molson]

WCCW STORYLINES - END OF MAY 1985

Storylines with participants and date of origin, in order of current heat:

1. Tag Team Title Storyline: Sheepherders v. Kerry/Kevin (April, recently evolved to include The Sheepherders, and to eliminate Tiger Mask/Kabuki, Mendoza/Bundy)
2. Hart Limited Drama: Gary Hart/Mendoza/Bundy/Villano IV (January)
3. Kamala's Rampage: Kamala/Parsons (March)
4. Tag Feud: Olsonoski/Somers v. Eaton/Ware (April)
5. The Freebirds Return (May)

Set to Debut:
-David v. Masked Superstar
-Robinson/El Halcon v. Grapplers
-Inoki/Sullivan

Lower midcarders and higher without a current or pending storyline:

-Mike Von Erich
-Nikita Koloff
-Killer Tim Brooks
-Frank Dusek
-Charlie Cook
-Villano V
-Mark Youngblood
-Don Bass

-A couple of big storylines end last month - Murdoch/Hennig, Inoki/Backlund, and White/Cook (which would have included Nikita Koloff had White not bailed for greener pastures)

-We have a bunch of new storylines set to debut, with some of the participants staying secret for now.

-This is definitely one area of the game I can improve on. Injuries, defections, and just screwing up and kept me from having hot storylines. I'll try to turn that around.

WRESTLER CONFLICTS

-The following wrestlers are unavailable on these days in June, as they consider these companies priorities over WCCW:

-Bobby Eaton (Wed)
-Buddy Roberts (Wed)
-Koko B. Ware (Wed)
-Michael Hayes (Wed)

-For the first time in well over a year, I have some conflicts to thing about. All of the above also work for the AWA, who is now their priority company on Wed nights, when I'll run our weekly Texas show.

EXCLUSIVE WORKERS

-These are the on-screen workers who happen to work for no one else but me. I'll try to give them a heavier workload, as they're the least likely to have fatigue issues. These guys are also relatively safer when it comes to talent cuts (this list does not include wrestlers who who are exclusively contracted to us, but as of the beginning of the month, have outstanding loan commitments with other promotions).

-Al Perez
-Antonio Inoki
-Baron Von Raschke
-Barry Orton
-Big John Studd
-Bill Mercer
-Billy Robinson
-Charlie Cook
-David Manning
-The Sheepherders
-David Von Erich
-Don Bass
-Doug Somers
-Dusty Wolfe
-El Halcon
-Frank Dusek
-Fritz Von Erich
-The Grapplers
-Jackie Fargo
-Jose Lothario
-Kamala
-Kerry Von Erich
-Kevin Sullivan
-Kevin Von Erich
-Killer Tim Brooks
-Mark Youngblood
-Mike Von Erich
-Mr. Pogo
-Mr. Saito
-Nikita Koloff
-Owen Hart
-Perry Jackson
-Ricky Romero
-Skandor Akbar
-Steve Olsonoski
-Terry Gordy
-The Masked Superstar
-Villano IV
-Villano V

WRESTLER COMPLAINTS

-Antonio Inoki is very unhappy about how often he has been jobbed
-Buddy Roberts is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows
-Michael Hayes is furious about how often he's been unsused on shows
-Nikita Koloff is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.
-Terry Gordy is very unhappy about how often he's been unused on shows.

-It's a happier locker room than last month. Gordy/Hayes/Roberts will be gone soon, and I will protect Inoki more.

WRESTLER DISAGREEMENTS ABOUT PUSHES

-These are guys that have let me know they think they should be pushed better (including those listed above, whose complaints have risen to the level of affecting morale). (loan agreement workers designated by *). This doesn't include start-of-month changes.

-Big John Studd thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Buddy Roberts* thinks he should be a main eventer
-Don Bass thinks he should be a midcarder
-Dusty Wolfe thinks he should be an Occasional Wrestler
-Kamala thinks he should be a main eventer
-Kerry Von Erich thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-Killer Tim Brooks thinks he should be a midcarder
-Nikita Koloff thinks he should be an upper midcarder
-The Masked Superstar thinks he should be a main eventer

[molson]

Current Momentum Ratings (End of April, 1985), with last month is parenthesis.

A
Mr. Saito (N/A)

A-
None

B+
Dory Funk Jr. (N/A)

B
David Von Erich (B+)
Bobby Eaton (B-)

B-
Terry Gordy (B-)
El Halcon (C+)
The Masked Superstar (N/A)
Bob Backlund (B)
Arturo Mendoza (C)
Kevin Von Erich (C)
Kerry Von Erich (C+)

C+
King Kong Bundy (C)
Mike Von Erich (C)
Michael Hayes (N/A)
Villano IV (C+)
Grappler #1 (C)
Kevin Sullivan (C+)
Kamala (B-)
Villano V (C+)
Doug Somers (C)
Luke Williams (B-)
Steve Olsonoski (C)
Big John Studd (N/A)
Koko B. Ware (C)
Don Bass (N/A)
Antonio Inoki (C+)
Billy Robinson (C)

C
Killer Tim Brooks (N/A)
Butch Miller (B-)
Nikita Koloff (C+)
Mr. Pogo (C-)
Buddy Roberts (N/A)
Frank Dusek (N/A)
Iceman Parsons (C+)
Grappler #2 (C+)

C-
Charlie Cook (D+)

D+
Al Perez (D+)

D
None

D-
Perry Jackson (E+)

E+
Dusty Wolfe (E+)
Mark Youngblood (E+)
Barry Orton (E)

E
None

E-
None

F+
None

F
Owen Hart (F-)
-----------

Rising in May: Bobby Eaton, El Halcon, Kerry Von Erich, Kevin Von Erich, Arturo Mendoza, King Kong Bundy, Mike Von Erich, Grappler #1, Doug Somers, Steve Olonoski, Koko B. Ware, Billy Robinson, Mr. Pogo, Charlie Cook, Perry Jackson, Barry Orton, Owen Hart

Falling in May: David Von Erich, Bob Backlund, Kamala, Luke Williams, Butch Miller, Nikita Koloff, Grappler #2, Iceman Parsons

-A lot of positive momentum this month. That tends to happen when I job guys on the way out. Mr. Saito and Dory Funk Jr are off to a hot start after their solid match at Parade of Champions.

[molson]

ROSTER, END OF MAY, 1985
*Workers on loan contracts

MAIN EVENTERS

Bob Backlund
David Von Erich
Antonio Inoki
The Masked Superstar
Kevin Sullivan
Dory Funk Jr
Michael Hayes*

-Since last month, Curt Hennig, Dick Murdoch, and Terry Funk have departed. Bob Backlund is out a while with injuries. The Masked Superstar and Dory Funk Jr. debut into this group, and Michael Hayes and Kevin Sullivan are promoted up. Hayes gets to move up because I'm going to use him in one more blow-off match to this stage of the Von Erich storyline. Sullivan beats out Mendoza for the other spot, for now.

UPPER MIDCARDERS

The Sheepherders
Kevin Von Erich
Buddy Roberts*
Kamala
Arturo Mendoza
Bobby Eaton
Koko B. Ware
Mr. Saito
Baron Von Raschke

-Baron Von Raschke and Mr. Saito debut here - both could easily be main eventers, but I'll make them prove themselves. Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware move up again after a little stint further down the card. Roddy Piper departs from this group out of the company, and Kevin Sullivan and Michael Hayes are promoted up and out.

MIDCARDERS

Villano V
Kerry Von Erich
Iceman Parsons
Arturo Mendoza
The Grapplers
Steve Olsonoski
Nikita Koloff
Mike Von Erich
King Kong Bundy
Mr. Pogo
Terry Gordy
El Halcon
Billy Robinson

-Since last month, Leon White leaves the company from this group, and Bobby Eaton and Koko B. Ware are promoted up and out. El Halcon and Billy Robinson get promotions and replace them. I had been designating Robinson as an "occasional wrestler", but I've been booking him as a midcarder. It's kind of weird to see Kerry and Terry Gordy down here, but my booking team is pretty down on Gordy, and I've never been a huge fan of Kerry's work.

LOWER MIDCARDERS

Doug Somers
Villano IV
Mark Youngblood
Charlie Cook
Frank Dusek
Don Bass
Killer Tim Brooks

-Same group as last month with three debuts - Dusek and Brooks. Both are solid veterans on the downside of their careers.

OPENERS

Al Perez
Perry Jackson
Barry Orton
Owen Hart
Don Bass

-Same group as last month, with the addition of veteran heel Don Bass. This is probably a tad low for Bass, but with Orton and Jackson leaving the company in a few days, I need an extra guy down here to meet the minimum levels for my promotion size.

ENHANCEMENT TALENT

Dusty Wolfe

OTHERS

Skandor Akbar
Gary Hart
Lance Russell
Bill Mercer
David Manning
Jose Lothario
Fritz Von Erich
Ricky Romero
Jackie Fargo

-We trim a little of the fat here, as Ox Baker, Vince McMahon, and Ray Stevens are all gone. I could probably use another manager or two at some point.

CONTRACTS UP IN NEXT 60 DAYS

-Iceman Parsons (3 Days)
-Perry Jackson (4 Days)
-Barry Orton (4 Days)
-King Kong Bundy (5 Days)
-Kerry Von Erich (5 Days)
-Steve Olsonoski (6 Days)
-Mark Youngblood (6 Days)
-Terry Gordy (14 Days)
-Dusty Wolfe (25 Days)
-Lance Russell (27 Days)
-Owen Hart (28 Days)
-Doug Somers (28 Days)
-Nikita Koloff (29 Days)
-Kamala (35 Days)
-Ricky Romero (43 Days)
-Villano IV (53 Days)
-Villano V (53 Days

-We definitely have a fewer big contracts on the books with the departure of Piper, Funk, Murdoch, and Hennig. I assume I'll be able to sign Mike, Kerry, Bundy, Youngblood, and Olsonoski. Parsons, Orton, and Jackson will be gone in a few days. They better bring their jobbing boots to the next show.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 1, June 1985
Santa Barbara, CA (Southwest - Tiny Venue)
Expected Attendance: 1,395 Ticket prices: $4 over Default
Actual Attendance: 1,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Owen Hart defeats Perry Jackson in 5:54 by pinfall. (D+)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Al Perez defeats Barry Orton in 7:50 by pinfall. (D-). Perez was exhausted by the end of the match. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Perez about his win. (E+)

-Fritz Von Erich comes to the ring and recaps the results of the Parade of Champion show. He then introduces the new WCCW World Heavyweight Champion, David Von Erich, who comes to the ring. (D+) David cuts a lengthy promo where he hypes his title win, and runs off the names of some of the top contenders to his title. He says that the WCCW Championship Committee will name a #1 Contender soon, and that person will get a shot at the gold at June Star Wars. But, David says he plans on defending the title sooner than that. (C-) David Von Erich then talks about tonight's main event, where he'll face Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware in a tag team match. David says that he's honored to be teaming with a man he considers a mentor, and a man he has teamed with in Florida. David then introduces his tag team partner - Dory Funk Jr, who comes to the ring. (C). The two hype their main event match against Eaton & Ware. (C+)

-Frank Dusek defeats Killer Tim Brooks in 8:00 by pinfall. (C-) After the match, Bill Mercer interviews Dusek about his win. (D-)

-Billy Robinson & El Halcon drew with The Grapplers in 15:00 when the time limit expired. (B-). After the match, the 4 men continued to fight, with the Grapplers quickly gaining the upper hand. They performed their finishing move on the faces and leave them laying in the ring. (C)

-The Masked Superstar (w/Gary Hart) defeats Iceman Parsons in 7:31 by pinfall. (C+). After the match, Gary Hart interviewed Hart and the Masked Superstar, who put over Superstar's performance at Parade of Champions, winning 3 matches in one night. Hart hyped that once again, he has the most dominant organization in professional wrestling with The Masked Superstar, Kamala, and Big John Studd. (C-)

-Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware hyped their upcoming main event match with Funk & David Von Erich. (C+)

-David Von Erich & Dory Funk Jr. defeated Bobby Eaton & Koko B. Ware in 25:10 when Funk pinned Eaton. (B-). Eaton looked good. After the match, Funk and David celebrated in the ring for several minutes. (C+)

Overall Show Rating: C+

THOUGHTS:

-On these house shows, I'm not bringing along the expensive Lance Russell, and that negatively impacts all show ratings. But C+ in the southwest is fine and keeps us moving forward.

-I teamed David/Funk because they have experience working together as a team, from David's run in Florida. They'll definitely be an active alliance in the weeks and months to come. Tonight they get a standard, non-storyline match with Eaton/Ware, which was solid.

-Grapplers v. Robinson/Halcon was just as good, and much cheaper. Robinson and El Halcon are both among our top 8 most popular wrestlers in the southwest, so that definitely helped. This was a start of a storyline involving these two teams.

-With Orton and Jackson on the way out, Perez and Hart got to pick up rare wins on the pre-show.

-Killer Tim Brooks wasn't happy about jobbing to Frank Dusek, even though both are lower midcarders. Brooks is a former Texas and American Heavyweight Champion in WCCW, but those glory days are behind him. As for Dusek, he gets his first win since last August, in his previous WCCW run.

[molson]

NEWS

-Bobby Eaton, The Masked Superstar, and Dory Funk Jr. are exhausted after the last show.

-Terry Orndorff and Ludwig Borga are hyped as future stars in the dirt sheets

-I re-sign Kerry Von Erich for 9 more moths at $2,000/show, up from his previous $1,900/show deal, and a $2,000 downside. That's way too high for him. After that 9 months is over, I'll probably have to let him go on a hiatus, since every worker tends to demand a raise when they re-sign, and I can't in good conscious go any higher than that. The problem is, Fritz now refuses to deal with known steroid users, of which Kerry is definitely one. That block still has 22 months left on it. So if I let Kerry go after 9 months, I won't be able to bring him back at least for another 13 months.

-Mike Von Erich also re-signs for 9 months at $1,075/show, up from his previous deal of $850/show. I likewise can't see going to much further with him.

-Mark Younblood is a little cheaper, at $750/show, up from his previous deal at around $550/show. He obviously doesn't bring much to the table, but it's nice to keep the roster as stable as possible.

-Parade of Champions came in at a 1.41 buyrate, topping our previous high of 1.32. Each PPV has done better than the one before it.

[molson]

-So over the summer, when we're without TV, we'll be running a weekly "Summer Nights" show in the Dallas area. This will be THE weekly show. Fans will get the info on the results and news of WCCW, and the monthly PPVs will be hyped.

-I'll pretty much book it as a TV show, and assume that fans have ready access to everything that happens at these shows, and the weekly house shows (perhaps through a newspaper column, radio show, 1-800 number, whatever).

-We'll send our main 3-man announce team (Lance Russell, Bill Mercer, and Fritz Von Erich) to these shows, just to ensure maximum ratings.

-We'll keep the storylines moving along, but as a somewhat slower pace than usual. I don't want things to be too crazily different by the time we get back on TV in September.

WCCW: Summer Nights
Wednesday, Week 1, June 1985
Dallas, TX (Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 4,350 Ticket Prices: ?? (Forgot to set)
Actual Attendance: 5,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Charlie Cook defeats Owen Hart in 7:57 by pinfall. (D-)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Villano IV defeats Dusty Wolfe in 8:22 by pinfall. (C-). Wolfe seemed off his game.

-As the show starts, Dory Funk Jr. comes out to the ring and cuts a lengthy promo. He hypes his main event match tonight against Kevin Sullivan. Funk recaps his brother Terry's issues with the former Federation stable, and particularly Kevin Sullivan. Funk says that while his brother Terry has been forced to leave WCCW, he plans on settling some of Terry's old scores, starting tonight. Funk also hypes the new WCCW World Heavyweight Champion, and Funk's protege, David Von Erich. (B-)

-Lance Russell interviews WCCW Commissioner Jose Lothario. The two recap the results of Parade of Champions, and highlight WCCW's "summer season" schedule. They provide information on how WCCW fans can keep up with the goings-on in WCCW, and promise a big return to TV in September. Lothario hypes that he also has a couple of major announcements to make tonight, but he's saving those for the appropriate times. (C-)

-Kevin & Kerry Von Erich defeat Perry Jackson & Barry Orton in 7:42 when Kerry pinned Orton. (C-). Kevin and Kerry looked good. After the match, Lance Russell interviewed The Von Erichs about their win, and especially, about the ambush attach by the Freebirds at Parade of Champions. The Von Erichs reveal that there has been a lot of back and forth between they and the Freebirds in recent months. The Freebirds have challenged The Von Erichs to a series of matches, and the Von Erichs have refused, choosing to honor the stipulation of last summer's Cage Clash event. The Freebirds were persistent, and week after week have tried to convince the Von Erichs to face them in a WCCW ring once again. The Von Erichs say they continued to ignore them. At Parade of Champions, however, The Freebirds took things to another level, and involved themselves in the the Von Erichs' World Tag Title match, costing them the belts, and trying to incapacitate them outside the arena. The Von Erichs say they've had it, and against their better judgment, they've decided to face the Freebirds once again. The Von Erichs say they've agreed to two matches that have been cleared by WCCW Commissioner Lothario. Next week, in Dallas, Kevin & David Von Erich will face Buddy Roberts & Terry Gordy in a tag team match. Then, at June Star Wars, Kerry Von Erich will face Freebird leader Michael Hayes 1-on-1. Kerry says that Michael Hayes doesn't deserve, EVER, to be in a WCCW ring again, so that match will take place in the parking lot behind the arena. (C)

-As the interview is wrapping up, Commissioner Lothario enters the ring. He has he has been working around the clock to find out how exactly Michael Hayes was able to breach WCCW security and disguise himself as a WCCW cameraman at Parade of Champions. Lothario says that several leads all pointed to the assistance of one man - Skandor Akbar, the manager of the WCCW World Tag Team Champion Sheepherders. Lothario says the evidence, which he wouldn't reveal the nature of, was indisputable - Akbar was behind the security breach. Commissioner Lothario says at this time, he has no choice but to strip the Sheepherders of the World Tag Team Titles, and award them to the Von Erichs. As far as the WCCW record books are concerned, the Von Erichs won the tag titles at Parade of Champions. (C). The Von Erichs celebrate in the ring as the arena erupts. (C+). After a brief consultation, The Von Erichs tell Lothario that he's made the right decision, but they'd like to solidify their claim to the titles by defeating The Sheepherders in a match - they ask Lothario to make a title match between the two teams. Lothario agrees, the match will take place in Dallas in two weeks: Kerry & Kevin Von Erich v. The Sheepherders for the World Tag Team Titles. (C+)

-Frank Dusek defeats Don Bass in 6:54 by pinfall. (C-). The two showed poor chemistry. After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Frank Dusek about his win. (C-). Dusek further established himself as a babyface, playing to the crowd.

-The Masked Superstar (w/Gary Hart) defeats Iceman Parsons in 9:31 by pinfall. (B-). After the match, Bill Mercer interviewed Hart about his client. Hart puts over The Superstar's performance at Parade of Champions, where he won 3 matches in one night. Hart notes that the WCCW Championship Committee will be naming a #1 Contender to David's World Title soon, and that they should look no further than the Masked Superstar. (C+)

-Non-Title Match
Arturo Mendoza defeats Killer Tim Brooks in 11:03 by pinfall. (B). After the match, Lance Russell interviewed Mendoza about his win. (B+). Russell also relayed news about Mendoza's TV Title. During the summer season, with WCCW taking a 3-month break from TV, the "random drawing" TV Title challenger format is being put on hiatus. The TV Championship will be defended only during the monthly PPV event, and against a challenger determined not randomly, but by the WCCW Championship Committee. That committee will determine Mendoza's challenger at June Star Wars by next week.

-Kevin Sullivan drew with Dory Funk Jr. by double countout in 18:02 after the two men were brawling outside of the ring. (A). The two showed great chemistry, but the match suffered from a lack of selling. After the match, Sullivan got the upper hand and began beating down Funk, until Antonio Inoki made the save. (B)

-Overall Show Rating: B

THOUGHTS:

-Very good show. I think I did I put the matches in the right order here to generate the best rating I could.

-Great main event between Dory Funk Jr. and Kevin Sullivan - I imagine they brawled all over the arena. They're not heading towards a feud with each other, which is kind of too bad after the chemistry they showed. Inoki makes the seemingly random save here, but he's entering into a feud with Sullivan.

-Arturo Mendoza really looked like a main event star tonight. First, he drags Killer Tim Brooks to a solid match. Then, a B+ interview.

-This was last WCCW show, at least for a while, for Iceman Parsons, Perry Jackson, and Barry Orton. It's especially sad to see Parsons go, who has been here since the beginning. I hope to bring him back in 6 months, maybe at a lower cost.

-Don Bass is kind of an old-school heel, with a vague cowboy gimmick. He won't win many matches. Either will Frank Dusek, but he's getting a little push to start out with, winning 2 consecutive matches.

-The Von Erich stuff was a little wacky. It basically all happened because I set the Von Erichs to win by DQ at Parade of Champions, but the game gave them the titles anyway. Not sure what I keep screwing up there. I might have forgotten to check "cheap win" or something. But, I like how it turned out, ultimately. Akbar thought he could hold onto the titles for the Sheepherders by getting Michael Hayes a job as a cameraman - Hayes of course being motivated to screw over the Von Erichs. The plan works, but they're caught, and get stripped of the gold. A perfect move for a babyface authority figure.

[molson]

NEWS

-The Masked Superstar and Dory Funk Jr. are exhausted after the last show

-Iceman Parsons is officially gone from WCCW. His highlight was probably a mini-feued challenging Bobby Eaton for the World Heavyweight Championship. He also scored a big upset over Bob Backlund on TV. I'll also remember him as being the third-man, unwilling to get involved in the Bruno/David Sammartino drama as he saw his six-man tag team implode. Going back to 1983, he had a big rivalry with Buddy Roberts over the TV Title. He also teamed with Chris Adams, who eventually turned on him

-Barry Orton & Perry Jackson are also officially gone. I'll give them both another look in 6 months - I think that would be Orton's 3rd run with WCCW.

-ACW National Heavyweight Champion Greg Valentine re-signed with ACW. That's probably the most prestigious belt in the world right now.

-I am unable to come to terms with King Kong Bundy, who demanded a huge raise. His previous deal was $1,375/show, and I offered $1,800/show - it wasn't enough. I'm quite content to let him go with those kinds of demands. It's tough to see another "WCCW dynasty original" move on. Bundy has taken a couple of high-profile losses as of late, but he was in line for what I thought would be an interesting storyline. After a series of losses (including to Kamala) he was going to approach former tag team partner Arturo Mendoza, looking to re-form their old tag team. Mendoza would be reluctant, since he's focused on the TV, and perhaps World Title, and in addition - he hasn't forgiven Bundy for failing to immediately follow him out of Gary Hart's stable. Bundy would have gotten pissed off about the rejection, and re-joined Hart's stable, perhaps forming a tag team with Big John Studd. But now - he'll be gone in about a week. Bundy was with Gary Hart throughout the dynasty until pretty much the very end, when Kevin Von Erich convinced him to branch out on his own. Before that, he was involved in a pretty successful tag team with Arturo Mendoza - though they were unable to win the belts. Most of his time was spent in the epic Tiger Mask/Kabuki/Bundy/Mendoza storyline, with generated great matches whenever I needed them.

-Steve Olsonoski is much more reasonable, re-signing for 9 more moths at $850/show, a raise from his old $775/show deal. His team with Doug Somers is really blossoming, so he's worth the investment.

-With the departure of Bundy and Parsons, I'm down to only the Von Erichs, Gary Hart, Skandor Akbar, Jose Lothario, and David Manning as continuous employees since the beginning of this dynasty. Of course, a few, like Bill Mercer and Frank Dusek, were here at the beginning, left, and have since come back.

-Jerry Lawler and Rick Martel won the vacant Portland Wrestling tag team championship. With the death of his Memphis promotion, Lawler seems to have adopted Portland as his new hometown - he's also that promotion's Heavyweight Champion.

-Dory Funk Jr. has left his position as head booker of Mid-Atlantic - it will be interesting to see who they pick up. I can tell you that I'm not interested. I'll be running WCCW until whenever I give up on this dynasty.

-I had requested negotiations with Englishman "Giant Haystacks" (later "Loch Ness" in WCW), and am surprised to see that he only wants $525/show. The death of all wrestling promotions in the UK have created desperate wrestlers and good deals. I bring him in. He has VERY limited overness in the US, but he's one of the few legitimate "giants" in wrestling. He has "A" rated looks, "B" in power, the basics, and toughness, and B- in charisma, brawling, and menace. No reason I can't build him up to something interesting. The only downside is that he only works well as a heel, and I'm pretty heel-heavy at this point. I also bring in a fellow Englishman, Johnny Saint, at a mere $950/show. Saint is very interesting - he's 44 years old, but something of a legend in the UK - "A" ratings in Chain Wrestling, Submissions, Stamina, and The Basics. Apparently, he's one of the great mat wrestlers of all time. He can only really play a babyface, so an alliance with Giant Haystacks may be tough to pull off. He's also a lightweight, and thus eligible for the WCCW Crusiderweight Championship. I also can't help myself and bring in Mark Rocco, also from the UK, at $975/show. Rocco is best at playing a heel, and like Johnny Saint, is simply one of the best wrestlers in the history of the UK. If I can increase their overness in Texas, I'll have a real steal on my hands. I guess the tentative plan is to align Rocco with Haystacks, and have Saint work as a face. Perhaps I should also bring back Lord Alfred Hayes to throw into the mix - I request negotiations.

-The AWA has signed Jerry Lawler - so his new adopted hometown of Portland, Or may lose their favorite son.

-The dirt sheets hype Dizzy Ed Hogan (aka Brutus Beefcake, Ed Boulder, Brother Bruti, The Butcher, The Man With No Name, The Man With No Face, The Booty Man, The Zodiak, The Disciple - did I miss any?) as a future star.

[molson]

THE STARS OF WORLD CLASS ON TOUR
Monday, Week 2, June 1985
Wichita, KS (Midwest - Very Small Venue)
Expected Attendance: 2,175 Ticket prices: Default
Actual Attendance: 2,000 (SOLD OUT)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
Killer Tim Brooks defeats Mark Youngblood in 7:53 by pinfall after grabbing the ropes for leverage. (C-) After the match, Brooks cut a promo, hyping his win. (D)

-Pre-Show Dark Match
El Halcon defeats Dusty Wolfe in 5:45 by submission. (C)

-As the main show starts, WCCW Commissioner Lothario comes to the ring, welcomes the fans, and fills everyone in on recent developments in WCCW. He then introduces WCCW's most recent signing, who his making his first WCCW appearance tonight - Baron Von Raschke, who comes to the ring. (C). Raschke cuts a promo establishing himself as face, and hypes himself a grizzled old vet who has seen it all but has a lot left in the tank. (C+)

-Baron Von Raschke defeats Grappler #1 (w/Grappler #2) in 11:58 by submission, despite interference from Grappler #2. (B).

-Bill Mercer interviews Mark Rocco, who hypes his upcoming debut match against fellow Englishman Johnny Saint. Rocco hypes his wrestling skill and amateur background, and comes across as a cocky heel. (F+). Mercer also interviews Saint, who has a "no gimmick needed" type gimmick - he says he's just here to wrestle. (E-)

-Johnny Saint drew with Mark Rocco in 10:00 when the time limit expired. (B-)
The two men argued in the ring for a minute or two after the match ended. (F+)

-Billy Robinson defeated Grappler #2 (w/Grappler #1) in 6:33 by submission. (B-). Early in the match, Grappler #1 interfered, which led to El Halcon emerging from the locker room area to assist his tag team partner, Robinson. After the match, Robinson cut a promo about his win, and how he and El Halcon would like to take on The Grapplers in a tag match. (C)

-Lance Russell interviews Skandor Akbar and the recently-stripped WCCW tag team champion Sheepherders - who still carry the WCCW Tag Team Championship belts. Akbar dares Commissioner Lothario to come to the ring and take the belts away himself. After Lothario fails to appear, Akbar says there's nothing Lothario or anyone else can do about it - The Sheepherders have the belts, so they're still the champs. (C)

-The Sheepherders (w/Skandor Akbar) defeat Owen Hart & Al Perez in 4:49 when Williams pinned Hart. (C). Williams looked good. After the match, The Sheepherders cut a promo, saying that if Kevin & Kerry want another shot at their titles, they can have one any time. (C)

-WCCW World Heavyweight Champion David Von Erich comes to the ring with his mentor Dory Funk Jr. The two hype their main event tag team match against the new team of Mr. Saito & Mr. Pogo. They say they're not taking the tough Japanese duo lightly. David also mentions his tag team match with Kevin Von Erich against Buddy Roberts & Terry Gordy this week - saying that he's one member of the Von Erich family who has been campaigning to let the Freebirds wrestle in WCCW so he can kick their ass all over again. David also says that this week, he'll also decide his first challenger for his heavyweight championship (C)

-David Von Erich & Dory Funk Jr. defeat Mr. Saito & Mr. Pogo in 21:58 by pinfall when David pinned Saito. (B). Funk looked good. After the stiff match, the four men brawled around ringside for several minutes, with Saito and Pogo generally getting the upper hand until the fight was broken up by road agents. (C)

-Overall Show Rating: B-

THOUGHTS:

-Decent enough rating. The main even was really just a chance to give these two combinations a little experience as teams, as I expect to use them a lot in high profile situations in the future. Saito is a little higher in talent and overness than Pogo, but I think Pogo can hang with him. Pogo has an awful W/L record thus far in WCCW, but I still think this is a believably dangerous team, as Pogo usually jobs to top guys. Unfortunately Pogo/Saito have zero chemistry as a team. That won't keep me from going forward with a storyline I have in mind, it just means it won't be a long-lived team.

-I otherwise filled out the card with a lot of our guys who have overness in the midwest. This also highlighted the aging of my roster - I have 7 active wrestlers over 40.

-Billy Robinson was intended to just be an occasional attraction, but he's still pretty good. Tonight he helped plant the seeds for a Grapplers v. Halcon/Robinson feud. This is kind of a lower-level feud - the Villanos defeated The Grapplers at Parade of Champions, so I see them as higher up on the totem pole.

-The debut of the UK wrestlers was interesting - these guys are completely unknown in the U.S. so their interviews bombed. But their match was very solid, much better than I expected. These guys will be a steal - I just need to keep them off the mic.

-Baron Von Raschke makes his debut and has a solid match with Grappler #1. I don't have any specific storyline plans at the moment for the Baron, he'll just wrestle for a while. I definitely have the ingredients for a babyface "old age outlaws" type stable or tag team with some combination of The Baron, Dory Funk Jr, and Billy Robinson.

[BYU 14]

Nice debut for Von Raschke, especially considering he is getting up there. I am interested to see what you end up doing with the Baron.

"Dat is all da people need to know!"

[PilotMan]

POST 1000!!!!!!!




Sorry, I couldn't resist. Now celebrate by giving us some more!